Penalty clean-up
A full audit of the links pointing at the site, with the harmful ones disavowed, which is what got Google to trust the site again.
Backlink auditDisavowsPenalty recovery
SEO case study · Solar
How Solargain came back from a Google penalty with 220% more traffic
One of Australia’s largest solar providers lost much of its Google visibility to a penalty. Within 12 months the penalty was lifted and traffic had more than tripled.
220%
Organic traffic growth in 12 months
300%
More conversions
The challenge
After a Google penalty, Solargain lost a large share of its search visibility at a time when competition in solar was getting stronger. Earlier SEO work had been inconsistent and had left a lot of opportunities untouched. The job was to win back Google’s trust, get back the rankings they had lost, and rebuild visibility that would last.
Our approach
The penalty came first. We audited every link pointing at the site and disavowed the harmful ones, removing hundreds of spammy backlinks so Google would trust the site again.
At the same time we improved the content and structure of the site and started a steady link-building programme that would hold up over time. We also fixed technical problems, made the site easier for Google to crawl, and worked on conversions so the new visitors turned into enquiries.
The results
Within 12 months, organic traffic grew 220% and conversions grew 300%. The site earned more than 700 new keyword rankings, the penalty was lifted with Google’s Penguin 4 update, and a move to a new website was completed without losing any rankings.
The next focus is content people want to share and digital PR, to build the brand’s authority and win more searches from people ready to buy.
The delivery
Three pieces of work, done at the same time
Cleaning up the backlinks came first, but the other two did not wait for it. Running all three together is why the results came quickly once the penalty lifted.
On-site and off-site SEO
Better content and site structure, plus a steady link-building programme built to last rather than to spike.
ContentSite structureLink building
Technical SEO and conversions
Technical problems fixed, the site made easier to crawl, and conversion work so new visitors became enquiries.
CrawlabilityLocal SEOCRO
Optimised for 
How we optimise for AI Search
Search is being answered, not just listed. The work that gets you into an AI answer overlaps with what always won the blue link, but only if it is done deliberately and measured differently.
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Structured data an answer engine can read
Schema on every page type, entities Google can resolve to your business rather than guess at, and internal links that make the relationships explicit.
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Pages that answer the question directly
An AI answer is assembled from sources that state the answer plainly. We write the direct answer first and the supporting detail under it, not the other way round.
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Cited by the answer, not buried under it
Being the source an answer quotes needs authority behind the claim: original detail, real specifics, and links from places that already have standing.
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Tracked where the traffic actually goes
Zero-click answers change what a good month looks like. We report on the queries you appear in and the enquiries that follow, not just positions.
Built for
AI answers
Schema · entities · direct answers
AI Overview
For a local service business, the pages that get cited most often are the ones that answer the question in the first sentence, carry clean schema, and have a page for each area served rather than one list of suburbs.
yoursite.com.au industry-body.org.au +4 more
Book your free SEO strategy call
Solargain’s programme started with a conversation like this one. We look at your marketing performance together: what is bringing in enquiries, what is wasting money, and what we would change first.
- We go through your site and your rankings with you, not at you.
- You get our read on the one thing to change first.
- Yours to keep, whether you work with us or not.
Oliver Wales Head of Growth, DUNK Taking calls - Length
- 15 minutes
- Format
- Video or phone
- Cost
- Free
When Oliver is free
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
9:30am to 4:30pmMelbourne, AEST
Book a free growth call today
A free call with a senior strategist. We will look at what you are running now, tell you what we would change, and you can take that away whether you work with us or not.
Oliver Wales Head of Growth, DUNK 
4.5 from 61 Google reviews
- A full review of your rankings and site performance
- An analysis of the gaps in your current approach
- The plan is yours either way
