Google Sandbox Algorithm and its effect on ranking new websites

What is Google Sandbox Algorithm?

Google sandbox algorithm


Google Sandbox is one of the algorithms that Google uses to give a position to a website in SERPs (Search Engine Result Pages).  It was first noticed in the year of 2004 by many SEO specialists and website owners especially new website owners are facing lack of ranking in Google.

This algorithm works like a filter that filter out newly created websites in the SERPs.  Even a page has good content and SEO, it cannot able to rank in the first few pages in Google.  This is because the algorithm put the newly created website in a separate place that we called as Sandbox.

The time period of newly created website in Sandbox may vary based upon their niche.  Usually many people say that it may take 4-6 months for a new website to be in a sandbox.  If Google didn't put trust on you, then the sandbox period will increase for your website.

Why Google uses Sandbox Algorithm?

Ranking your website in other Search Engines like Bing, Yandex is easy than ranking in Google.


In order to give most relevant results with quality content in SERPs, Google uses the Sandbox algorithm.  Google not only use sandbox algorithm, also they use many algorithms to rank a quality sites in their results.

Google didn't say in any places that they down new sites from ranking.  All these are systems that run many assumptions. Mueller mentions about google sandbox and honeymoon ranking effects

What are the things you need to do while your website is in the Sandbox?

Here are the few things that you can do for your website while it is in the sandbox.

1.  Follow your niche correctly:

Follow your niche

You should select a suitable niche for your website.  Niche means the topic on which you wish to write content on your website.  Choosing a micro niche will help you to rank in Google in 2021 and in upcoming years.

For example: I wish to write articles in technology domain, then micro niche means specific topic I need to choose such as mobile phones, latest technology, engineering technology like that.  

Combining multiple niche into a single website is difficulty to rank for a beginner.

So if you write quality articles correctly in your niche, then Google will note your website that you are suitable for this topic and will give you a position.  This is because you are increasing your EAT score (Expertise, Authority and Trust).  EAT score helps to believe that you have enough knowledge about that particular topic.

Learn about EAT score and how to increase EAT score

2.  Building a quality Backlink profile:

Quality backlink profile will reduce sandbox timing


Gaining Quality backlinks from similar niche sites will reduce the time period of the sandbox.  And also it helps to increase your EAT score.

It is also one of the techniques of off page SEO.  Google will consider only do follow backlinks, so getting a backlink indicates that another website is trusting your website.

And also gaining more backlinks within a period of time is also danger.  So you should get backlinks slowly not fast.  For example, a new website will get 100 backlinks per months is dangerous in comparison to getting 10 to 20 backlinks for a month.

So you should start slowly and increase your rate from 40 to 60 backlinks per month.

Link building strategies is very important in building quality backlink profile.

You can write guest blogs to get backlinks

3.  Improving content quality and SEO

Google sandbox needs good quality content

  • Don't forget to publish your articles regularly.
  • Don't forget to refresh your old articles with new content.
  • Share your article in social media.  Social media interaction and bounce rate of audience will be calculated to give you a position in search results.
  • Apply on page, off page, technical SEO to your articles.  Also learn about SEO practices and techniques while your website is in the Sandbox period and use those technics to rank your posts.
  • Follow all guidelines and policies of Google search and Google publishers.
  • Make your website error free in Search Console.  And make sure that your website is indexed in Google and your sitemap is submitted correctly.
  • Don't stuff too many keywords in your posts.  This may increase your sandbox time period.
Don't Believe or use any tools in online which says that it will show your Sandbox time period or it will show that if your site is in Google Sandbox or not.

Both long and short articles are ranked in Google.  But I personally felt that writing long articles than the articles that already in ranking, will move my new post forward in search result pages.  Also need to consider another point that the article should be a good quality content.

How to know if my website or post is in the Google Sandbox?

Here are some of the methods which are believed by many people to find a website or post is in the Google sandbox
  • In google search when you search your post topics and you cannot able to see your posts even after moving to 20 to 30 pages in google results then it may be a symptom that your post is in the sandbox.
  • Also if you visit your search console and then go to Google search results and pick any post and see the search queries of that post.  If it is not showing queries related to your post, it showing less relevant search queries then it may be a chance that your post is in the sandbox.
  • If you visit the Google analytics and then select a particular post and see the traffic chart.  If it suddenly raises at one or two particular points and then drops for long days.  And also in that particular point less traffic (1-10 or 1-2) only came to your post means then your post will be in the Google sandbox.
Learn about Google Honeymoon Effect

 

How to get out of Google Sandbox?

How to get out of Google Sandbox

In order to get out of Google Sandbox, you should choose low competition keywords and first try to rank in that low competition keywords.  If you rank a post in low competition keyword, then slowly all other posts related to that ranked post will also get ranked.

So that is why many people are choosing micro niche.  If one post ranked means then all posts will get ranked soon.

By ranking a post you can feel that your website or posts will get out of sandbox.

Also even an aged domain or website will again go into sandbox, if it doesn't compatible with modern standards.

If you write an article in an aged or new domain website, you know that the website is out of sandbox, but you have chosen a different topic for this new post and it needs high EAT score.  Then the particular post only will go into the sandbox. 

Conclusion

Google didn't want to reduce the ranking of new sites.  They just want to show most relevant content to the users.  So to attain that they uses many algorithms and systems that take many assumptions on the content and will guess that it is suitable or not based upon the user activity and interest and many other things.

And in future Google may introduce many new updates and algorithms to show quality content in the SERPs.
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Content Last Updated on 28th November 2021, 1:30 PM IST

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