All search engines have their own filtering method wherein they determine the page rank of certain web page. Similarly, the leading search engine Google has its filtering and indexing method wherein it determines the page rank. The Google Sandbox is a term used to connote a penalty imposed by Google on certain web page wherein it drops the page rank quite significantly. The drop or decline which often comes in the form of penalty can be quite significant and last for more than 6 to 8 months.

A dispute still prevalent among SEO professionals is that the Google Sandbox effect is a temporary reduction of the page rank of new domains and shows that it is done to counter the ways that search engine optimizers attempt to manipulate Google's page ranking. The manipulation can be in any form including of creating lots of inbound links to a new web site from other web sites which they own or have under their influence.

Functions of Google Sandbox

Speculations are ripe that Google Sandbox came in the early 2004. The purpose behind bringing up Google Sandbox is to discourage false websites which manipulate search engine ranking methods. It helps Google to bring up and offer higher rank to genuine and latest content and downgrade the copious and spam content. Though Google Sandbox can be a harmful feature for some SEO services providing companies, it is for the best of internet users who are kept in the mind by Google when it indexes the web pages. Google indexes the web page on the basis of relevancy of the content which is filtered by its set filters which monitor and rank the concerned web page.

How To Identify the Google Sandbox

Though Google does have information about existence of the website, it does not show signs of any other website linking to the concerned website. Similarly, it does not display pages related to the concerned website when searched through keywords. However, when a search is made a person can find the website in Google SERP by writing the URL. At the Google Sandbox stage Google does not list the web pages of the concerned website; rather, it keeps them in probation which actually is 'Sandbox' stage.

How To Get Away With Google Sandbox

Being optimistic works well. Google is not the only search engine users around the world use, therefore, there is not much to worry as other search engines such as MSN, Yahoo, etc. crawl the content of the website and they can not be under-mind for their presence. Similarly, as Google Sandbox applies only to highly competitive or broad keyword phrases, using narrow or long-tail phrases or keywords can counter the Google Sandbox Effect.