Traffic gone overnight? Let's find out why.
Manual actions, core update drops and algorithmic suppression - diagnosed properly, then recovered with documentation.
Why this usually isn't working.
There is a specific kind of panic that comes with opening Analytics and finding organic traffic has fallen off a cliff. Sometimes it is a manual action. More often it is a core update, a technical failure, or a tracking problem that only looks like a penalty.
The first job is an accurate diagnosis, because the recovery path for each is completely different. We have handled recoveries from spammy backlink profiles inherited from previous agencies, over-optimisation, thin content, and misdiagnosed drops that turned out to be a broken tag.
What changes when this is done properly.
Correct diagnosis first
Manual action, algorithmic, technical or measurement - established before any work begins.
Documented reconsideration
Where a manual action exists, a properly evidenced request rather than a hopeful note.
Backlink remediation
Auditing, outreach for removal and disavow - applied surgically, not as a blanket file.
Content quality recovery
Addressing the thin, duplicated or over-optimised content that core updates target.
Prevention
Monitoring so the next update is something you watch rather than survive.
Our process
No black boxes. You'll know what we're doing and why at every stage.
Forensic diagnosis
Correlating the drop against update timelines, Search Console messages, deployment history and analytics changes to identify the real cause.
Impact mapping
Which URLs, which queries, which templates - because penalties and updates rarely hit a site uniformly.
Backlink audit
Where links are implicated: a full profile review separating genuinely harmful links from the harmless ones people panic about.
Remediation
Removals, disavow where justified, content fixes, over-optimisation cleanup - matched to the diagnosed cause.
Reconsideration & monitoring
A documented request where applicable, then close monitoring through recovery and the following update cycle.
What's included
- Traffic drop forensic analysis
- Manual action assessment
- Full backlink profile audit
- Link removal outreach
- Disavow file preparation
- Content quality remediation
- Reconsideration request filing
- Post-recovery monitoring
Every engagement starts with a diagnosis. If the honest answer is that you don't need this service, we'll say so.
Free Google Penalty Recovery proposal
Tell us what's going wrong. We'll come back with a plan, not a pitch.
Work we've done
Real engagements, anonymised at client request.
Business Rebounds from a Google Penalty
A thriving online business lost its organic search traffic almost overnight after a Google penalty. The root cause traced back to a previous agency…
Multi-Location Clinic Chain Regains Search Visibility
Widespread Google Business Profile suspensions took a growing clinic chain out of local search across every location at once. We diagnosed the cause, corrected…
Local Business Turns GMB Views Into Leads
A local service business had healthy Google Business Profile visibility but almost no conversions - a disconnect between being seen and being chosen.
Frequently asked
How long does recovery take?
Manual actions can lift within weeks of an accepted reconsideration request. Algorithmic recovery usually requires waiting for a subsequent update to process - typically months. We are honest about this at the outset.
Are you certain it's a penalty?
Often it isn't. A meaningful share of "penalties" we investigate turn out to be technical failures, tracking breakages or seasonal patterns. Diagnosis before treatment, always.
Should we just disavow everything suspicious?
No. Aggressive disavowing regularly does more damage than the links did. We disavow surgically, and only where there is a clear case.
Can you guarantee recovery?
No one honest can. What we can commit to is a correct diagnosis, a documented remediation, and a clear answer on whether recovery is realistic before you spend money on it.
Ready to find out what's actually holding you back?
Every quarter we take on a limited number of new engagements. Start with a free proposal - we'll tell you honestly whether we can help.