How I've avoided the Sandbox

I'm sure many of you already know this trick, but it's good to bring it up again as many people are complaining of being sandboxed.

When linking to a new site, don't go after the broad keyword for your niche first.

For instance, let's say your niche is "acne". Don't backlink to the keyword 'acne' just because it has the most exact searches per month. First, backlink to a smaller keyword... such as "acne remedy" or something that has way less exact searches per month. After you are ranking pretty high for this keyword, then start attacking the main keyword and Google will be way more receptive to your advances.

I'm not saying this is 100% foolproof, BUT... I've sandboxed 3 websites already by going after the biggest exact search volume keywords first.

But AFTER i rank a long tail niche keyword and then I attack the more broad/higher exact match keyword... I have NOT been sandboxed.

This has happened to TWO websites for me already.

So in my rankings..

3 times I went after the big fish keyword, with most exact search volume, and got sandboxed

2 times I went after lesser keywords, ranked them within 1 month, and then went after the big fish keyword... and I have just been steadily moving up the rankings for the big fish keyword.

I suggest building edu and gov links first. As many as possible. Wait for some time. And then hit the play button on scrapebox or xrumer
Thats my own strategy.. miight not be 100% foolproff. but it has worked for me so far,.

It is unfathomable to me how anyone would think of going after a 1 word keyword first. Isn't that about the first thing that people learn not to do? I wouldn't even go after a 1 word keyword right now and my site is 7 years old.

Honestly I think avoiding being sandboxed has to do more with avoiding spamming low quality links to your site, and making sure the high quality ones that you do get are linked in slowly at first at a rapidly increasing velocity.

bstsystems said:

It is unfathomable to me how anyone would think of going after a 1 word keyword first. Isn't that about the first thing that people learn not to do? I wouldn't even go after a 1 word keyword right now and my site is 7 years old.

Honestly I think avoiding being sandboxed has to do more with avoiding spamming low quality links to your site, and making sure the high quality ones that you do get are linked in slowly at first at a rapidly increasing velocity.

Click to expand...

I wish this was so, one of the sites had only high pr links built to it and still got sandboxed.

GooglesMostWanted said:

I wish this was so, one of the sites had only high pr links built to it and still got sandboxed.

Click to expand...

I can vouch for that too.

I used an aged domain and targetted a good volume "big fish" keyword. I used only a couple high PR links, and exact anchor text.

Site jumped to page 1 within a couple weeks. Ranked high on page one. Then sandboxed.

I don't think it is the targetting the "big fish" keyword first though; I think it is the trying to rank TOO FAST for the main keyword. Who knows though. Maybe you are onto something.

Thank you for sharing a very interesting theory.

I think you can go after the big keyword as well as hit the longtails at the same time, just build links with varied anchor text at first then gradually focus in on just the main keyword anchor text as you see the site dancing less and less.

RealEcon said:

I think you can go after the big keyword as well as hit the longtails at the same time, just build links with varied anchor text at first then gradually focus in on just the main keyword anchor text as you see the site dancing less and less.

Click to expand...

I agree with you.

RealEcon said:

I think you can go after the big keyword as well as hit the longtails at the same time, just build links with varied anchor text at first then gradually focus in on just the main keyword anchor text as you see the site dancing less and less.

Click to expand...

This seems to make the most sense.

OP: Plus rep and thanks for the great insights. This is good info for newbies and a great reminder for SEO vets too!

Just avoid scrapebox blasts first month. Do some high prs

seoperson said:

I can vouch for that too.

I used an aged domain and targetted a good volume "big fish" keyword. I used only a couple high PR links, and exact anchor text.

Site jumped to page 1 within a couple weeks. Ranked high on page one. Then sandboxed.

I don't think it is the targetting the "big fish" keyword first though; I think it is the trying to rank TOO FAST for the main keyword. Who knows though. Maybe you are onto something.

Thank you for sharing a very interesting theory.

Click to expand...

Yeah I think going TOO fast after a big exact search keyword in the beginning bites you in the butt.

RealEcon said:

I think you can go after the big keyword as well as hit the longtails at the same time, just build links with varied anchor text at first then gradually focus in on just the main keyword anchor text as you see the site dancing less and less.

Click to expand...

This could be true, I haven't tried this method. I am usually one track minded and don't go after multiple keywords at the same time.

I will try this though and see how it works out, maybe that's another way we could avoid the sandbox?

teeniegenie said:

OP: Plus rep and thanks for the great insights. This is good info for newbies and a great reminder for SEO vets too!

Click to expand...

Thanks

markomarkogame said:

Just avoid scrapebox blasts first month. Do some high prs

Click to expand...

I haven't used any automated tools on the sandboxed sites.

All high quality homepage backlinks/high pr blog comments with low OBL

I think this information isn't true. It has nothing to do with search volumes when you get sandboxed. I think you did other mistakes, maybe you didn't vary your anchor text when you went after the big keyword.

Use always different anchors.
Diversify your backlinks, with anchor, non-anchor, ********, nofollow, type of sites.
You won't get sandboxed if you do so

syedtaha said:

I suggest building edu and gov links first. As many as possible. Wait for some time. And then hit the play button on scrapebox or xrumer
Thats my own strategy.. miight not be 100% foolproff. but it has worked for me so far,.

Click to expand...

agree! edu ang gov links first, then mix it up with link wheels. i got fast results. i think edu and gov to earn googles trust, then build high pr wheels to boost your site.

spoon22 said:

I think this information isn't true. It has nothing to do with search volumes when you get sandboxed. I think you did other mistakes, maybe you didn't vary your anchor text when you went after the big keyword.

Click to expand...

That's the point... if you are going to go after a big keyword don't make your anchor text links only towards that keyword.

konfuci said:

Use always different anchors.
Diversify your backlinks, with anchor, non-anchor, ********, nofollow, type of sites.
You won't get sandboxed if you do so

Click to expand...

IMO there is no foolproof plan, just things you can try to do and keep fingers crossed.

I think avoiding being sandboxed has to do more with avoiding spamming low quality links to your site, and making sure the high quality ones that you do get are linked in slowly at first at a rapidly increasing velocity. Google Panda focuses more on eliminating spam and getting better quality sites to the visitors.