Okay, so I created a new site in mid-September and did a really stupid thing with it - I linked to it site-wide from my existing site. The result is, it's been almost two months and the site ranks for obscure queries only. In reality, it isn't doing that bad, BUT I know it could get multiple times the traffic it gets right now if it ranked well for some not really competitive keywords which it does not. That is, my site has been sandboxed. I am sure it has. I mean it doesn't even rank for its name which is searched about 0 times a day. I've removed the site-wide links and I'm waiting for an update. I have another site in the works as well. What's your advice? How can I make sure it doesn't get sandboxed? Or do all sites have the same fate regardless of whether they get suspicious links?
What I've heard most often is optimize the site for long term google optimization. Definately optimize for now for yahoo and msn. Wait on google. Have patience. Dave
4 months seems to be the 'norm'...make sure you have some other sites linked to you and then you should be OK...any more than 4 months and you've got deeper problems. GEM
Why exactly would a site-wide link somehow be a bad thing? There must be something I don't understand. Why would they be considered suspicious links? I believe all new sites get sandboxed. I suppose this is G's way of making sure the site is for real. Makes sense to me, although the wait is hard to endure.
Actually it keeps dropping from 3xx to 6xx in the last month, can't see any possibility to get out of the sandbox soon.
there is some reading for you if you do a google search for the following terms sandboxed google sandboxed google sandbox Where the hell has my site gone? Ok...kidding on the last one GEM
I'm pretty much of the opinion that all new sites are sandboxed as well. has anyone actually gotten a high ranking in less than a few months WITHOUT aggressive linking?
I highly recommend you read this - http://www.socengine.com/seo/guide/sandbox-march-filter.html and figure out for sure if you're really being sandboxed. You can PM me with the site too if you'd like and I'll check it out. If you are ranking well for obscure searches, that's usually a sign that you're NOT in the sandbox - it's more a factor that pushes you out of even the least competitive searches... Best of luck though!
so if you're getting obscure hits, but for your primary term, you're doing great in allinanchor but poor in the serps, what're you calling that?
OK...sorry,,,time i asked this,,what on earth is allinanchor? What is it,,,what does it do,,how and why and whats the relevence?? apologies 4 not knowing GEM
Do a search on google for allinanchor:search term (replace search term with your keyword/phrase). You are basically asking Google to tell you what sites rank well for that keyphrase by looking at anchortext links (the clickable text to a site) and other inbound links. Getting your keyphrase as the clickable link is believed to play a large part in high rankings in Google today. All in anchor, all in URL (allinurl: ) and All in text (allintext: ) are all contributors to the Google algo. Rank well in these and you are likely to rank well in Google when your site comes out of the sandbox. Jane
There is an interesting site here for you Gem http://www.mcdar.net/dance/index.php The google datacenters and the allin: all in one place and easy to use. Jane
I agree. It definitely seems that IBL's give you all of the benefits they do for a "mature" site, except to help you rank for any terms that are in the least bit "competitive". Junk terms with little search volume are just about the only thing I have seen a new site rank for. It is my opinion that the links are what is being "sandboxed" not the site itself. I just had some pop this morning for one site. Took about 3-4 months. The site was at 124 for a particular term the entire time while at #2 allinanchor. Today it jumped to #43. Hopefully, it will keep on going. So, to answer the original poster's question. I would not take down the sitewiede links. I would leave those up and go get yourself some links from other sites...and be patient.
Yupp, I have, but my site is written in swedish. Maybe that´s an explanation? Or does it mean that the sandbox theory i just rubbish?