Learn how to check if your website is penalized by Google using Search Console and what to do if your site gets zero impressions or clicks in search results.
If you’re running a blog or managing a website and noticing zero impressions or clicks in Google Search Console — despite seeing some pages indexed — you’re not alone. Many website owners experience this issue and immediately wonder if Google has penalized their site.
In this guide, we’ll help you understand how to determine whether your site has been penalized, how to check for it using Google Search Console, and what steps to take next. If there’s no penalty, we’ll walk you through how to improve your visibility and regain traffic.
Understanding Google Penalties
Manual vs Algorithmic Penalties
When we talk about a site being “penalized” by Google, we’re typically referring to two types of penalties:
Manual penalties are applied by human reviewers at Google when they find that your site violates their guidelines. This could include unnatural backlinks, spammy content, or deceptive practices. If your site is hit with a manual penalty, you’ll receive a direct notification inside Search Console.
Algorithmic penalties happen automatically when Google’s ranking systems detect signals that suggest your content doesn’t meet quality standards. These don’t generate alerts or messages. Instead, you might notice a sudden drop in impressions, rankings, or organic traffic.
It’s important to know that not every drop in performance is the result of a penalty. But checking for penalties is the best first step in your investigation.
Step One: Check for Manual Actions in Search Console
The most straightforward way to know if your site has received a penalty is by checking Google Search Console. Navigate to:
Security & Manual Actions → Manual Actions
If your site has a manual penalty, it will be listed here with a description of the problem. You might see something like:
- Unnatural links to your site
- Thin or duplicate content
- Spam techniques
Google will also include guidance on how to fix the issue and offer a way to submit a reconsideration request once you’ve resolved the problem.
If no issues are listed here, your site has not received a manual penalty — and that’s good news.
Step Two: Check for Security Issues
Now let’s make sure your site hasn’t been restricted for security reasons. In the same section of Search Console, visit:
Security & Manual Actions → Security Issues
This report shows if your website has been flagged for malware, phishing attempts, or hacked content. These problems not only reduce your visibility in search results but also damage user trust.
If Google finds any of these issues, it will notify you with a description of the problem and recommended actions. Once you clean your site, you can request a review.
If no security problems are listed, you can confidently rule out both penalties and security threats.
What If There’s No Penalty but Still No Impressions?
So, what does it mean if you see no manual actions or security issues, but still your website gets no impressions or clicks? It usually means your site is facing other performance or content-related challenges that Google’s algorithm has silently devalued.
Let’s explore some of the most common reasons this happens.
Low-Quality or Unhelpful Content
If your website has content that is thin, repetitive, poorly structured, or written primarily for search engines rather than people, Google’s systems may not consider it valuable enough to show in search results. This is especially true if you rely heavily on auto-generated or AI-spun text without adding original insights.
Improving your content involves making it helpful, well-organized, and focused on satisfying user intent — not just adding keywords. For a deeper understanding of how AI is changing SEO strategies and why content quality matters, you can also refer to our article on How AI Is Revolutionizing SEO Strategies Every Marketer Should Know in 2025.
Weak SEO Structure
Many websites fail to gain visibility simply because they’re not structured in a way that Google can understand. That includes missing title tags, duplicate meta descriptions, poor heading hierarchy, and minimal internal linking.
Make sure each page has a clear topic, proper heading tags (H1, H2, etc.), and links to other relevant pages on your site. Don’t forget to write descriptive URLs and ensure every page includes a well-optimized title and meta description.
Lack of Backlinks or Authority
Google’s algorithms still rely on backlinks as a signal of trust and authority. If your site has no backlinks or only low-quality links, it may struggle to appear in competitive search results.
Building backlinks takes time, but strategies such as guest posting, collaborating with niche bloggers, and promoting your content through social platforms can help improve authority over time.
Technical or Indexing Issues
Sometimes the issue is technical. Your pages might be accidentally blocked by your robots.txt file, or you might be using a noindex tag without realizing it. Use the URL Inspection Tool in Search Console to check whether individual pages are being crawled and indexed correctly.
In some cases, a page may be indexed but still not shown in search results if Google doesn’t believe it’s valuable enough to rank. If you notice a ranking drop or discrepancies, understanding Why Does My Site Rank Lower in Incognito Mode? The Real Reason Behind Your Ranking Drop might provide additional insight.
How to Recover: Improving Your Site for Better Search Visibility
If you’ve ruled out penalties and security threats, it’s time to take proactive steps to improve your website’s visibility and gain impressions.
Restructure and Reoptimize Your Content
Focus on creating helpful, original content that is easy to read and provides genuine value. Use structured formatting with proper headings, break up large blocks of text, and insert relevant internal and external links where appropriate.
Update old content to reflect current trends and insights. Even small revisions to improve clarity or add fresh examples can make a significant difference.
Align With Google’s Helpful Content Guidelines
Make sure your content clearly answers the queries it targets. Avoid writing for algorithms; instead, think about how your article can help a real person with a specific question or problem.
