When it comes to a website downgrade or de-indexing, it can be difficult trying to go back and figure out what went wrong. Google's John Mueller discusses the difference between site demotion and de-indexing, during a Google Webmaster Fax List Hangouts session on March 17, 2020. Google Webmaster Central Hangout is a channel for webmasters to ask or answer any search-related questions and have them answered by both Google and community experts.
Hosted by John Mueller, hangout sessions are available to anyone who wants to join and generally cover everything from publishing content online to getting it seen in search. derank vs deindexing on google discussed on webmaster hangouts “Why was Fax List my site downgraded? » In this particular meeting place for webmasters, an editor asks John a question directly related to his website. The question posed included various reasons the publisher suspected a downgrade, including negative SEO from competitors. "My site is no longer appearing in search results. There are no violations on my site, and it completely stopped appearing as of March 12. It is a Google News approved site. I have received over 3,000 bad backlinks from my competitors and more fake DMCA complaints from my competitors than I have countered and am awaiting Google's response.
Why is my site de-indexed, demoted in Google when there is no violation on my site Google's perspective on downgrading vs. de-indexing John Mueller begins to answer the question by clarifying what it means for a site to experience Fax List a downgrade. Although demotion is not a term used with Google, we understand that it is a word to describe a website that has lost rankings and visibility in searches. John's answer to the question: “It's really hard to say, without a site. So it's something I would generally recommend in a case like this to post this in a webmaster help forum; where there is a group of people who can take a look at your site.