Recovering from a Suspected Google Shadow Ban — Audits, Disavow, Rewrites and Reconsideration

Understanding Google Shadow Bans

Google does not officially recognize "shadow bans" for websites or search rankings; instead, visibility drops often stem from algorithmic filters, manual actions, or policy violations in services like Google Maps/Local Guides. Recovery involves audits to identify issues, cleaning up violations (not always via disavow), content rewrites, and formal reconsideration requests where applicable.

Step 1: Confirm the Issue (Audit Your Site or Account)

• Check visibility in incognito mode: Log out, use incognito, and search for your content/site. If visible only to you, it may be personalized filtering; if absent, it's likely deindexing or removal.
• Review Google Search Console (GSC): Look for manual action reports, deindexing notifications, or security issues. Identify violations like spammy links, thin content, or policy breaches.
• Audit content and links: Scan recent posts/reviews for spam flags (e.g., duplicate content, banned keywords, suspicious patterns). For websites, use GSC's URL Inspection tool.
• Differentiate ban types: Algorithmic (no notice, traffic drop) vs. manual (notified in GSC).

Step 2: Fix Violations (Clean Up, Rewrites, Disavow if Needed)

• Rewrite problematic content: Remove or edit low-quality, duplicate, or guideline-violating pages/reviews (e.g., explicit content, stolen images).
• Handle links: For unnatural inbound links, create and submit a disavow file via GSC only if confirmed as spammy—avoid overusing, as it's not always required.
• General cleanup:

  Action	When to Apply	Expected Outcome
  Delete/archive risky content	Policy violations, spam flags	Reduces filter triggers
  Pause activity	3-14 days for reset	Allows algorithmic review
  Disavow links	Manual action for link spam	Prevents penalty propagation

• Do not delete everything indiscriminately, as it may signal evasion.

Step 3: Submit Reconsideration Request

• Eligibility: Only after full fixes; requires 10+ days wait for some restrictions.
• Process via GSC:
  1. Log in to GSC for the affected property.
  2. Go to "Security & Manual Actions" > "Request Review".
  3. Detail violations found, fixes applied, and prevention steps—be transparent, no excuses.
• Timeline: Reviews take 1-3 weeks; success restores visibility automatically.
• Local Guides/Maps specific: Appeal via program policies after 10 days; no detailed feedback provided.

Step 4: Post-Recovery Prevention and Monitoring

• Resume gradually with high-quality, compliant content.
• Monitor GSC for impressions/clicks; track in incognito.
• Avoid triggers: No automation, rapid changes, or policy edges.
• Most issues resolve in 2-4 weeks if addressed; persistent cases may need professional SEO audit.

If no GSC notifications and fixes don't help, it may not be a ban—consider algorithm updates or competition. Patience is essential, as no quick fixes exist.