<b>Manual action or algorithm? Don't guess</b>

<b>Manual action or algorithm? Don't guess</b>
This week on the radar: how to confirm the cause before you waste a recovery cycle.

Confirmed:
— <a href="https://search.google.com/search-console">Search Console Manual Actions report</a> — if it's empty, your drop is algorithmic; this is the single fastest disqualifier.
— <a href="https://developers.google.com/search/docs/monitor-debug/security/manual-actions">Google's manual actions docs</a> — explains the reconsideration request flow, which only applies to manual penalties.

Chatter:
— <a href="https://www.seroundtable.com/">Roundtable</a> — readers stress that reconsideration requests do nothing for algorithmic drops and can waste weeks.

Read this:
— <a href="https://moz.com/blog">Moz</a> — decision tree for routing each diagnosis to the right fix.

One to bookmark: the Manual Actions report — checking it first saves the most time.