The Google Sandbox Explained
Introduction
The Google Sandbox is a metaphorical term
to explain why most new websites have very poor rankings in Google
Search Engine Results Pages (SERPS). Very few people know for sure if
the 'sandbox' actually exists, but it seems to be a filter added to the
Google algorithms sometime around March 2004. What is the function of the Google Sandbox?
The
generally accepted principle behind the Google Sandbox is that it
enables Google to filter out 'Flash-in-the-Pan' websites from those
that offer good quality, up-to-date content. It is within Googles
interest to ensure that the results it displays to its users within the
SERPS lead to highly relevant, up-to-date, useful websites Relevancy is
key to the search engines success so it will take all steps it can to
ensure the relevancy of its search results. Filtering out new websites
and monitoring them may allow them to provide more accurate results
within the real SERPS. Indentifying the Sandbox?
How do you know if
your website in in the sandbox? Most new websites under newly
registered domains will get relegated to the sandbox once Google knows
about the site. Google will find the site by following an Inbound Link
(IBL) from another site that the Googlebot crawls. You will then see
the website in the normal Google SERPS if you search for the actual
domain name, but the website is unlikely to be listed for any of its
keywords. Google also won't show signs of any other websites linking to
your website, nor will it display pages related to yours. In addition
Google won't list any pages other than your Home (index) page. If you track your websites visitor stats whilst it is in the
Google Sandbox, you will see that the Googlebot comes crawling fairly
regularly and that it does crawl, and therefore catalogue, all of your
pages. Google does know that your pages exist and knows what they
contain, but doesn't list them in the main SERPS. In other words,
because your website is new, it is under probation in the 'sandbox'. How Long Will My website Stay in the Google Sandbox?
It
is difficult to say how long a website will stay in the Google sandbox
as this seems to depend on the types of keywords it will be completing
for in the real SERPS It can be up to 6-8 months and the only way to
get out of the sandbox is to wait. The Google Sandbox isn't all bad news. If your site contains
good quality relevant material it will find its way out of the sandbox
and will get the rankings it deserves in the Google SERPS. I even have
some theories that may mean that your time in the sandbox can be used
wisely to actually improve your final rankings. You also shouldn't forget that Google isn't the only search
engine out there. MSN is widely used and with the might of Microsoft
behind it is likely to become a bigger player in the search engine
world in the new future. At the time of writing, MSN or other search
engines such as Yahoo! and Alta Vista don't have a 'sandbox' filter and
your new websites will be listed in the quickly and should start
driving traffic to your site.
About The Author
Alan Cole runs http://www.pixelwave.co.uk ,
a one-person web design studio. His aim is to provide cost effective
website design production and maintenance by offering professional web
solutions that stand out from the crowd.
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