John K Mitchell's Misc Blog

How to get your website banned in Google (and more importantly how to avoid it and recover)
How to Get Your Website Banned in Google (and More Importantly How to Avoid it and Recover)


Want your site gone from Google? Do the things in this post. If you don’t, stick to the “what not to do” parts and you’ll stay visible. Read this if you’re worried you’ve been punished — and follow the recovery steps to get back in the game.

 


Important: I won’t show you how to actively break Google’s rules — that's harmful. Instead I’ll explain clearly what behaviours cause bans, give you real-world examples so you recognise problems, and show safe, practical recovery steps. This is the best way to protect your site (or bring it back) without doing further damage.

 

What does “banned” mean?


When people say a website is “banned,” they usually mean one of two things:

- Completely removed from Google search results (de-indexed). The site won’t show at all for any queries.


- Penalised or demoted so pages don’t rank well — they exist in Google, but visibility tanks. https://www.forestsoftware.co.uk/blog/?p=2681