Google Sandbox | Definition, Challenges and Tactics in SEO

Prerequisite: Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Google is currently the biggest search engine in the world, and it’s having exponential growth day by day. We can say that it became an important part of our life, we come to Google for plenty of things and for plenty of times in a day. It gives us information about many things which we really want in our life. Have you ever wondered how Google is able to show the most appropriate and authentic information from a huge bunch of websites?

You have wondered and found it because you guys are from computer science. Obviously, He is doing with his algorithms and providing the best and most authentic information to the user. Nobody can say about Google Algorithms with authenticity, we all can predict it and can optimize our website according to Google. 

In 2004, Many Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Experts observed that Google is not ranking their website for the first few months even he is putting his best SEO effort, but the efforts are going worthless which they are putting for fast search index of the website.

With the same amount of effort and at the same time, He observed that this is happening only with Google. Other Search Engines like Bing and Yahoo are showing the website in SERP as per the expectations. This concept was introduced as Google Sandbox by the Experts.

The logic behind it has given that, a newborn website will be not getting indexed properly for the first few months. Experts said, that this is happening because Google Introduced a new algorithm for giving more appropriate information to the user and this is like a filter for a new website, which doesn’t show properly in search results and the concept is called Google Sandbox.

We can say and assume psychologically that there is a box for new websites in Google and new websites will be in that box for the first few months and in this period it will not show in search results properly. As per the experts, the period can vary from 2 Months to 8 Months.

Identify that your website in Google Sandbox

Identification is pretty simple if the website is not indexing properly for long-tail keywords and low competition keywords also. Then, your website may be in Sandbox.

What the experts are saying for sandbox?

Rand Fishkin, owner of SEOMoz also confirmed that for the first few months their website was not ranking well even he is putting the best possible content on it. That was happening because of this sandbox concept. He told, on November 4, 2005, that now his website is ranking good after 8 months, and it has escaped the probation period or sandbox in which Google is not taking a new website as an authorized one.

Also, Matt Cutts (American Software Engineer, Formerly Head of WebSpam at Google) said that, If your website is new then it may not rank as well as old ones are ranking. But he said not to worry about it, it will surely rank after few months.

How to get rid of Google Sandbox?

Here we will share few best SEO tips for getting rid of it. 

1. Choose long tail and low competition keyword

Because you are running a new website, please try to rank on low competition and long-tail keywords rather than trying to rank on high-competition and short-tail keywords. You will be able to rank them quickly, and it will help your website get out of the sandbox.

2. Focus on Branding 

Focus on branding as much as possible, focus on making your website the best brand. To do this, you should use your brand name everywhere on the Internet whether it is social media or any other website. 

3. Use Social Media

By the way, social media has always been an important factor, but since you have a new website, then its importance increases even more. Make a page with your brand name on Facebook, try to add more people, and share information on it. You should also focus on social media like Pinterest, Linked In, Instagram, and more.

4. Build Authority

You can increase the authority of your website in the eyes of Google, for this regularly update and add your content to your website. Try to always be active as your brand on the Internet. You can also create your own authority and backlinks by putting guest articles on other websites that are similar to your domain.

5. Use Internal Linking

Internal linking is also an important part, you should also follow it, link your similar pages to each other. So that the search engine and the user also have the ease of navigating your website.

You can also take inspiration from internal linking from GeeksforGeeks.

6. Don’t be too Aggressive

Don’t be too hasty, give the search engine bot some time to analyze your website. In the meantime, keep doing your work, after some time you will surely get the expected result.

Final thoughts

Finally, patience is the solution to your all problems, just wait and keep working for the ranking of the website. You will be surely indexed in SERP after working with patience for few months.