Problem · Traffic and rankings dropped
We got a manual action from Google. Fix it fully, then ask once.
A manual action means a reviewer found something against Google’s spam policies. It’s listed in Search Console, and it lifts only after the issue is fixed and a reconsideration request is accepted.
Is this you?Signs we usually see
- A notice in the Manual actions report
- A section or the whole site lost visibility
- The notice mentions links, thin content or spam
- An email from Search Console about the action
01 / Quick checks
Three checks you can run today
Each takes minutes. Together they tell you whether this page is about your problem.
- Read the exact actionManual actions report: which type, and whether it applies to the whole site or part of it.
- List affected pagesUse the examples Google gives, then find every similar page.
- Check your link profileFor link actions, export links and look for paid or exchanged links.
Manual-action evidence pack
Start from the exact message and affected scope in the verified Search Console property.
| Situation to check | Proposed scope | Boundary |
|---|---|---|
| Read the exact action | Manual actions report: which type, and whether it applies to the whole site or part of it. The remediation must address the named action, with changed URLs and supporting evidence retained for review. | A general traffic decline without a manual-action notice is not a manual-action case. |
| List affected pages | Use the examples Google gives, then find every similar page. | Keep an unchanged comparison sample so this check can distinguish the proposed cause from unrelated variation. |
| Unnatural links to your site | Links bought, swapped or built at scale. | Treat this as a hypothesis until the affected URL or account evidence supports it. |
| Ready to commission a fix | Keep the action text, remediation log and submitted reconsideration record together; Google decides the outcome. | [CONFIRM: access, scope, owner, fee and review date before work begins.] |
Manual-action evidence pack
Illustrative blank specification. This is a diagnostic structure, not a client result.
- Affected population
- Start from the exact message and affected scope in the verified Search Console property.
- Decisive observation
- The remediation must address the named action, with changed URLs and supporting evidence retained for review.
- Alternative explanation
- A general traffic decline without a manual-action notice is not a manual-action case.
- Acceptance evidence
- Keep the action text, remediation log and submitted reconsideration record together; Google decides the outcome.
- Supporting check
- For link actions, export links and look for paid or exchanged links.
- Approval
- [CONFIRM: accountable owner and authorised next step.]
What the first handover should make clear
- Start from the exact message and affected scope in the verified Search Console property.
- The remediation must address the named action, with changed URLs and supporting evidence retained for review.
- Keep the action text, remediation log and submitted reconsideration record together; Google decides the outcome.
- The original observations, unresolved questions and any client access needed for the next scope.
02 / Likely causes
What usually causes it
In the order we usually check them. Most cases have more than one.
- Unnatural links to your siteLinks bought, swapped or built at scale.
- Thin or scaled contentPages with little value, often generated in bulk.
- Site reputation abuseThird-party content hosted to exploit your site’s ranking.
- User-generated spamSpam in comments, forums or profiles.
- Structured data issuesMarkup that misrepresents the page.
03 / What we do
How we fix it
Four steps, in order. You see the evidence and the plan before anything changes on your site.
- Step 01Confirm the scopeEvery page and link the action could relate to.
- Step 02Clean upRemove or fix content; remove links where possible, disavow the rest.
- Step 03DocumentA clear record of what was done and why.
- Step 04Request reconsiderationOne well-documented request, and follow-up if needed.
04 / Services
Services that fix it
Starting prices in USD. TopClick is not VAT-registered. Scope and price in writing before work starts.
TopClick is not VAT-registered
Link audit & penalty recovery ↗Toxic links, manual actions and negative-SEO attacks found and cleaned up.From $[X] /projectRequest
SEO content ↗Pages built on a reader decision, evidence and a concrete example.From $[X] /pageRequest
Technical SEO ↗The causes behind crawl, rendering and indexation problems, found and fixed.From $[X] /projectRequest
05 / Questions
Questions about this problem
01How long does reconsideration take?
Google reviews requests in days to weeks. If it is rejected, the reply usually says what is still missing.
02Will traffic come back once the action is lifted?
Visibility can return, but rankings that relied on the removed links or content won’t come back as they were.
03Where do we start?
With the free snapshot: we check your site for this problem, confirm the likely cause and send a written first scope with a price.
Start here
Check your site for this
- 1Send your site — we confirm the cause and where we would start
- 2We check search and AI visibility
- 3PDF by email: five website problems and AI visibility, within two business days of receiving your website URL
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