Overcoming Google's Filter for New Websites
Have you noticed that it is easer to get ranked higher on Google with older websites than it is with new websites? Have you ever wondered why is this so and what does it take for you to do to get a high ranking if you have a new website?
Why is it easier to get high rankings with older websites?
Spammers oftenly use brand new domain names to make a quick profit. Spammers often buy hundreds of domains at once and fill them with crap or scraper content and hoping to make a profit with the advertisements that appears on the sites (usually spammers use AdSense to put ads on these kind of sites). Black-hat webmasters also sometimes use new domains to test for new search engines exploit (mainly on spamming techniques)
It is obviously difficult for Google to know which sites (or domains) can be trusted and this is why Google had invented a filter system which down-ranks new websites until Google decides they can be trusted.
How can we overcome Google's filters for new websites?
Getting a high ranking is difficult, this is why you have to a few things to make your website trustworthy:
Using the right keywords
It's impossible for a new site to get a top 10 ranking on a highly competitive search term such as laptops but it is easier to get higher rankings on specific search terms such as "cheap laptops asia"
Specific search terms are easier to get high rankings (although they might not receive much traffic) and are more likely to make sales.
Link Building
Without doing some link building campaigns, it's virtually impossible to get a high ranking on Google. Get as many incoming links from any related or similar sites. But be Weary of Paid Links as Google will penalize any site that does excessive paid link campaigns.
Optimize, Optimize and OPTIMIZE!
Getting the right links to your website may rank your site higher in Search Engines but optimizing your site so that search engines can parse the content of your site will get your site ranked even higher. Add relevant contents relating to the keyword you are targeting so that Google knows which search term you are optimizing and targeting.
If you do all the 3 steps correctly and orderly, getting a new website to rank higher is definitely possible.
Good Luck 
Popularity: 35%
October 25th, 2007 at 6:31 pm
Google and other major search engines rely heavily on link popularity to determine the "authority" of a website. A new domain has no "authority" and will find it hard to rank. I agree with you that linkbuilding is intergral to achieve high rankings, just thought i would also mention that the age of links is also important. As links "mature" they gain more importance and help to increase your rankings further with their age.
December 8th, 2007 at 5:56 am
This "sand box" filter can also be diminished to a major degree by simply registering the domain for 5 or more years. You still will not rank for the most competitive keywords but three and four word phrases can be obtained very quickly on a well optimized site that has been registered for a longer period of time.
Also, any webmaster that is registering his domain one year at a time is hurting the sites ranking ability tremendously.
December 9th, 2007 at 3:21 am
Hi Terry, I dont believe there is or ever was a "sandbox" filter. The "sandbox effect" was quite simply the difficulty of ranking a new site, due to the lack of trust -i.e links, link age etc. I have had new domains rank in top positions after a couple of weeks- to me this proves there is no "sandbox filter". It is more an effect . I agree with you that it may be slightly more benneficial to register your domain for longer times, but its not a major ranking factor.
December 9th, 2007 at 4:06 am
The sandbox is a function of Trust Rank. Google does not trust sites with little or no history. Google does not admit there is a sandbox. Google does not say much at all. However, Matt Cutts has referenced Google's trusting of websites and how this affects new websites. The sandbox is what SEO's have termed the trusting element.
As to ranking a domain for any keywords, what words or phrases are you ranking for?
Google knows the traffic for words and phrases and ranking for keywords that get no attention is very easy to do. Onpage elements and anchor text will rank a page for words that no one searches for. It is the traffic numbers that determine how the sandbox/trust rank will affect your site weather you believe in it or not.
March 15th, 2008 at 7:45 am
What i think Google,yahoo and other search engines are main concentrating on back links with co-citation. No doubt with out on page seo you cant get the site in good ranking, but major concentrating point is to get good links from same nich along with do follow. I agree with seo consultant that age of domain also matter but i would like to share if you have use keyword that is also part of your domain name, it will also work.
March 15th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
Having keywords in your domain is like getting ice cream with your cake. It is good if you can get it.
If it makes sense and does not look to spamy with no or limited hyphens. Not too many of them around at a reasonable price now days.
I do believe the best investment into any new Internet based business would be the acquisition of a good to very good aged domain name. Nothing trumps the competition than good SEO and domain age.
June 26th, 2008 at 5:36 am
I always build websites for the long term any way. If a website does well quickly then I see myself as being lucky. I just keep building links and eventually google will decide when to rank me.