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Originally Posted by Learning Newbie
So if it's highly controversial, then very specific ways to avoid something that may or may not exist in fact, are kind silly.
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It's not highly controversial though. Most people generally agree that there's a sandbox effect of sorts. I don't believe that it's an actual holding box, rather a natural loophole in the algorithm that gives a sandbox effect.
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If the sandbox does in fact exist, it's described as difficulty for new sites to rank, built into Google's algorithm as a special sandbox function. That would be a property of new sites, not a punishment. So when people write "If you've ever been thrown in the Google sandbox - like most people have - you may want to follow these steps to get out," that loses track of the whole myth about something that applies to all new sites. It's not something people get "thrown into" willy nilly.
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I worded my original post poorly. I don't believe that it's something a site gets thrown in to. I believe it's a natural process in Google calculating a site's worth - a sandbox effect rather than a sandbox. But such is the effect that it can feel like you've been thrown in a sandbox.
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That said, all new sites have difficulty ranking as a property of how rankings work. They haven't established themselves. They don't have trust built up, they don't have links with key anchor text, they all have very limited coverage in the index. Occum's razor (paraphrased just a bit) tells us we don't need to invent new explanations for things that are already explained.
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You mention two very important points which are the fundamental reasons as to why I'm sure of a sandbox effect.
The site isn't established and hasn't won over Google's trust. These are two massive twists in the algorithm.
I've spent a ridiculous amount of time studying the natural progress of my keyword rankings and what I've seen is quite recurring.
I will initially rank very well for my keywords on a new site for a very short period of time. These rankings will then drop suddenly and I'll be stuck on the 3rd or 4th page for weeks or months before Google has seen that my site is there to stay and that the link building process is natural and White Hat.
After a certain period, my rankings will rise and I'll have earned enough trust to get really competitive with my key phrases.
The method I'm describing in the original post is a way of jumping on the two things that you mention: being established over time, and being trusted by Google.
This is a process - alike to being in a sandbox - which can be avoided by tapping in to the indexing patterns of an established site.
It makes sense when you think about it.
Let's say you have a new site and an established site. Both add a piece of content with the same set of key terms. Which does Google rank higher? The site which has its trust, or the new site on the block?
Note that quite often, the new site will get ranked well for a short period. This is before the sandbox effect kicks in and relegates it to what I'd call 3rd page syndrome.
The established site has no such problems and achieves MUCH more stable rankings with the search engine authority to compete for key phrases against other established sites. And that's the way it should be. This so called sandbox is the only thing stopping Black Hat turnkey websites from dominating the top of the rankings. By introducing trust and site age factors, Google can throttle a lot of the spammers where it hurts; their short term money making websites. The websites that span micro-lifetimes which would previously rank excellently for a couple of months - long enough for a Black Hatter to get what he came for.
My original post shows a workaround for those who want to bypass Google's trust and established site calculations to compete from week one.
I can't guarantee that it still works because I haven't used it for ages, but it worked for me consistently a few months ago. I would make it my number one priority to replicate a new site and 301 redirect it from an established domain before I even started my marketing campaign.
Naturally, if you don't believe in a sandbox effect, this post will have little relevance to your own project. Take it for what it is and make your own prediction for whether it's worth your time. I'm simply spreading some alternative ideas for those who don't want to play by the conventional Dummy's Guide.
