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This is an update to our previous post about Google blacklisting. We have some updated numbers to share.
Question: My site was hacked and we cleaned and secured it properly. We also scanned it, and it is showing up as clean. However, it is still blacklisted by Google. How long until they remove us?
Answer: This is a very common question. In fact, every time we clear a hacked site, their owner asks us the same question: How long until that scary red warning sign is gone?
To give a solid answer to our clients, we started to time how long it takes from when the review submission is requested, until the site is reviewed and removed by Google. We have now measured a few hundred blacklist removals and we have some good numbers to back up our tests.
Current Results:
- Average time from submission to removal: 440 minutes (about 7 hours)
- Maximum time: 792 (13 hours)
- Minimum time: 290 (a bit less than 5 hours)
On average, it takes Google around 7 hours to clear your “bad” website from their lists. For our lucky clients, it takes roughly 5-6 hours. Another important point that some people forget is that you need to request a review! Google will not automatically remove a site once cleaned.
How do you increase your odds of getting cleared faster?
- Make sure to clean everything up!
- Do not remove the infected files, fix them. If you remove them, they will 404, and a 404 will delay the verification (even if you need to leave the file with a 0-size, don’t remove it until after the site is de-listed).
- Follow best practices to increase security on your site so that you minimize the risk of reinfection.
That’s it. Let us know if you have any questions or comments.
Is your site hacked? Blacklisted? We are here to help! We can get your sites cleaned up and secured right away!
DreamHost looks to have done a great job notifying affected customers via the update page, keeping them up-to-date throught out the day until the issue was resolved. It looks like all FTP passwords were indeed reset.
