Webmasters which release new websites usually get disappointed after a few weeks if they aren’t listed in the Google’s index. Naturally, they start to search for information why they’re not listed there. And after a while, they find out that some „Google’s Sandbox“ exists. No wonder their sites aren’t included in the results and no wonder they’re not getting any visitors from Google. It’s only the Sandbox which makes this evil.

OK, and now something real. What people consider as a Sandbox is only a natural ranking system. Let me explain why. Firstly, take a website as a list of keywords and pages with their popularity. Do you think you’re going to beat the top5 positions for phrases with 50 000 000 competitors with your new website? Do you think that links to your new website are of better quality than links which exist for many years?

Of course, both of the previous questions can be answered quickly; „No!“ is the answer. You’ll need a lot of time and a lot of SEO if you want to see your site ranked well. But let’s get back to reasons why people think that Google’s Sandbox exists and why it’s easier to explain failure with the „Sandbox“ myth than to say „It’s my fault“ honestly.

I firstly found articles related to the Sandbox mystery when I was wondering why my first quality website isn’t listed in Google. I have been getting visitors from MSN, Yahoo and other search engines, but no-one came to my site from Google. There was no page from that domain indexed by Google. As a SEO greenhorn, I found articles about the Sandbox theory very useful and it explained everything. …but only until I started another websites.

Google’s algorithm integrates many off-site factors like website’s age, links’ age, content’s age. Now, consider that your website is on the internet for 10+ years. Someone who focus on the AdSense only wants to beat the positions, which belong to you for at least 1 decade. So that webmaster creates the „MFA“ (Made For AdSense) type website and he awaits to get your rankings. No matter that your site is linked from 1000 or more quality (and old) other websites, no matter your content is stable and you offer things which make your website attractive and useful. No matter anything, because someone wants to beat you with fast and young links. No matter anything, because someone wants your rankings without creating any useful content and website features. No matter, …

Google knows that such people exist and there are many of them! So the basic method how to fight against them is to rank any website based on it’s age and numerous off-site factors. And some people found this strategy as a mysterious „Sandbox“.

Besides articles about „How to avoid Google’s Sandbox“, I found out articles dedicated to „Don’t show your primary keywords to Google“ last days! Heh, it makes me smile. Why should you name the links pointing to your website with non-natural (or non-related) keywords? Why should you use content which isn’t related to your website’s theme? Why? Just because someone was banned by Google. Just because someone used keyword stuffing and he was penalized. Just because…

The first thing where to start with a website is to make a clear plan for next 5 years. Don’t focus on the AdSense primarily. Focus on your website’s applicability and the features which will make your website different from other related sites. Don’t install the phpBB forum, since there are many such websites. What do they offer? Still the same thing. Make your website attractive. Create your website the way which will attract people to come back. When you satisfy the visitors, they will be placing the links to you. It isn’t necessary to satisfy all of the visitors, since this isn’t real. Simply make 60% of your visitors happy and you’ll win!

When 100 people find your website useful, you’ll automatically get about 5-10 new links pointing to you! Why? It’s simple; People don’t need to be webmasters, since they are able to talk about your site in forums. Generally, spammy sites don’t get links from forums. This is the reason why you should start with quality, continue with quality and end with quality. Use AdSense on your site for making money, but don’t make your site „MFA“ type.

Once you get some links, Google will visit your site, will index it and you will start getting visitors from Google after a few months. Focus on the quality during these months. Focus on what people want and add some new features to your site, so the visitors from Google will be satisfied. Use these first months to finish your website, since you probably won’t get much visitors. It’s always more friendly to do an update on a website if it doesn’t get huge traffic than to do any update on a website which is getting at least 500 visitors daily.

Do you still believe that there’s the Google’s Sandbox? If yes, then read this article as many times as you need to in order to understand that quality content and quality websites get enough traffic from Google no matter they’re 1, 2, or more years old. But don’t await thousands of visitors immediatelly after you start a new website.