Google Penalties And Indicators One of the biggest challenges that search engine optimization (SEO) poses is how far you can take your SEO efforts without getting a Google penalty. Search for a phrase such as Google penalty and you will get many suggestions on how elaborate they are. No business or individual engaged in advertising campaign ever wants to deal with a Google penalty. There are many indicators that work as pointers to show you have been hit by a Google penalty. For example, you may be informed about it through webmaster tool. After you have amended the issues Google had, you need to follow strict reconsideration process. There are several reasons for getting a penalty, for example, spamming, having hidden text on your site, over optimization, and/or keyword stuffing. There are some ways to spot that you have been hit by a penalty. If you experience a sudden drop in your search traffic or rankings, it could be because you have been penalized by Google. When we say drop, it means significant drops. While searching your domain name, if no result comes up, and your site is older than 3 months, then there is little doubt your site has been penalized. Google penalties can be very difficult to deal with. The Google penalty removal process, particularly, is very timeconsuming. Patience and meticulousness is the key to successful recovery.