What the Google Sandbox looks like

There’s a lot of discussion still about the Google Sandbox - is it a new phenomenon, is it related to LocalRank, or is it entirely in the collective imaginations of a few link builders?

I’ve done SEO for a couple of years now - though I only went commercial early in 2004. However, I’ve had results I could not expect nor explain according to my prior experience. The mooted Google Sandbox, as described here: The Google Sandbox: the definitive guide led myself to believe I was seeing exactly the same phenomenon.

In fact, after reading about it, I was able to make an exact prediction of when two of my first clients would suddenly be out of the Google Sandbox and impact the SERPs.

Here’s an example, using a screenshot of an Excel spreadsheet record (with sensitive information removed). It covers 18 keyword phrases, and the link building for them began in March. Yet it was not until June that the rankings impacted - and then they seemed to impact all at once.

I though it looked like a Sandbox effect. You’re welcome to make your own judgement from this graphic: