Google Penalty or Not?

[netviper]

One of my sites I work with got this message:

http://www.mysite: Unnatural inbound linksJune 27, 2013

Google has detected a pattern of artificial or unnatural links pointing to your site. Buying links or participating in link schemes in order to manipulate PageRank are violations of Google's Webmaster Guidelines.

As a result, Google has applied a manual spam action to mysite.com/. There may be other actions on your site or parts of your site.

But, when I got to manual actions it says:

Manual Actions

No manual webspam actions found.

-- So which is it??? I have been doing link removal, but now I am confused if I need to do a reconsideration request or not.

[Kurt_Steinbrueck]

It's possible that the new message system in Google Webmaster Tools may only display new messages.  Since your original message came before the Manual Action section was setup, it may not be listed.  I'd still do the reconsideration request because it will answer your question.  If there isn't any manual action, they will tell you that.  If there is, then you may get it removed.

Kurt Steinbrueck
OurChurch.Com

[jesse-landry]

Well, how are your rankings doin?

[netviper]

Oh they suck.   But they have been getting better every week since, just not back to where they were.

[netviper]

I am not sure if I can.  When I click on reconsideration request it takes me to the manual spam action page, and then says no action taken.

[Kurt_Steinbrueck]

Hey Dave,

I just found this tool from Google: https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/reconsideration.  Try that.

Edit: Ok, so I just tried the tool and it just took me to the manual actions section of webmaster tools.  I did a little more searching and I don't see any other way at this point to do a reconsideration request.  Unless someone else out there knows of another way, I'd have to change my previous answer and say that you don't have a manual action any more.

You said you've been removing bad links.  Perhaps when Google redesigned the manual action notification system they re-reviewed sites and yours no longer qualified for a manual action so they lifted it.

Have you noticed anything in your rankings?

[netviper]

I guess that could make sense.  Google has really done a poor job with all these penalties and not telling webmasters what is going on.

A check of the rankings on this site do not look any better than the month before.  They are still much worse than they used to be.

[Raydon]

just something to note for others and for future, you get the notice IN JUNE 2013, and you are posting here asking about in almost in September... this can generally cause mayhem and result in what has happened, a lost message. Gotta be on toppa the game man, notice, next day or same night better get into it!