Google Adds FAQs on Site Reputation Abuse Policy
Google has added several frequently asked questions (FAQs) related to its site reputation abuse policy.
In its latest blog post about the expanded site reputation abuse policy, Google has included a detailed FAQ section. These questions address topics such as third-party content, freelancers, affiliate content, moving or noindexing content, and more. The full FAQ list, published on December 6, 2024, can be found on the blog post. Key highlights include:
FAQs:
What is third-party content?
Third-party content is content created by an entity other than the host site. Examples include content from users, freelancers, white-label services, and contributors not directly employed by the host site. Additional examples are provided in the site reputation policy.
Does the use of any third-party content violate the site reputation abuse policy?
No, using third-party content does not inherently violate the policy. It only becomes a violation if the content is published to exploit the host site’s ranking signals for search rankings. The policy page includes examples of compliant third-party content usage.
Does freelance content violate the site reputation abuse policy?
No, freelance content, as a type of third-party content, does not automatically violate the policy. A violation occurs only if there is an intent to manipulate search rankings using the host site’s ranking signals.
Does affiliate content violate the site reputation abuse policy?
No, the policy does not specifically target affiliate content. Properly marked affiliate links are not considered site reputation abuse.
What does it mean to abuse search rankings by taking advantage of the host site’s ranking signals?
This occurs when third-party content is placed on an established site to leverage its ranking signals — primarily earned from its first-party content — instead of being hosted on a separate site lacking such signals.
If I noindex the content, does that mean the manual action automatically gets removed?
No. You must still respond to the manual action in Search Console and explain that the content has been noindexed. Doing this is recommended instead of allowing the manual action to remain.
If I move content that’s received a manual action to a new location, will that resolve the site reputation abuse issue?
It depends on the new location:
- Subdirectory or subdomain within the same domain: This does not resolve the issue and may be seen as an attempt to circumvent spam policies, potentially leading to broader actions against the site.
- Another established site: This resolves the issue for the original site but could create a site reputation abuse issue for the new site if it also has an established reputation and the third-party nature remains unchanged.
- New domain: This is less likely to cause issues if the new domain has no established reputation and complies with spam policies.
In all cases, you must submit a reconsideration request to address the manual action.
If I move policy-violating content, can I redirect from the old site to the new site?
No. Redirecting URLs from the old site to the new site may reintroduce the site reputation abuse issue.
If I move policy-violating content, can I link from the old site to the new site?
Yes, but ensure that links from the old site to the new site use the nofollow attribute.
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