Search engine optimisation mistakes you’re sometimes told to do

Getting to the first page on Google, let alone to the top of the first page, is a struggle for many businesses. There are over 200 factors that Google counts in its algorithms and these are constantly tweaked to make ranking especially harder.

Due to the challenge of search engine optimisation (SEO), there’s a lot of information on the internet for how people can help their websites to rank. Some of this advice is great, some of it is not. There are also lots of poor SEO consultants out there, who might have good intentions, but don’t understand the search engine landscape as well as some other top quality consultants.

The combination of bad online advice and poor SEO consultants can mean that small business owners make numerous mistakes on their website SEO. So, here are some of the things that you might have read, but have been told wrong.

1. Use too many keywords

While keywords are important on website copy, they shouldn’t be overused. Too many keywords is known as keyword stuffing and is frowned upon. The ideal rate of keywords should be about 1-2%. Any more than this and you risk being reduced in rank.

It is also important to not include irrelevant keywords in your copy. For instance, don’t include celebrity names in your content just because they have high search volumes.

If in doubt, always write for humans and not search engines.

2. Post spam to comments

Posting to other blogs and linking back to your website is a good way to generate inbound links and traffic. However, be respectful to the blog owner and make your content highly valuable and conversational.

Don’t include a link in the text, this looks too spammy. Instead, use the comment functions where links can often be attached to names. This tip can also be used in forums, posting where you should create points in a conversation.

3. Duplicate copy

Google has, in the past, stated that duplicated copy is not too much to worry about. However, that doesn’t mean it won’t penalise companies who continuously use content created by others as a way to generate content. Duplicate content should really only be for quotes and citations.

Instead, you need to create regular original content, linking to content you’ve quoted or taken information from. Outbound linking is a good way to help your rank. If you link to high-quality websites, it can help to increase your rankings.

Don’t be fooled by bad SEO advice. The above three SEO tricks are considered black hat, and while might offer a quick rise in rankings, in the long-term your website could be de-listed. So, don’t undo all your hard work and make sure you, or the SEO consultant you hire, are using up-to-date and correct recommendations when working on your SEO.