We got penalized by Google for buying backlinks — site traffic dropped, what should we do during recovery?

same thing happened to me at the start... the agency bought bad backlinks and Google penalized us... we recovered in 4 months by managing the disavow file and creating new content. but those 4 months were really tough, traffic dropped massively.

make a disavow.txt, list the bad link domains send it to google but then wait 2-3 weeks for recovery to start.

Recovery Process: 1. Export all backlinks (use a paid SEO tool) 2. Flag the bad links (low DA, spammy looking) 3. Create disavow.txt (1 link per line) 4. Search Console > Disavow links > upload 5. Submit a Reconsideration Request (if it's a manual penalty) 6. Wait 2-4 weeks, monitor crawling 7. Start new content + clean backlink strategy

Google penalty recovery stats: Manual penalty = 30-90 days; Algorithmic penalty = 3-6 months. Chance of starting: 60% after disavow submission. Success rate: 80% (if managed correctly).

Urgent fix: 1) Open a paid SEO tool, download the backlink report. 2) Flag the bad ones with a 'Quality' score (< 20 points). 3) disavow.txt (domain 1, domain 2, ...). 4) Upload to Search Console. 5) Write a Reconsideration Request. 6) Wait + start content strategy + clean outreach.

I felt relieved reading this answer, so its not just me. Most time waste accumulates in tasks waiting for approval.

That's all, sorry if I went on too long.

Exactly and not many people know this. People defend habits, not processes. Resistance comes from there.

If you have questions, write them; I'll answer as best I can.

Thanks for posting. Everyone rushing into i bought backlinks and got penalized gets stuck at the same point.

Correct me if I'm wrong.

Saved. Most time waste accumulates in tasks waiting for approval.

The biggest time-waster for us was not knowing who had the final say.

The opposite happened to me, that's why I'm writing. Discussing numbers without verifying the measurement setup is a waste of time.

When you try to change everything at once, nothing settles. Of course, it varies if your situation is different.

It's rare to find an explanation this clear. Most time waste accumulates in tasks waiting for approval.

I'm also curious if anyone does it differently.

It's rare to find an explanation this clear. Speed is a threshold issue; if you're already fast, making it faster changes nothing.

Hope this helps.

I'd appreciate it if you shared the outcome.

Just a heads-up. Everything goes well for the first three months; problems arise in the fourth.

sorry, but this doesn't apply in every case. i mean when making a decision, first look at what data you have on hand.

if I were you, I'd go this route.

I disagree with you on this point. like the harder it is to reverse a decision, the slower you should make it.

If I were you, I'd go this route.

Thanks for writing this, that's the right way. Most time waste accumulates in tasks waiting for approval.

A page with low traffic might be reaching the right people. Look at where sales come from. If I were you, I'd go this route.

Noted, thanks.