Avoid Excessive OnSite SEO
These days, SEO is a bit of a balancing act. These days, extreme behaviors don’t work, and in fact can cause you to get a penalty from Google or the other search engines. We need to be subtle and effective because SEO is about setting up your business’s website in a way that will make it thrive in the search engines.
In other words, you need to implement all the best practices without trying too hard, and in doing so, this will maximize results. It can’t be excessive. Here are some thoughts:
Use Keywords Thoughtfully or Not at All
Keyword research has been our first step for years when we start helping clients with their SEO. These days, though, it isn’t as intense as it used to be. There was a time where we had to fill the content with keywords in order for it to be returned in search results. This is no longer the case because the algorithm is a lot more sophisticated and “keyword stuffing” can lead to penalties. You wouldn’t want to use too many keywords, anyway, because it would result in a poor user experience.
The goal, then, is to either use keywords thoughtfully, or to not use them at all. The number one goal is that the intent of the page matches the content, which will therefore make your readers happy. If the search engines deem your content useful to your audience, you will be rewarded with good results organically. Prioritize delivering a useful piece of content, and the search engines will automatically connect your audience with relevant keywords, as long as you stick to the point.
Make Sure to Please Your Audience
As mentioned above, your priority should be to make sure that your website and its contents best serves your users. This is the main goal and focus of SEO, but it’s a point that many people miss. It’s not about anything other than your audience. The search engines, when they determine you have prioritized your audience, will reward you with excellent SEO results.
This is true for the technical functionality of your website as well as the content itself. For example, a slow site speed doesn’t best serve your users. It frustrates them and you lose visitors because of it. That is the reason why search engines won’t favor you if your website is too slow. It’s likely a ranking factor. So, keep your site speed as fast as possible – not because of the search engines, this is an afterthought – but because slow websites frustrate your audience.
The same is true for your content. An article that is stuffed with keywords is annoying. It’s basically unreadable. Whereas, a helpful piece of content that delivers on its promise, as described in the title and the articles introduction, will do well in the search engines. Why? Because it made your audience happy.
You can avoid extremes in SEO just by prioritizing the needs of your audience. If you do that, you will make your audience happy and also improve organic results.
Categorized in: SEO
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