Many of us strive to optimize a website to improve rank potential, but how can we make sure we’re not contributing negatively to search engines by over optimising?
Trying to avoid over optimization can sometimes be tricky, and believe me when I say it’s one of the most common SEO mistakes, often leading to the opposite effect to what is intended. As Google’s algorithms continue to evolve, the world’s largest search engine is getting better and better at weeding out such content in order to place a greater emphasis on the importance of user experience. As a result, webmasters must take every step they can to avoid excessive optimization. While SEO should never be neglected, it is important to remember that too much of anything can be bad, and far too many websites place their standings in the search engines above the importance of actual visitor experience.
Back in the earlier days of SEO, over-optimization worked, at least to a degree, but that was when the search engine algorithms were far less sophisticated than they are today. As a result of Google’s changes, particularly with regards to its Penguin update in 2012, many tried-and-tested SEO techniques of the past failed to remain effective, while a few even became black-hat tactics which today spell SEO suicide. This article takes a look at eight of the most common mistakes which lead to over-optimized websites.
