If something that was previously indexed on google disappears is it gone forever?

Question

If something that was previously indexed on google disappears is it gone forever?

Answer 1

That depends what you mean.

Do you mean that a still-existing page has dropped out of results?  If so, there's a possibility that the page may return to Google results after the implementation of a new algorithm, etc.

Do you mean that the page is no longer displayed in results, or 404's out when you visit old links?  if so, there's a chance that the site could be dead and gone forever.

You might be able to locate old versions of the page by searching for it at http://www.archive.org