The Worst SEO Practices That Will Get you in Trouble with Google

We’ve listed below the worst things you can do to optimize your website. It is never too late to overhaul your SEO strategy by avoiding these bad practices.
Google Website on a smartphone

Understanding SEO and being able to craft a solid SEO plan is essentially like learning how to fly a plane. It takes dedication, grit, and a few expert teachers to teach you how do it. The same goes for search engine optimization. Google’s constant updates and improvements to its algorithms means that we have to stay on our toes. Digital marketers today face the challenge of a highly competitive SEO landscape and we’re here to make sure you’re ahead of the game.

But instead of telling you what you should be doing, here’s a list of the things you should NOT do otherwise you will get on Google’s bad side, starting with…


1. Stuffing keywords in your content

Keywords are words and phrases that are commonly used in a specific business industry. Every website needs to know the different sets of keywords that’ll make a difference in their search engine optimization. However, these keywords can’t be stuffed or overused in any article, blog post, or web page otherwise there will be consequences. Google may not directly penalize marketers for doing such, but the result will lead to website users leaving and ultimately not returning to your website.

Imagine an article that doesn’t make much sense, but one that is just filled with keywords in every single paragraph. No one wants to read that. As website owners, your sole focus should be making a holistic website experience for your visitors by giving them useful information, not driving them away.


2. Refusing to outsource an SEO service because you want to do things yourself

These days it is always better to get help from experts, not just because they have the knowledge and experience, but a digital marketing expert is updated on the latest Google algorithms. Take for example Google’s latest Page Experience Update which takes into account the perceived experience of users while browsing through webpages in one website. There are more updates that are highly technical, so it is easier to understand them with experts at your side pointing you in the right direction.

The added bonus when you hire professional SEO services company to help you grow your website is that they’ll be able to deliver results on a specific timeline. You won’t be left wondering if your money’s worth because you’ll see the results for yourself.


3. Focusing your content on just one topic

Its good if your website is consistently churning out content, but you also have to consider diversifying the topics and subjects of your blog posts. Think about it this way: the topic that your content is about is the perfect chance for your website to expand its audience reach and grab more qualified leads that will help your website rank higher in search engine results.

The worst thing you can do is focus on just one subject for your website, which really limits your target audience and what they can potentially gain from visiting your website. Having articles about varied subjects will also give your website a chance to build links to and from other websites which will immensely help in link building and enhancing your SEO.


4. Having content that has gone stale

It is not enough to publish an article on your website and then let it sit for too long. Your website content should always be updated and optimized to ensure that it stays relevant. If the topic being discussed in an article no longer applies or is already irrelevant in the niche, then get rid of that article. Otherwise, it will just harm your website.

Additionally, an article that features several hyperlinks should stay updated. As digital marketers, make sure that there are no dead links in your website content because, again, these could just potentially ruin your website from Google’s perspective. On the other hand, let your content stew for a while because it certainly takes time for blog posts to grab the attention of your target audience.


5. Unchecked links leading to your website

In the same manner that your website should check active leads, you should also ensure that links leading to your website don’t come from websites that have been flagged by Google. If, for example, the links on your website lead to a website that is filled with spam and irrelevant content, search engine crawlers will realize that your website is also bad news.

It’s essentially like living in a bad neighborhood—stay clear of it or you’ll get a bad reputation too.


6. Misleading your audience to gain leads

Whoever started this SEO malpractice should at least get shampoo in their eye. On a more serious note, this strategy will land you on Google’s bad side as well as your target audience. This is essentially “clickbaiting” your audience to click on an article, an ad, or a sales page through titles and links that are misleading like “Click here to see how you can get a discount” or “Call our number now so we can change your life.” Such sentences are enticing and attractive, but are they truthful? Can you really change their lives or offer discounts or give them information that they will find meaningful?

As website owners and marketers, always be truthful to your niche audience and don’t make them click just to lead them to your website. They’ll leave eventually and never return to your site if they don’t find the browsing experience informative and useful.

Most of the SEO practices we listed here are easy to do and, more often than not, tempting. What you have to remember is the long-term impact of what these might do to your website and your business brand. Always go for the gold but don’t take shortcuts to get there. SEO is hard work and that is why we’ll be with you every step of the way. Contact us at 800-589-7346 or email us at sales@digitalvisibilityconcepts.com.

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