NO - Manual Penalty, But looking for New domain help info

Marketing
1

First off - Thank You for your time and trouble.

I did try the search function, and did find some info, but not exact. And I will try and keep this as far from a review as I can.

I have a site that had no manual google penalty, yet I did have some bad backlinks from a 2011 bad seo strategy. So I am assuming based on my dramatic fall from the google search, that it was all algorithm or some sort of bad link based issue.

I know everyone has a Dr. Phil like story, but my website is my families main website for work, as we do construction. So without placing like it did, it greatly affects potential clients.

So my objective is to get back up to where it once was.

So I started to remove bad backlinks, which I found many site charging up to $20. per link removal. So for those I did a Disavow, I am not rich to pay over and over again.

This has been a month or so now, and no real improvement. Now I know I need quality links to help, but from what I read using the search tool here, is that once you are hit with an issue no matter if you get a manual penalty or not, you may never get back the search placement that you once enjoyed.

So my question is:

What would be the best strategy if the theory of regaining the original search position is impossible?

My thoughts were to:

#1 My original.com site is like 12 pages back in Google instead of page #1

If I were to make a new domain

Say Example.com

And then use the same files, would I be ok? or would I get say a duplicate content penalty? Or if you just change some text and a few titles and such, if I would be ok?

#2 Do I start fresh with a whole new site and let the other site just kind of see what happens in the future?

#3 Can I rename the penalty site, or say delete the home page where all of the bad links are going to and rename it? Like if the new site is Example.com, but just have that old penalty url Original.com point to the new site for the benefit of previous customers? Or would the penalty follow it?

I know I am lost, but that is why I am here and proud to be a member of such a great network of experts. Thank you for any advice that you are willing to give.

Have a Blessed Day

Chris

2

for the search terms you are using, how relevant is your site? Is it the best resource for those search terms, or are other sites that rank higher better and more popular? Google’s search algorithm is better at making relevant sites rise to the top, and less relevant sites sink to the bottom. If you site is truly relevant and useful, it will rise up on its own–unless it’s in a highly competitive niche.

If I were to make a new domain

Say Example.com

And then use the same files, would I be ok? or would I get say a duplicate content penalty? Or if you just change some text and a few titles and such, if I would be ok?

There is not a duplicate content penalty. Changing the domain won’t help much since it will still be the same content. However, it probably would get rid of the backlinks if you don’t do a 301 redirect from your old site to the new one. However, google will still see the site with the same content is on the same IP address and will likely treat it accordingly, so you probably wouldn’t actually gain anything.

Here’s the correct procedure for disavowing links through google webmaster tools: https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/2648487?hl=en

#2 Do I start fresh with a whole new site and let the other site just kind of see what happens in the future?

Will you be adding new content? Content is king. If you’re not adding/changing any content to a significant degree, it’s kind of a pointless exercise.

#3 Can I rename the penalty site, or say delete the home page where all of the bad links are going to and rename it? Like if the new site is Example.com, but just have that old penalty url Original.com point to the new site for the benefit of previous customers? Or would the penalty follow it?

Renaming it won’t do much. Again, it’s would still be the same content.

Another option might be to purchase ads through google adwords. Be aware that results will vary and aren’t guaranteed.