We’d all like to take shortcuts to success if we can. If we could find a way to bypass the months of work and research that it takes to successfully rank a page using SEO techniques and just shoot right to the top, most of us probably would. Unfortunately, some of the SEO techniques that can you get you fast results can also get you penalized by Google, perhaps even getting your page banned for good. Here are a few SEO tricks that you should avoid, as they will get you banned by Google if you get caught:
Keyword Stuffing
Using the right keywords throughout your site and blog posts is a cornerstone of Internet marketing. But cramming your page with strings of keywords, or arbitrarily putting keywords into your content without making it coherent can get your page flagged as spam. Use keywords appropriately, and you will help your page to rank organically. Usually a keyword ratio of about 5 to 10 percent of your content is sufficient. Anything more could be seen as saturation.
Invisible Text
One way that many people try to get around keyword stuffing making their page unreadable is to make the text invisible. Font colors are chosen to match the background, so that the text can’t be seen by casual visitors to the page. (If you highlight the region with your mouse, the text will appear.) Even if your readers can’t see this text, Google can, and the search engine will penalize your page for keyword stuffing.
Doorway Pages
This is a technique that shows search engines one page, but then redirects users to another page. So the search engine might display a page about Lady Gaga, but when users click on the page, they are taken to a site about Mitt Romney. Some Web masters use this technique to rank their site higher by piggybacking on other popular search terms. However, search engine crawlers have learned to recognize this technique, and if site owners are caught using it, they risk having their site banned.
Link Farms
Backlinks are key to ranking your site higher and more quickly. The more backlinks your site has, the more popular and authoritative Google thinks your site is, and therefore, moves it up in the search results. To build links quickly, some blog owners will set up dummy sites for the sole purpose of linking back to their own. Other techniques involve purchasing links from a so-called link farm, another site set up for the sole purpose of linking to others. Google frowns on this practice, preferring organic link building. If your site is caught using these link strategies, it could get banned.
There are many more unethical SEO practices that will get your site penalized by Google if you use them, including using duplicate content, throwaway domains, and ad-only pages. Some Internet marketers take the risk using these techniques in favor of the big rewards that they can produce. What do you think about these so-called black hat SEO techniques? Do you think they are unethical? Would you use any of them? Tell us your thoughts in the comments!
About the author:
Heather Green is a freelance writer for several regional magazines in North Carolina as well as a resident blogger for onlinenursingdegrees.org. Her writing experience includes fashion, business, health, agriculture and a wide range of other topics. Heather has just completed research on acquiring a physical therapy assistant degree and various medical transcription degrees .
Related articles
Good reminder! A comment about the keyword density: You mention a keyword density of 5-10%. In my opinion that’s too high. In my experience a keyword density of around 2-4% would give the best results for ranking in google’s search engines. Could be interesting to hear from some seo experts regarding this.
I just wanted to write the same thing! 5-10% is massive! I usually repeat the exact keyword (long tail) 3-4 times in a text, which equals a keyword density of ~1% or less, plus some variations of the keyword. And I get quite decent results with it. If I imagine repeating the keyword 10 times more than that, I don’t think the text would be really readable…But whatever works for you!
Rick,
I guess I should clarify a bit. A keyword density of 5-10% is a figure that includes ALL keywords that are relevant to your site…not including ‘common’ words like a, an, the, this, that, etc.. Just look up any top keyword, click the first couple results, and you will see a good amount of relevant keywords all throughout the content.
But yes…better safe than sorry.
Ok, a little experiment:-) Typed “money making” in google.com and this came on top: http://runescape.wikia.com/wiki/Money_making_guide A quick manual page scan indicates a keyword density much lower than 5-10…
Yes, I agree…for the term “money making”, but I’m talking about ALL RELEVANT keywords…not just one. Also, domain authority comes into play with different types of phrases.
Interesting #1 result..it’s a video game related site..and below it: Forbes! 🙂
Black hat techniques are unsustainable. You will actually waste time using these techniques. Rather use legitimate techniques and you will create long-term sustainable traffic which will results in sales.
I never filled my content with keywords. As i think , on going link building is the best way to get my blog up on the SERP? So I am making links to most of my posts by guest posting, social bookmarking and blog commenting. What would you think? Since I am a newbie, I have a lot to learn. Will my methods work? Can I get a good PR from PR updates if I have large number of backlinks?
Please reply.
Good luck.
Well!! It was really remarkable information that I have ever read about how to avoid Google website panelizing. I always try to find out this kind of information that much useful for me to improve my SEO work. After Google algorithms updation, Google totally focus on content spamming which is create tough job for content writers to write unique content. I really enjoyed your information and grabbed some important tips. Thanks for sharing it.
These are definitely common amateur tricks in the SEO world. But like Neil says above, it’s not sustainable to use these little tricks. You have to do real SEO in order to succeed in the long run.
Content is the most important factor for website and SEO. Unique and relevant content with perfect keyword combination provides good keyword ranking in search engine. As above given details about keyword density and hidden text are also useful for SEO.
There’s a lot of things can be have at SEO, but this is really a great ideas.. Thanks for sharing thus with us…
It’s not a secret for anyone that content is the main aspect on which we should pay attention while talking about SEO. And we shouldn’t forget that Google has everything under its control))
Those who try black hat techniques and attempt to stay ahead of Google remind me of a quote by Mark Twain. He said, “Always tell the truth, then you won’t have to remember anything.” Black hat SEO may give a momentary boost. Trying to stay ahead of google is something that I do not wish to attempt.
Avoiding these tricks and doing what is right for your blog and it’s readers is the only wise SEO method.
“Even if your readers can’t see this text, Google can, and the search engine will penalize your page for keyword stuffing.”- Liked this one the most, many of the people think that google is a person a we can trick on him.. Thanks for the info, very useful!
Great post, interesting you mention link farms as if you have seen recently google have taken action again publicly available blog networks to de-index sites that were promoting contnt through submitted articles and that was really effective and working a treat for a few months but it was soon caught up with
Pretty neat post! Good thing that I have came by here and read your post.
I am starting to learn SEO and doing some linkbuildings, I was glad that I have read your post cause I am doing Link Farms, looks like I will stop doing it.
Thanks for the information.
Nice article. I’ve tried to start a simple film blog but I never knew how much SEO was needed for readership. This was very useful. Thank you.
Using the right keywords throughout your site and blog posts is a cornerstone of Internet marketing. But cramming your page with strings of keywords, or arbitrarily putting keywords into your content without making it coherent can get your page flagged as spam. Use keywords appropriately, and you will help your page to rank organically. Keyword must be to the people thought so that they can easily find your Web in the search engines
I don’t think they are unethical, but an unfair advantage for those who don’t know. However over time when someone is dedicated to a site they can rank for the keyword they are going for and google will love those sites over the ones who showed up over night.
Link farm and hidden text are definitely under google radar. With recent update in Google algorithm, it is sure that link farm or blog networks won’t be tolerated any more.
Not nitpicking: But I suppose you mean “ON” Google’s the radar…eh?
It’s nice to be here and learn such great things, I do love to share it on my pinterest…