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Dealing with a new client for a simple website development project.
The client’s website was hacked so we are building everything from scratch to ensure we do not bring over any of the malicious code, plus the site is over 5 years old anyways.
The client has branding behind the domain name and we will be keeping the name.
What is the best way to go about re establishing trust with google for the domain name?
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August 22, 2025 @ 10:16 am
Andrew, Contact Us for a Free Consultation.
Other experts here, feel free to comment – Be sure to include links to you work so Andrew can review your work and contact you.
September 9, 2025 @ 7:05 am
Thx for getting back to me. I’m seeing what others offer here as budget is really focused on the actual site development. Your price is good and I get it’s a lot of work, but I feel like I might get better value from a freelancer. Would be interested in having you guys do the monthly ranking for the client’s services after we build out all the geo pages, just will need to go through me and I will bill the client. I will touch base after we address the primary issues.
Thx,
Andrew
September 5, 2025 @ 2:22 am
Since the site was hacked and we’re rebuilding from scratch, here are the best steps to re-establish trust with Google for the domain:
Request a Security Review in Google Search Console – Once the new site is live and clean, verify the domain in Search Console and request Google to review it if there are any security warnings.
Submit a Fresh Sitemap – Generate and submit a new XML sitemap to help Google quickly re-crawl the updated, safe version of the website.
Update Hosting & Security Measures – Use a secure hosting environment, enable SSL (HTTPS), and implement firewalls and malware protection. This not only helps rankings but also signals trust.
Check for Manual Actions or Blacklistings – Ensure there are no outstanding manual penalties in Search Console and verify the domain isn’t blacklisted on major security databases.
Regular Monitoring – Keep track of crawl errors, index coverage, and security alerts via Google Search Console to confirm that trust is being restored over time.
With consistent clean practices and quality content, the domain should gradually regain trust and rankings.
Best regards,
Harshad
September 9, 2025 @ 7:01 am
Very helpful. Is this something you offer as a service, if so how much would it cost to get your help with that part? The budget is primarily focused on the new site development, which my guys are addressing but it’s pointless unless we fix the reputation issues and this is also needed to support a future budget for monthly SEO stuff we want to do – building geo targeted pages to get the client’s services in select cities to rank.
Thx Harshad,
Andrew
November 12, 2025 @ 1:13 am
If your client wants to do this right you are looking at a 6 month commitment with a minimum budget of $2,000 a month.
November 10, 2025 @ 1:20 am
I would recommend purchasing a new domain name to start with.
No matter how hard you try – it’s going to be difficult to determine how deep the hack is, how many blacklists the domain is on, so on and so forth.
I would then do an unverified blanket 301 redirect to the homepage of the new domain.
Many here will say to 1. Do a change of address in google search console and 2. map each page to a new page on new domain via 301.
BUT and this is where I differ – I would be weary of being associated with the previous domain, as it has depleted it’s trust.
You should look at this as a PURE TRAFFIC PLAY, just get the good traffic that is left and rebuild authority from the ground up.
Godspeed Andrew…
November 12, 2025 @ 1:10 am
You approach is sloppy.
You should do everything in your power and put in the work to keep the client’s existing domain name.
This is crucial for branding and separates the expert SEOs from the fly by night operators.
May 29, 2026 @ 5:54 pm
Hi Andrew,
The safest way is to treat this as both a security cleanup and a trust rebuild.
I would first make sure the old infected site is fully removed, the new build is clean, and the hosting environment is checked before launch. Then I’d verify the domain in Google Search Console, submit a fresh sitemap, check for any manual actions or security warnings, and request a review if Google still shows the site as compromised.
I’d also keep the existing domain only if the backlink profile and indexed pages are still worth saving. If the old URLs had value, use clean redirects to the new relevant pages instead of letting everything 404.
After launch, publish a clean structure, clear service pages, updated metadata, internal links, and schema markup. That helps Google understand the rebuilt site faster.
I represent Nexus Web: https://nexus-web.site
We help with website rebuilds, SEO-ready structure, and GEO optimization for AI search visibility. Happy to take a quick look if you want a second opinion on the recovery plan.