The Google sandbox phenomenon - does it really exist? What is it?

The digital world is a labyrinth of algorithms that shape the fate of websites. One phenomenon that is often discussed is the mysterious Google Sandbox. Does it really exist or is it just a myth? In this analysis, we take a close look at this phenomenon, uncovering its potential impact on new websites.

What is the Google Sandbox Effect?

Google Sandbox is a term used in the SEO to describe the period during which the new website is stunted in achieving full visibility in Google search results. Although some experts claim that this phenomenon does not exist, the experience of many webmasters suggests the existence of this type of delay. How long does it usually take? There is no set time, but you may need up to a few months to resolve any indexing or search engine visibility issues with your domain. If your site is deemed valuable after just one month - you'll be lucky!

Why the name Google Sandbox, or Google sandbox? 

According to the theory, new websites have to go through a certain period in a 'sandbox' and, like children in a sandbox, they are 'watched', i.e. observed by their elders. During this time, their influence on search results is limited and are not regarded as competition for older, more popular sites. In practice, this means that a new website may experience low visibility in search results for a certain period of time after its creation.

How would it work?

While the existence of the Google Sandbox is disputed, many experts argue that it is a type of filter that restricts new websites from achieving high positions in search results for a specific period of time. Among other things, this mechanism aims to minimising the impact of websites that were created for the sole purpose of manipulating Google's algorithm.

Example: Practices Black Hat SEO, covering: keyword stuffing, cloaking or doorway pages are strictly condemned by Google. Websites using these techniques can end up in the Google Sandbox, where their development is inhibited and algorithms assess their authenticity and compliance. 

Is it worth believing the legends of Google Sandbox?

The question of the existence of the Google Sandbox is highly controversial in the SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) community. Some claim it is a legend, while others base their arguments on concrete experiences of delayed visibility gains for new sites.

It is worth emphasising that Google has never officially confirmed the existence of Google Sandbox, which is one of the arguments of the sceptics of this phenomenon. Nevertheless, many experienced webmasters advocate the existence of this lag period based on their observations. Others, on the other hand, challenge this theory and believe that any limitations that new sites may experience are due to the natural process of indexing and evaluation of content quality by search engine algorithms.

While it cannot be conclusively confirmed that this is always a Google Sandbox effect, there is some correlation between new pages and the period of delay in achieving full visibility.

How do you avoid falling into the Google Sandbox?

Although the existence of the Google Sandbox phenomenon has not been proven, it is worth taking some precautionary steps to minimise the risk of delay in achieving full visibility:

• Natural link growth: Avoid aggressive link building and rely on natural link growth leading to your site.
• Choosing a reliable domain name:  Before buying a domain for your website, thoroughly research its history. By buying a domain that has been infected or used for spamming purposes, you risk being disfavoured by Google.
• Manual indexing of the site: Just because you have a website does not mean that it is visible on Google! In order for it to be visible in Google, it must be indexed. If the site has not been set to the noindex attribute, indexation should proceed automatically. You can also speed it up by manually submitting your pages for indexation in the Google Search Console. GSC is a free tool for checking addresses URL, which provides information on scanning, indexing and displaying sites directly from Google's index. You can manually add your site to GSC by entering its URL and verifying it. 
• Optimisation content: Ensure that the content on your site is of high quality and tailored to your users' needs. However, you must not over-optimise your site - Google is particularly sensitive to the stuffing of key phrases (e.g. in headings) or copying whole blocks of content from competing sites.
• Regular updates: Regularly publishing new content and updating existing pages can help raise the visibility of the site.

Honeymoon period, or reverse sandbox effect

Let's now look at another phenomenon that John Mueller (Google Senior Analytics Specialist) mentioned in one interview, the Honeymoon Period. Here, too, there is activity in the period just after the launch of a new website. However, In contrast to a decrease in visibility, we experience a sudden increase in visibility. This sudden jump in rankings can be interpreted as a 'trial period'. Newly published content is displayed high, even in first place, so that Google's algorithms can later assess its clickability. However, it is important to remember that this effect is usually short-lived, and that after the 'honeymoon' period, pages may find themselves in a more realistic position in search results and require further work to optimise and promote them online.

To summarise our article, although the existence of Google Sandbox remains debatable, It is worth being aware of potential visibility delays when launching a new site. By following SEO best practice, you can minimise the risk of falling into Google's 'sandbox'.