Google rewards content that’s written by people, for people — especially when it’s based on real experience, insight, or expertise.
Use the Tools in Google Search Console
We strongly recommend regularly using the URL Inspection Tool to check whether a page is indexed, crawled, or blocked. You can also submit pages for reindexing after making updates.
Monitor crawl errors, mobile usability issues, and performance metrics. These technical factors often make a measurable impact on how search engines rank your pages.
Build Authority Through Backlinks
As your content improves, start thinking about how to earn links naturally. Reach out to other bloggers, contribute expert insights to articles, participate in online communities, and create content that’s share-worthy.
Even a few strong backlinks can significantly increase your site’s credibility and search performance.
How to Avoid Google Penalties Moving Forward
Prevention is always better than cure. Here are some foundational principles we follow and recommend to every website owner:
- Avoid shortcuts or deceptive SEO practices like keyword stuffing, cloaking, or buying links. These might work briefly but almost always lead to problems.
- Keep your content original, useful, and well-maintained.
- Secure your site with HTTPS and regularly scan for malware or vulnerabilities.
- Stay updated on Google’s algorithm changes and best practices through trusted SEO news sources.
- Use tools like Search Console and third-party platforms to monitor performance and fix issues early.
With consistent effort and attention to quality, you can build a search-friendly site that earns long-term visibility.
Conclusion: What to Do If Your Website Is Penalized by Google
If you’re getting zero impressions or clicks on Google, the first step is to check for penalties using Google Search Console’s Manual Actions and Security Issues sections. If these areas show no problems, your site isn’t penalized — which means it’s time to focus on content, structure, and strategy.
We’ve seen many websites bounce back after refining their SEO approach and restructuring their content. If you follow the right steps, there’s every chance your site can regain visibility and start generating meaningful traffic.
Frequently Asked Questions About Google Penalties and Search Console Insights
1. How can we tell if our website has been penalized by Google?
The best way to check is by visiting the Manual Actions section in Google Search Console, under Security & Manual Actions. If there’s a manual penalty, it will be listed clearly with reasons and next steps. If that section says “No issues detected,” then there’s no manual penalty applied. For algorithm-based issues, there won’t be any visible warning — but a sudden drop in impressions or clicks can signal something’s wrong with content quality, backlinks, or overall SEO health.
2. What exactly is a Google penalty in SEO?
A Google penalty refers to any action taken — either manually or algorithmically — that results in your website losing visibility in search results. Manual penalties are applied by a Google reviewer, while algorithmic penalties are automatic and usually result from changes in how Google evaluates content. Either type can reduce your impressions, rankings, and overall traffic significantly.
3. Are there different types of Google penalties?
Yes, we generally categorize them into two types:
- Manual Penalties: These are direct actions from Google’s webspam team, typically for practices like spammy backlinks, thin content, or hidden redirects. You’ll be notified in Search Console if one occurs.
- Algorithmic Penalties: These are triggered automatically when Google’s systems detect low-value content, poor user experience, keyword stuffing, or other quality issues. There’s no notification — you’ll just see a performance drop.
4. Why might a website receive a manual action report?
Websites receive manual actions when they violate Google’s guidelines. In our experience, the most common triggers include:
- Using manipulative backlinks (buying or selling links)
- Publishing content that’s thin, duplicated, or auto-generated
- Cloaking content or using deceptive redirects
- Hosting malware or spammy user-generated content
When this happens, Google will outline the issue in Search Console along with a path to resolve it.
5. What should we do if our website is penalized?
If there’s a manual action listed in Search Console, we recommend addressing the problem exactly as described — whether that’s removing harmful backlinks or rewriting low-quality content. Once the issue is fixed, you can submit a reconsideration request.
If no manual penalty exists, and your impressions are still zero, the focus should shift to improving your site structure, content quality, and overall SEO health. Often, that’s what truly makes the difference.
6. How does the URL Inspection Tool help us?
The URL Inspection Tool in Search Console is incredibly useful for checking how Google sees individual pages. It tells you:
- If the page is indexed or blocked
- When it was last crawled
- Whether any technical errors exist
- If mobile usability or structured data issues are affecting performance
We recommend using it regularly, especially when a new page doesn’t seem to show up in search.
7. Is there a tool to check for Google penalties?
While there’s no official “Google penalty checker,” Search Console gives the most direct insights. For algorithmic issues, we suggest tracking your performance trends and comparing them with known algorithm updates using tools like:
- Moz’s Google Algorithm Update Tracker
- SEMrush or Ahrefs organic traffic charts
- The Panguin Tool by Barracuda
These can help identify if a sudden traffic drop lines up with a known update — which often means your site may have been affected.
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I’m Vanshika Vampire, the Admin and Author of Izoate Tech, where I break down complex tech trends into actionable insights. With expertise in Artificial Intelligence, Cloud Computing, Digital Entrepreneurship, and emerging technologies, I help readers stay ahead in the digital revolution. My content is designed to inform, empower, and inspire innovation. Stay connected for expert strategies, industry updates, and cutting-edge tech insights.