Truth: Nobody really understands the Google Sandbox

The Google Sandbox is a topic that has sparked debates, theories, and strategies among SEO enthusiasts and website owners. Nobody really understands it. The concept is shrouded in mystery and speculation and is believed to have a significant impact on the ranking of new websites in search engine results. Some posts will show tweets of google employees denying it exists, others will show that it takes around 6 months to finally start getting out and ranking. We all have our take on the Google Sandbox.

Key points about the Google Sandbox you will likely already have seen:

• The Google Sandbox is a hypothetical filter or algorithm used by Google that is believed to temporarily restrict the ranking of new websites, even if they are optimized well.

• Google has never officially confirmed the existence of the Google Sandbox, and some Google representatives have stated that it does not exist.

• The Sandbox effect is characterized by new websites initially ranking well, but then suddenly dropping in the search results, as if they have been “sandboxed” or restricted by Google.

• The purpose of the Sandbox is believed to be an anti-spam measure, where Google wants to ensure new websites prove their quality and relevance before allowing them to rank highly.

• The Sandbox period is estimated to typically last 6-9 months (some say 3-6 months, others 3-12 months and others say more like 12-15+ months), but can vary depending on the website. Really nobody knows why some sites take 3-6 months and others more. It can be luck.

• Factors that may influence the Sandbox duration include the website’s content quality, backlink profile, and overall authority.

• Strategies to reduce the Sandbox period include getting the site indexed quickly, driving traffic, using long-tail keywords, and building authority through quality content and backlinks.

What they say you should do to get out of the Google Sandbox or around it:

• Create High-Quality Content: Focus on creating unique and informative content relevant to your target audience. This helps Google evaluate your website’s credibility and trustworthiness.

• Build High-Quality Backlinks: Building links from high-authority websites can help increase your website’s authority and trust with Google. This can be achieved through link building strategies or by creating content that other websites want to link to.

• Optimize Your Website’s Technical SEO: Ensure your website is mobile-friendly, has fast loading speeds, and has clear and organized site architecture. This makes it easier for search engines to crawl and index your site.

• Index Your Website: Indexing your website helps Google understand your content and includes it in its search results. This can be done by submitting your site to Google Search Console or using other indexing tools.

• Avoid Keyword Stuffing: Avoid using excessive keywords in your content, as this can negatively impact your website’s credibility and trustworthiness.

What a new site should do to get out of the Google Sandbox based on experience:

• Start adding content – Keep adding content on a regular basis, I know you have heard this before. But, people who have big blogs (Swimuniversity) have shared that advice, just to keep adding content. You need to add content so keywords start ranking.

• Focus on Low Competition Keywords – you have no authority to rank for high competition keywords (like Rolex or Furniture), so start with low competition (long-tail keywords) easy to rank for keywords to start growing. More website traffic could also potentially mean more links. Keyword: Sofa – Low competition long-tail keyword: Brown 2 seater leather sofa

• Build High-Quality Backlinks – Just start getting quality links, this is very important as it will help you start getting DA (domain authority), so you can rank for more terms and get more traffic. Without links no matter how good your content you will not rank. More links =  More Domain Authority. This can be the hardest thing to do.

• Use Social Media and Other Promotional Channels – You should be posting links to your blogs on social media and sharing images via Pinterest. Something can potentially go viral and give you a boost.

• Use Expired Domains or Build Authority – Not much experience with this one – but can work if you really find an aged domain with quality links and a good DA. Can be hard to do, you need to know where to look and what you’re looking for.

• Be Patient and Consistent – You need to enjoy blogging, really. Keep showing up and keep going.

There are so many other questions like how do you know you are actually getting out of the Google sandbox, what are the signs? How long will it take to get out? How do you really know you are in the sandbox?