Of all the search engines operating on the internet, Google appears to be the only one that refers its new websites to a "sandbox" after a brief initial period.

Why does Google do this?
Most experts believe that Google is trying to dissuade bogus website owners from clogging the system with Spam websites, which get in the way of legitimate sites and disrupt the flow of search traffic.

Google can index sites very quickly, but it takes longer for its filters to recognise techniques that would be used to spam its index. Therefore, Google has instigated a probationary period for new URLs to prevent them ranking highly, and uses this time to run its filters to ensure that a site is acceptable. Once Google is satisfied with the site it is released from the sandbox and can start achieving rankings, which typically takes between six months and one year.

What can I do about it?
Don’t panic – plan ahead and engage in some damage control.

Firstly, remember that it happens to everyone, no matter how big the site, or how important the company. It’s important to remember that you don’t get sandboxed because you or your website provider has made a mistake, or not paid a bill; it happens to everyone.

Secondly, don’t forget that even though your site may not be getting Google rankings, it will be getting rankings on other search engines, and will be accessed by clients and employees who can type your address in directly. This means that you have to continue to update and maintain your website for those people who are continuing to use it.

Thirdly, plan ahead. You know that your site will be placed in the sandbox, and you know roughly how long it will be there. Use that time to adjust your internet marketing, promote your site, add new optimised content and build additional links so that when it is eligible for rankings again, it will be better placed to score highly.