Will Mass Directory Submission Get Your Website Into Google Sandbox?
There is an SEO theory which suggests that mass directory submission will get your website into Google sandbox.
The basic idea is if your new website has too many links all of a sudden, usually due to mass submission in a short time, your website will be ‘jailed’ by Google.
Is it true? Let’s find out in this little test that I’ve done.
In my test, I built 3 40-page content websites and then did the following IMMEDIATELY:
- For 2 of the websites, I bookmarked them at Digg and Propeller (as what I usually do to promote new websites) and submit them to 1000 link directories (outsourced).
- For the third website, I only submit them to 1000 link directories. Forgot to submit to Digg and Propeller actually.
After 3 days……
All three websites got indexed in Google, one with 100% of the pages indexed and the other two with 50% indexed.
From my experience, it is unusual that new websites get 100% indexed. Usually, if your website has 40 pages, about 10-20 pages will be indexed initially. I believe this is because there isn’t enough link popularity for the new site.
But in this test, one website got 100% indexed. Is it a coincidence or it’s the effect of 1000 directory submission? Em…
How about the traffic?
There is a surge in traffic to all 3 website in the first few days. This is expected because link directories owners are evaluating the website for listing.
But after 7 days……
One website average about 20 visitors a day and the other two websites average about 40 visitors a day.
Frankly, I like what I’m seeing.
To give you an idea, my other websites with ’slow’ link building process are getting 5 to 10 visitors a day initially. These 3 websites are really having a great start.
Are all the traffic from Google?
Not really. Two websites have most of the search engine traffic from Google. One has most of the search engine traffic from Microsoft Live. Besides search engine traffic, te websites also have traffic from Digg, Propeller and tons of link directories.
The websites are now 2 weeks old and the traffic has been pretty consistent.
From this little test, I’ve yet to see any sandbox effect on these 3 websites as a result of mass directory submission.
On the contrary, I’m seeing Search Engines giving my websites more priority as a result of more initial links.
Will Google ‘jail’ the websites after some time? Well, only time can tell. But I’ll surely keep you informed.
Have you got any similar experience before? Or you ever got your website thrown into Google sandbox as a result of mass link directory submission? Feel free to discuss below.
That’s very interesting information Kenneth. It runs contrary to just about everything I’ve ever heard or been told about building incoming links. I hope you will keep us informed of the sandbox situation. As always great information.
Hi Ken
Thanks for the info,I think any link back to your web site,
will help with the search engines. The spiders pick every thing up even these few lines Thanks again Paul
http//www.PerrysClickbox.com
Hey Kenneth,
The quality of this information can prove to be most useful to ANY internet marketer, from the experienced to the novice. Ive had similar results and use these same techniques in my own marketing in addition to my other promotional efforts. Anyone stumbling onto this post who is a novice will be in for a pleasant learning experience.
This sounds very interesting. I will have to test it.
I learn something new everyday. Never came across anything that made me so excited. This sound amazing.
Johan
http://johankruger.blogspot.com
http://www.hanque.com
Hi Ken
Verrryy interesting.
Please keep us up to date.
Biz Plans
Dear sirs! And that I should do(make) offer for acquaintance my site: http://yurirul.ru.gg and thus to not be punished the company Google? A thank. Yours faithfully, Yuri Rul.
Hi, Ken, this is Albert Culmer, the one they put in the sandbox. Go by my website and check it out, and maybe you can tell me what I did wrong to get put in the sandbox. It doesn’t feel like sand, it feels like quicksand. Help! The only one that they did not put in the sandbox was a new website that I just started. The website is: http://www.AlbertCulmer.com Now I am fairly new at this, trying to sell on the internet, plus I have dyslexia, which is not good in my favor, but I have a Natural Reader on my computer which does all of my reading for me, so anything you send me I can read, and I do have common sense! I did put everything on my website, that you will see, but then again, I must have made a mistake somewhere. I appreciate all the help I can get from anyone out there. That’s all for now. Thank you.
Hey love your test and makes me feel a lot better about mass submissions. I normally do my submissions over 2 weeks rather than over a few days so hopefully that won’t give Google ammunition to play with.
I need urgent help
I believe what you are saying here is 100% true. My site http://www.patongharborview.com has about 1000 pages of content and i couldn’t get it indexed for 6 months. When it went on googles chats it jumped up to a pr4. Funny actually.
In my ebook I suggest the exact same thing.
Kenneth, regarding the submission to directories, you are only submitting the home page URL , right?
Yes, home page URL and all 1000 submissions use the same anchor text. It’s the worse SEO practice and any typical guru wouldn’t recommend. Just want to test and see what’s the worst case
Well, you didn’t get “jailed” by Google - wildest guess being that “everyone” likes you, LOL…
Surely Google didn’t want to touch you as an IMer, huh?
Hey great news that you didnt get sandboxed…theres hope for us all yet.
I’m gonna go out and do exactly the same now. I love you posts…keep on doing what you do best
Great information man, I’m new to your site and I already love your informative blog posts! Keep up the good work
It has come to my attention that most directories have lost PR on the pages where your website will be listed. Most directories have lost PR altogether, others only display PR on the home page. There seems to be no benefit in listing your site in these directories.
PR is one thing, but what is more important is whether the page is indexed. As long as you get links from pages that are indexed, that link will be counted, whether it has a PR or not.
I can’t believe you didnt get sandboxed, thats great news …well done chum.
I recently built a life settlement website and followed this exact procedure and definitely got sand boxed after a few weeks. Initially we came out great getting some traffic and surprisingly good SERPS on several top key words. Then after about 4 weeks we dropped off the SERPS like a stone. We still are getting ranked on very low terms but the main terms we are off the radar. My traffic has staid flat for the last 9 weeks.
Does anyone else find that the Google webmaster tools don’t reflect reality? When I look at those stats it says I rank pretty well on some keywords but I am no where to be found. I wonder if the webmaster tools pull from data that is Pre-sandbox filter. I can but hope that when we emerge we will rise quickly.
Simon,
Google likes to rank new websites with good links high and fast. It assumes that these pages are “current”, something like news. That’s why it wants to rank you high fast. But after a few weeks, it will re-evaluate your page and likely to take your ranking away. That’s normal. What you need to do is to continue building more links to your website and internal pages. You can do it through article marketing. There is no sandbox, as I’ve said. To prove it, you mentioned that you still have some ranking on low terms. If your website is sandboxed, it is jail and why should Google give a prisoner any traffic at all? Reason: there is no jail, no sandbox. It’s all about linking and content.
Kenneth,
That is good advice and exactly what we are doing, continuing to build our links especially deep links. I thought the point of the sand box was not to be Prison..it just keeps you away from the juicy terms. I think of it like being bumped back to the minors, if I work hard and improve my game I’ll get a shot back with the majors again.
Thanks for the advice, I am focussed link building now.