Facing The Sandbox

Google’s sandbox effect has been a mystery since 2003. With no one really knowing whether this exist or not and with absolutely no confirmation from Google themselves, the sandbox effect remains a secretive stumble block that most website owners have to face when implementing search engine optimisation. According to the sandbox myth, all new websites are subject to the effect but this is not entirely true. Older sites could also fall prey to the sandbox and there is almost no way to avoid it.

Understanding Google’s sandbox effect

So what exactly is Google’s sandbox effect? According to webmasters, it was established to eradicate the influx of rampant spamming. These spam sites usually received top ranking because of it rich keyword content and so the sandbox effect was created to put an end to this. Creating a time delay, it is a sort of filter placed on a website preventing it from reaching top ranking on search engine results pages in the initial stages.

Websites are put on probation, which could last for as long as 9 months until Google sees fit for them to benefit from ranking. This means that these sites are still indexed by Google but will not get high ranking during this period.

Using the sandbox effect for your websites advantage

Although restraining, the only way to avoid Google’s sandbox effect is to use it to your advantage. This means to wait until the probation period has ended and your website is able to rank tops. However, waiting does not mean sitting back and doing nothing.

During this probation delay, one can focus on building a stronger website. This can be achieved through improving site content and researching better keywords for your SEO campaign. Also, try to pull in more traffic through other means than just relying on ranking. By employing an affiliate-marketing program, you can use other websites to advertise your site. The use of affiliates is a cost effective tool that will increase your traffic flow whilst you wait for the sandbox effect to dissipate.

By improving the overall content of your website during this period, you will find that by the time you are ranked, your site will be more developed and stronger. Just imagine that the sandbox effect did not exist (assuming it does), as a first time site owner you may think your website is sufficient when  it gets created but as you go along, you realise your content needs more detail and attractive features.

It might have received top ranking on search engine results pages and everyone had already visited your site deciding that it does not contain enough information. They will most probably never visit it again. By this time, it might be too late now to reconstruct it as first impressions count.

Would it not have been better if the sandbox effect had existed for you to thoroughly create your website before being ranked and having the bulk of your traffic see it?

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