| Introduction | | | | domain name and uploading your site. Instead make |
| The Google Sandbox is a term applied to the | | | | sure the first thing you do is register your domain |
| phenomenon experienced by many new websites | | | | name, set up a hosting account and go live with one |
| that delays the sites inclusion within the main Search | | | | or two pages explaining what your site is about and |
| Engine Results Pages (SERPS) of Google. Often new | | | | what can be expected from it as it develops. |
| websites can find themselves confined to the | | | | Next get the Googlebot to visit these embryonic |
| 'Sandbox' for 6-9 months, during which time traffic to | | | | pages so that Google is aware of the new site as |
| the site is severely compromised. The Google | | | | soon as possible. There is no need to submit your |
| Sandbox is therefore usually seen as a frustrating | | | | site manually or repeatedly to search engines, a |
| inevitability by webmasters and one for which there | | | | couple of inbound links (IBL's) from other sites that |
| is no quick easy solution. | | | | are regularly spidered will be sufficient to get the |
| My recent observations however have led me to | | | | Googlebot calling. Once the robots have paid an initial |
| believe that the time your website spends in the | | | | visit they will return. |
| Google Sandbox should be seen as a golden | | | | You may be lucky and find that your site gets |
| opportunity rather than a frustrating inevitability. | | | | straight into the main SERPS, but if it is a new |
| Into the Sandbox | | | | domain name and new site then it is likely that |
| Many webmasters respond to their websites | | | | before long you will find your new creation in the |
| confinement to the Sandbox by spending endless | | | | Sandbox where it will receive a great deal of |
| hours forever checking the listings in Googles results | | | | attention from the Googlebot. Now is the time to be |
| pages for any sign of their website. Not only is this a | | | | proactive with your website development, don't sit |
| waste of precious time but also serves only to | | | | back patiently waiting to be released from the |
| increase the frustration caused by the Sandbox. | | | | Sandbox, instead make the most of your time in |
| Other webmasters more sensibly focus their time | | | | there and show Google the potential of your |
| and effort improving the Search Engine Optimisation | | | | website. |
| (SEO) of their website in order to improve its | | | | Content is King |
| rankings within other search engines such as MSN, | | | | The first thing you need to do is continue the |
| Yahoo, Ask Jeeves and others. Although these may | | | | development of your website. Regularly add new |
| not be as widely used as the Google search engine, | | | | pages packed full of relevant content to your site. As |
| they don't have the same aging delay of the | | | | far as search engines are concerned, 'content is king'. |
| Sandbox that Google does. Therefore, achieving | | | | Search Engines exist to provide their users with links |
| good listings in these search engines early in a | | | | to content relevant to their search criteria, therefore |
| websites life can at least generate some traffic and | | | | they are always on the lookout for websites that |
| hopefully some sales whilst confined to the Sandbox. | | | | contain plenty of good quality, regularly updated |
| Earlier this year the Tsunami disaster in Asia forced | | | | relevant content. Of course, good quality, relevant |
| me to change the name of my web development | | | | content will also be beneficial to your websites human |
| business from Tsunami-Site-Design to Pixelwave | | | | visitors, which at the end of the day is your number |
| Design. I had to register a new domain name, build a | | | | one priority. Add plenty of new, relevant content of |
| new website and start from scratch with my web | | | | interest to real visitors and the Googlebot will thank |
| promotion. The new site was an ideal candidate for | | | | you for it. |
| confinement to the Google Sandbox, and sure | | | | Linking Strategy |
| enough after an initial day or two of good rankings | | | | Next you need to develop and implement a strategy |
| the new site couldn't be found in a Google search for | | | | for obtaining a network of inbound links. Googles |
| any of my keywords. A search for the business | | | | algorithm relies heavily on link popularity so it is likely |
| name did bring the new site up in first place though | | | | that it pays attention to the number of IBL's your |
| so I was safe in the knowledge that my site was | | | | site gains whilst in the Sandbox. Don't sit back waiting |
| contained within the Google database but the lack of | | | | for people to link to your site, get out there and be |
| inclusion for my keywords suggested that my site | | | | proactive. As always relevance is the key, and a |
| had been confined to the Sandbox. The inclusion of | | | | sensible linking strategy whilst in the Sandbox will be |
| my own personal site within the Google Sandbox | | | | noticed by the Googlebot. |
| gave me a great opportunity to monitor and track its | | | | There are numerous ways to generate inbound links |
| progress. | | | | and I have covered these in previous articles. |
| The first thing I noticed was the high frequency with | | | | However, things rarely stand still for long in the world |
| which a Googlebot spidered the pages of my site. | | | | of Search Engine Optimisation and latest research |
| The Googlebots were visiting a few times everyday | | | | seems to suggest that simply getting huge amounts |
| and visiting all the pages of the site. It struck me | | | | of IBL's whilst in the Sandbox may no longer be |
| that if Google had gone to the trouble of writing and | | | | sufficient. It now seems that the rate of |
| implementing the 'Sandbox' filter as part of their | | | | accumulation of IBL's may be important. Google is |
| algorithm and regularly spidering the sites within the | | | | now thought to pay attention to the rate of |
| Sandbox then the Sandbox wasn't simply an area | | | | accumulation of IBL's and expects to see them |
| into which new sites get put in order to delay their | | | | develop in what it considers a natural, organic manner. |
| inclusion in the SERPS. Instead it can be considered as | | | | This means that suddenly gaining a huge number of |
| a probationary period for new websites during which | | | | inbound links may be frowned upon by Google. |
| Google pays close attention to the sites | | | | Instead your linking strategy should be a sustained |
| development. | | | | effort aimed at gaining new IBL's from relevant |
| This means that as far as Google is concerned, your | | | | websites over a long period of time. |
| websites time in the Sandbox may well be one of | | | | Summary |
| the most important times in its development. Rather | | | | Although the Google Sandbox is still a frustrating |
| than seeing this time as a frustrating inevitability you | | | | inevitability and there is no quick fix way limit the |
| should see it as an opportunity to really show Google | | | | amount of time a website spends confined to it, |
| how your website can shine. The Google Sandbox | | | | patiently sitting by waiting for this confinement to |
| should be a time to make the most of all the | | | | end is a waste of what could be a golden |
| attention your site is getting from Google and show | | | | opportunity. Google pays a lot of attention to sites in |
| the search engine what it wants to see. | | | | the Sandbox making confinement to the Sandbox an |
| The Steps to Success | | | | ideal time to really let your website shine. During this |
| Now that we have decided that Google is actually | | | | time give Google what it wants to see; regularly |
| paying your site a good deal of attention whilst it is in | | | | updated relevant content, lots of new pages and a |
| the Sandbox it is time to see how we can make the | | | | sustained increase in the number of inbound links. Not |
| most of this Golden Opportunity. | | | | only could this improve your sites ranking within the |
| The first thing to do is plan ahead and get your site | | | | SERPS once its confinement to the Sandbox is over, |
| into the Sandbox as soon as possible, so attracting | | | | but it will pay dividends for your site in general by |
| this attention from Google. Don't wait until your | | | | providing its visitors with the information they require. |
| website is built in all its glory before registering a | | | | |