A Google penalty irritates every website owner.
Imagine checking into your Google Webmaster dashboard to discover that your visitor stats have plummeted overnight!
An SEO penalty is nothing short of a digital nightmare. That being stated, webmasters are frequently unaware that something is wrong with their site. The many on-page and off-page optimization methods that can help you avoid an SEO penalty will be discussed in this post.
Avoiding SEO Penalties Through On-Page Optimization
While most webmasters recognize the value of a positive website user experience, and major search engines such as Google do, there have been a few instances of over-optimization and unethical on-page SEO tactics that have resulted in penalties.
You might not be doing any of these or doing them without realizing it, but the search engine crawlers won’t care. As a result, ensure that your website is clear of the following optimization issues.
At all costs, avoid duplicate or spun content.
The saying “content is king” has been used so many times that it has earned its punishment. Regardless, the statement has relevance in today’s world, particularly when considering Google’s ranking criteria.
Avoid putting too many ads above the fold.
Google prioritizes the user experience above all else. Imagine the following scenario while keeping this in mind:
When a user types certain keywords into a search engine, your website appears as the first result (Yay!). When a person clicks on your link, he is taken to a website where he must scroll through ten different advertisements. The befuddled user scrolls down till they discover what they’re seeking.
Avoid using hidden text or hyperlinks.
Making text and links disappear for humans may be feasible by making them the same color as the backdrop, but a search engine crawler is not fooled by this method.
It’s a clear breach of Google’s standards, and it’ll cost you a lot of money. On the other hand, overuse of keywords has been on Google’s blacklist for over a decade.
Rather than packing keywords or hiding them, spend time generating content that assists users and/or answers their questions. If users enjoy their time on your site, the search engines will likely.
Keep track of spam sent by users.
While user-generated content is one of the most significant content assets, users may abuse their freedom to build spammy backlinks to further their own goals.
Avoid Using Cloaking
Cloaking is simply creating two different versions of your website and displaying various sets of information to search engine crawlers and users.
Cloaking is a significant red flag for Google, and if detected, websites that utilize this technology to deceive visitors might face lifelong penalties.
Combat Negative SEO
A competitor may use negative SEO against your website to outperform your company. Getting spammy and bad backlinks to point to your website is the most typical way to do this.
While this may appear improbable, such tactics are regrettably all too typical in the digital world. The easiest strategy to counteract negative SEO is to keep an eye on the links going to your site and do regular audits to spot any problematic connections.
As soon as you find one, send an email to the website’s webmaster requesting that the link be removed.
You can go on to the off-page component of your website once you’ve ensured your online headquarters is penalty-proof.
To Avoid An SEO Penalty, Use Off-Page Optimization
Link building is the most important part of off-page SEO services. This section will examine link-building recommended practices to help you avoid penalties.
Commandments for Link Building
Both white and black areas of operation exist in the Link building. While link building can help you boost your online visibility, using unethical methods can result in a search engine penalty. One of the most common reasons for Google’s penalties is poor link-building strategies.
Getting Over A Penalty
According to Matt Cutts, Google’s manual website auditors perform roughly 400,000 actions per month. When you factor in the innumerable other websites that have been punished due to algorithm upgrades like Panda or Hummingbird, fines will become more widespread.
Final Thoughts
Google has become one of the most valuable companies by prioritizing its users. The search engine values its users and has built its algorithms and manual inspections to ensure a consistent experience on its search results pages across the websites.
Remembering the same is the greatest method to avoid a Google penalty. Google will love your website and open the floodgates of traffic to your online headquarters if you make it more user-friendly and pack it with information users appreciate.
