I hope I don’t need to explain ‘Penguin’ and its impact on today’s SEO community. You already know what it did to all of us. This update of Google which is actually a web-spam-algorithm had created tremors all over the place. Well, the objective of this update is to ignore certain websites which don’t follow Google’s guidelines. Many websites boosted their rankings using black-hat methods. Now, Google has outsmarted all those sites and eliminated them from the search results. Some internet marketers used methods like unnecessary keyword-stuffing and other linking methods. Now, all those methods have lost their place in the game.
In this particular situation, it is surely good to know what works and what doesn’t.
What doesn’t work (as far as onsite SEO is concerned):
1. Using duplicate content
2. Stuffing your title with keywords
3. Using the keyword too many times in the content
4. Stuffing keywords in H1, H2 and H3 tags; do so only if required.
5. Using lots of keywords in the meta-description; (you must know the fact that the meta-description is just a line which is displayed along with your link on the page where search results are displayed. Many people think that stuffing it with keywords might help better in ranking. But no!)
6. Usage of meta-keywords; (search engines have stopped looking for meta-keywords)
7. Using keywords even for the tags of pictures; (it’s good to come up with a description for the image)
8. Usage of keywords in the name conventions of urls
9. The practice of cloaking; (those days are gone as you have to make your site good enough for a human being)
10. Using the same links in the header as well as the footer
11. Writing blog content that is of no value
The bottom line is: if you are planning your site for the search engines and not human beings, then it doesn’t work.
Then…what works?
1. Come up with good content which engages the readers; (don’t write anything for engines or bots)
2. Come up with interesting titles for your content without focusing on inserting the keyword in it; the average reader must click on your link looking at the catchy title
3. Ensure that your site has the facility to enable the readers share the content socially
4. Your meta-description must be very interesting enough to urge the reader to know more by clicking on the link.
5. Come up with user friendly interface
6. Ensure that your pages load fast
7. Include some interesting case-studies and real experiences of your customers which help your visitors know more about your business legitimacy.
When it comes to Off-site SEO, you must understand that old link-building strategies don’t work anymore.
What doesn’t work?
1. Using spun content to get links
2. Link-exchange
3. Using duplicate content for links
4. Submitting articles to free article directories
5. Paying for Sponsored links
6. Getting links from irrelevant web sites
7. Links that come from those sites which are penalized
8. Other black hat link building methods
What works?
1. Getting all your links from those sites which belong to your niche
2. Coming up with link building techniques which are not designed as per the search engines
3. Coming up with different keywords in the anchor text
4. Centering your promotion around your brand
5. Ensure that your content is shared naturally
SEO keeps on changing and updates keep coming up to shatter the world of internet marketing. But the ones who survive are the ones who have the passion to be legitimate in their efforts. So, as long as you are not trying to use manipulative methods, you never need to worry about the updates of any search engine.
Bren operates an Internet Advertising company and shares his wealth of knowledge with the world whenver he gets the opportunity.
