QUESTION 13 OF 30

Have you ever been responsible for a site getting penalized by Google? What did you learn from that?

The interviewer wants to know if your SEO practices have ever led to a site getting penalized by Google. Many of the reasons Google penalizes sites are related to black hat practices, but it can also happen because of broken external links, error codes, and slow site loading. If this has happened to you for a reason other than black hat practices, the interviewer likely won't see it as a problem. They simply want to hear about what happened, why it happened, and what you learned from the experience.

If you have not been responsible for a site getting penalized by Google, tell the interviewer and then explain the reasons this can happen. If you have been responsible for a site getting penalized by Google, explain what happened and what you learned from the experience.

"In my second SEO job, I was the only person responsible for the website's SEO for the small company. I knew a lot about SEO at that time, but I was still learning too. The website was penalized by Google for poor mobile site optimization. I realized I hadn't prioritized the mobile site highly enough. After that happened, I devoted time to it every day until it was in great shape. Of course, that was years ago, and now mobile sites are key, so I always prioritize them."

Unlock all 30 SEO Specialist questions

Prepare for algorithm questions and technical challenges that interviewers use to evaluate SEO expertise.

Get Started

Previous Question Next Question

SEO Specialist Mock Interview

Have you ever been responsible for a site getting penalized by Google? What did you learn from that?

Unlock all 30 SEO Specialist questions

30 SEO Specialist Interview Questions & Answers