Manual actions
A manual action is applied by a person at Google after reviewing the site, for example for unnatural links, thin or spammy content, cloaking or hacked content. You get a notice in the Manual actions report in Google Search Console. After fixing the problem, you can ask for a review with a reconsideration request.
Algorithmic demotions
Most ranking drops are caused by Google’s automated systems, such as SpamBrain, or by core and spam updates. There is no notice and no reconsideration request. Recovery comes from fixing the cause, such as removing spammy links or improving low-quality content, and then waiting for Google to reassess the site, which can take months.
Not every drop is a penalty
Rankings also fall because competitors improved, the search results changed, pages were lost in a redesign or tracking broke. Check Search Console and your recent changes before assuming a penalty.
Penalty example: manual or algorithmic?
| Manual action | Algorithmic demotion | |
|---|---|---|
| Who decides | A person at Google | Automated systems |
| Notice | Message and Manual actions report | None |
| How to recover | Fix the problem and send a reconsideration request | Fix the cause and wait for systems to reassess |
| Speed | Days to weeks after review | Often months |
What to do when traffic drops
- Open Search Console and check Manual actions and Security issues.
- Find the date of the drop and compare it with known Google updates.
- Check for technical problems: noindex tags, robots.txt, server errors, a redesign or migration.
- Compare which pages and queries lost traffic.
- Look for spam, hacked pages and unnatural links.
- Fix the cause, document what you did and wait. Do not make large random changes.
Penalty mistakes
- Assuming every ranking drop is a penalty.
- Disavowing links before understanding the problem.
- Deleting large parts of the site in a panic.
Penalty FAQs
Can a penalty be permanent?
Serious spam can lead to removal from the index. Most issues can be fixed. See manual actions and reconsideration requests.
How can I avoid one?
Follow Google’s spam policies. See white hat SEO and black hat SEO.