§ Avandiz Studio • Case Studies
The business had the history. We helped restore the visibility.
A case study in domain recovery, SEO restoration, and rebuilding trust online
R.G. Simpson & Company is a wholesale postage stamp business founded in 1929, making it the oldest company we have worked with so far.
For nearly a century, the business has served collectors and dealers through catalogs, long-term customer relationships, and industry reputation.
But despite that history, the company’s digital presence had become compromised. Several years earlier, the original domain had expired and was taken over by cybersquatters, who later used it for spam-related activity. Eventually, the business commissioned a replacement website on another domain, but the result did not reflect the professionalism, trust, or legacy of the company.
That is when the owners approached us.
At first, the project appeared to be a website redesign for a historic business.
But after investigating the situation more closely, it became something much larger: a recovery of the company’s online identity itself.
An archival R.G. Simpson & Company catalog sold on eBay
Recovering the Original Domain
Before beginning development, we checked the status of the original domain and discovered that the cybersquatters had already abandoned it.
We successfully re-registered the domain, effectively returning it to its rightful owners.
This mattered for several reasons:
longtime customers already knew the original address
printed materials referenced it
the company’s reputation was tied to it
The business could once again operate under its authentic online identity.
The Hidden Problem
After launching the new website, another major issue surfaced.
Because of the spam activity conducted by the temporary domain owners, Google had applied a Manual Action penalty to the domain. This meant the website was heavily suppressed in Google Search.
In practice:
the site barely appeared in search results
most potential customers could not discover it organically
the website was effectively invisible to the majority of users
This was especially critical because Google dominates the U.S. search market.
Interestingly, the site indexed normally in Microsoft Bing, confirming that the problem was specifically tied to Google’s trust and spam systems.
At that point, the project shifted from website design into a broader SEO recovery and reputation restoration effort.
Our Approach
We proposed a full recovery strategy centered around rebuilding the website’s legitimacy, usefulness, and trust signals.
Simply filing an appeal would not be enough.
The website needed to demonstrate clearly that:
the spam owners were gone
the domain belonged to a legitimate historic business
the new content provided real value
the site was actively maintained and trustworthy
Phase 1 — Rebuilding the Content Foundation
One of the core recovery strategies involved expanding and restructuring the website’s content.
The earlier version relied heavily on downloadable price lists with very little supporting information.
To strengthen legitimacy and usefulness, we:
added new informational pages
expanded product descriptions
clarified the ordering process
redesigned the order and inquiry forms
added explanations of abbreviations and stamp terminology
improved navigation and page hierarchy
created supporting informational content for collectors and buyers
The goal was to transform the website from a thin catalog into a credible business resource.
Old website screenshot
Phase 2 — Design Refresh
At the same time, we redesigned the visual presentation of the website.
The previous design did not reflect the company’s long history and credibility.
We developed a cleaner and more refined visual direction inspired by:
traditional print catalogs
collector publications
heritage businesses
This included:
serif typography
more elegant spacing
improved visual hierarchy
cleaner navigation
more premium presentation of products and documents
The redesigned site feels significantly more aligned with a business founded in 1929.
Phase 3 — Technical Cleanup & SEO Recovery
We also carried out extensive technical cleanup to improve search trust and indexing quality.
This included:
improving metadata and indexing signals
creating a clearer site structure and navigation
improving how search engines understand and index the site
ensuring consistency across content and ownership signals
We also ensured the site clearly reflected the real business and its restored ownership.
Phase 4 — Google Reconsideration Process
Once the site had been substantially rebuilt, we submitted a reconsideration request to Google explaining:
the history of the domain
the cybersquatting situation
the ownership restoration
the removal of spam-related content
the legitimacy of the current business
This process required both technical and content-level credibility improvements before Google would reconsider the domain.
Before: The manual action notification on Google Search Console
After: The email from Google lifting the manual action
The Result
On May 27, Google officially revoked the Manual Action penalty.
The domain was restored to good standing in Google Search.
This meant the website could once again function normally and become discoverable to the vast majority of users.
For the client, this was not simply a successful redesign.
It was the recovery of a business asset connected to nearly a century of history.
Immediate Impact
Historic domain successfully recovered
Google penalty removed
Improved visibility in search
Stronger trust and credibility
More premium visual identity
Clearer ordering experience
Easier navigation for collectors and dealers
Long-Term Value
Restored ownership of the company’s online identity
Stronger SEO foundation
Better discoverability in Google
Easier communication with customers
Scalable platform for future updates and content
Digital presence aligned with the business’s legacy
Client Feedback
“Our website is perfect. Ilya did a fantastic job. He is very professional & easy to work with. We would highly recommend his service.”
— Elaine, R.G. Simpson & Company
What Changed
Before
A historic business with a compromised domain, weak website, and severe Google search penalty.
After
A restored and modernized digital presence trusted again by both customers and search engines.
Our Role
Website Strategy
Domain Recovery
SEO Recovery
Content Expansion
UX Redesign
Technical Cleanup
Google Reconsideration Support
Brand Presentation
Conversion Optimization
Visit the Project
Final Thought
Sometimes a website project is not only about design.
Sometimes it is about restoring visibility, credibility, and ownership itself.