As we move into the new age of search engine optimization, you should be focusing on content, video and links from high-authority websites. Google is eliminating one shortcut at a time and pretty soon, the following methods will be completely extinct. As it stands now, they are outdated, unethical and against every rule Google has ever written.
- Keyword Stuffing – The content on your website should read very naturally. Loading your content with keywords will put you on the fast track to a high bounce rate. On a side note, stay far, far away from content spinners. A “spun” version of the first sentence of this article might look like this: “As we advance into the fresh era of looking machine perfection…”. This is a dead give away that you are trying to cheat the system. Plus, no one will read content like that!
- Doorway Pages – These are pages that are stuffed with keywords that attract searches and then forward the visitor to a completely different page. A bad idea for obvious reasons.
- Hidden Text – Search engine optimizers who dabble in black hat SEO have gotten pretty creative. Hidden text is one of the tools in their arsenals. This tactic includes adding text that is the same color as the background of the page, so the reader cannot see it, only the search engines. It could include stuffed keywords or links. Another big no-no.
- Buying Links – This is highly controversial since there are some links you have to pay for that are really good, like the Better Business Bureau. In general, stay away from any situation that seems shady. No paid link is worth potentially getting crushed or even banned by Google. Directories (in most, but not all, cases) will soon be a thing of the past. Invest that money in a writer who produces content that will draw attention organically.
One common misconception is that hiring an SEO professional to work on your website is a bad thing. This is absolutely not the case. In fact, if you don’t have an SEO expert working on your site, you are definitely missing traffic, leads and clients. There are many SEO tactics that are considered “white hat”. These include proper on-page optimization, dynamic sitemaps and getting links for guest blog posts and press releases. The architecture of your site, the quality of your code and the speed of your website are also major factors. You can see why you would want to hire someone that really knows what they are doing.
For more information on building a website that will rank highly in search results and get you more clients, give us a call at 888-886-0939.