Mastering the art of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) takes more thought and care than one may anticipate. In such a competitive digital landscape, it’s essential to follow the rules of the Google gods while maintaining your own competitive edge and craft.

While you may wish to pour all of your newly researched keywords into one paragraph of content or copy and paste the exact same text onto every page to save time – these practices are considered poor and detrimental to your website’s visibility, traffic, and trust. Learning what not to do is just as important as understanding the best SEO techniques and practices to implement.

‘Unethical techniques’, for example, are aimed at manipulating search engine algorithms for quick gains. However, these kinds of shortcuts can bite you later on. Google keeps a strict, keen eye on this movement and may penalise you for it. From subtle demotions in rankings to outright bans, Google can significantly harm your digital presence and reputation if you engage in unethical strategies.

Unethical practices may include:

• Hidden text
• Link farming
• Duplicate content
• Keyword stuffing

Whether you’d like to work with SEO experts like Mad Scientist to get your website up to scratch or try your own hand at SEO, our team shares six common bad SEO practices and how to avoid them.

1) Low-Quality Content

Low-quality content is a poison within the online digital space. If you fail to engage and inform your users with well-researched and properly structured content, you ultimately damage your website’s credibility.

High-quality content, on the other hand, is characterised by its relevance, originality, and value to the audience. It should address the user’s needs, provide valuable insights, and foster trust and authority within your niche.

2) Duplicate Copy

Duplicate content involves publishing identical or significantly similar copy across multiple pages or domains. Such redundancy undermines search engine algorithms’s ability to discern the most relevant and authoritative sources – ultimately relegating your content.

To avoid this common mistake and the potential consequences that may follow, consider these points:

• Original Content. Craft original, valuable content tailored to your audience’s needs and interests. Strive to be unique in both substance and presentation to distinguish your offerings from competitors.
• Canonicalisation. Utilise canonical tags to signal the preferred version of a page to search engines. This strategic measure consolidates ranking signals for similar content variants – mitigating the risk of diluting SEO value.
• 301 Redirects. When consolidating multiple pages or domains, implement 301 redirects to seamlessly guide users and search engines to the designated primary URL. This redirection method preserves link equity and unites ranking signals.
• Internal Linking. Foster a coherent website structure through strategic internal linking. This practice facilitates efficient crawling and indexing while reinforcing the authority of primary content assets.

3) Keyword Stuffing

Keyword stuffing involves excessively loading web pages with keywords to manipulate search engine rankings. This not only violates search engine guidelines but also delivers a poor user experience by sacrificing readability and relevance.

Here are a few ways to avoid keyword stuffing:

• Focus on relevance by naturally integrating keywords into the content rather than forcing them
• Use synonyms and variations
• Optimise meta tags to be concise and accurately represent the page’s content
• Write for humans, not bots, by creating content that is engaging, valuable, and addresses the needs of the audience
• Monitor keyword density to prevent over-optimisation

4) Ignoring Mobile SEO

A common oversight in website optimisation is neglecting to update and optimise for mobile devices. Failure to take this into consideration may compromise the overall user experience of your site and lower your search rankings.

Consider the following steps for mobile optimisation:

• Utilise Google Search Console (GSC). GSC is essential for mobile optimisation as it identifies and reports usability problems, responsiveness, and slow loading speeds on mobile devices. By addressing these issues, webmasters can enhance site performance and user experience on mobile, leading to better search rankings and increased engagement.
• Prioritise a Responsive Design. Ensure your website adapts seamlessly across various screen sizes and resolutions
• Optimise Page Speed. Utilise online tools to identify and address mobile-specific speed issues and compress images to improve loading times on mobile devices.
• Format Content for Mobile Users. Structure content with shorter paragraphs, concise sentences, legible fonts, and sufficient spacing to enhance readability on smaller screens.
• Conduct Mobile Usability Testing. Regularly test your website on different mobile devices to identify and rectify any usability issues and solicit feedback from mobile users to gain insights into their browsing experience.

5) Toxic Backlinks

Toxic backlinks pose a significant threat to your website’s SEO performance. These links originate from dubious or irrelevant sources that can harm your site’s credibility and ranking on search engine results pages (SERPs).

Here’s why you should steer clear of them:

• Negative Impact on Ranking. Google’s algorithms are designed to detect and devalue such links.
• Damage to Reputation. Backlinks from spammy or unrelated sites can tarnish your brand’s reputation. Visitors may associate your website with low-quality or unethical content, damaging your trust and credibility.
• Increased Risk of Manual Action. Google may issue manual penalties for manipulating search rankings through toxic backlinks. Recovering from such penalties requires time-consuming efforts to identify and disavow harmful links.

Avoidance strategies include:

• Regular Backlink Audits. Conduct periodic audits using tools like Google Search Console or specialised SEO software to identify toxic backlinks.
• Prioritise Quality Over Quantity. Focus on acquiring backlinks from reputable, relevant sources through organic outreach and content marketing initiatives.

6) Over-Optimised Anchor Text

Anchor text refers to the clickable text in a hyperlink that directs users to another web page. Effective anchor text helps users understand the relevance of the linked page and improves navigation within a website. Over-optimising anchor text is a common misstep that can lead to penalties from search engines and hinder your website’s performance.

Here are some things to avoid when crafting your anchor text:

• Keyword Stuffing. Excessive use of exact-match keywords in anchor text.
• Unnatural Language. Forced or unnatural language in anchor text.
• Lack of Relevance. Anchor text should accurately reflect the content of the linked page to ensure relevance and coherence.

Instead, consider the following:

• Diversification. Utilise a diverse range of anchor text styles, including branded terms, generic phrases, and partial matches, to avoid over-optimisation.
• Balanced Approach. Maintain a balanced linking profile with a mix of internal and external links to foster a natural and organic SEO strategy.
• User Experience. Prioritise user experience by focusing on descriptive and informative anchor text that enhances navigation and comprehension.

Mastering the art of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

Navigating the complexities of Search Engine Optimisation demands diligence and strategic thinking. In a digital world saturated with competition, adhering to the guidelines set by search engine authorities, such as Google, while carving out your unique footprint is essential.

While it’s tempting to resort to shortcuts like keyword stuffing or link farming, these tactics can undermine your website and brand’s credibility, traffic, visibility, and trustworthiness. Engaging in unethical practices, such as manipulating search algorithms for short-term gains, can lead to severe repercussions. To safeguard your website’s integrity and maximise its potential, it’s crucial to steer clear of poor SEO practices and tactics. Instead, adopt a holistic approach to optimisation.

Does your business need to be visible to Search Engines?

SEO can help optimise and enhance your business efforts if you’re in it for the long term. If you’re eager to boost traffic and attract qualified leads, consider investing in strategic SEO practices, from in-depth keyword research to quality content and local SEO.

Chat with the team at Mad Scientist.