Have you ever wondered what happens when Google "penalizes" a site? A decrease in traffic is the least that can happen.
Rap Genius learned this the hard way just before Christmas when it tried to use a link system to boost its position in Google. SEO tricks are not tolerated by Google, and it was immediately apparent when the company responded by blacklisting the site.
According to Search Metrics, the impact on the website was immediate. According to the website’s data, there was a 92% drop in search visibility. Hundreds of keywords were affected by this penalty, not just on the homepage, but across the entire domain.
The website's reputation has certainly taken a heavy hit, and given that users will have difficulty finding it on Google, it will take some time for it to return to normal operation.
