10 Things To Avoid (SEO)
Avoid Flash Based Sites
Avoid full on flash based websites, even though they are visually pleasing. Search engines struggle to read SWF (small web format) files
Hidden Content
One of the UK’s major digital marketing companies were hit with a severe ban from Google for hiding 16,000 words behind an image, needless to say they quickly cleaned up their act. The ban sent ripples throughout the online community, crude black hat tactics hurt when caught.
Anchor Texting
Hyperlinking words from one page to another is a common method of improving on-site optimisation, problems arise when this process is overly used.
Plagiarism
For various reasons this is the biggest no-no on the web. Of course people will always try and be clever by only part copying 'spinning', rest assured none of these people can outwit Google’s indexing software, expect major heartache in future if this is your preferred method of producing content.
Keyword Stuffing
We should all be aware search engines want us to produce natural content, the repetition of any word does not help with the construction of ‘natural content’. Write a full page on the subject of ‘overseas employment’ adding the term 10 times, then read it to someone, see if they can keep a straight face?
Lack of Content
Search engines use content to help them index individual pages, more content is better than less. Pages with no content struggle to be indexed
Link Exchanges
I often get asked, should I exchange links with this website, my answer invariably is no, I say this because the control aspect is lost. By linking to a website you are passing on a vote from your site to theirs, now imagine if this site changed its theme and started selling Viagra, would you be aware of it? Would you check your links on a daily basis? The linked site may also close down, linking to dead websites is also to be avoided.
If you’re adamant you’re going to link to third party websites, cover your back by applying the 'no-follow' attribute.
Individuality
A search engine friendly website is one where individual pages target the best possible keyword(s), to do this we produce individual, page relevant
Meta tags – Headers – Content
Keyword Selection
A common mistake made by site owners and design teams is in the selection of their targeted keywords, the idea is not to select the most generic term possible. If I had a £1 for every page I see making this mistake I would be a rich man.
SEF URLs
Avoid database driven URL’s and the underscore
Can you see the search engine friendly URL?
www.businessservicesuk.com/ufgugfu38748748744
www.businessservicesuk.com/overseas_investment
www.businessservicesuk.com/overseas-investment
Pete Arkwright
This article is sponsored by Skills Group. A leading player in Global recruitment
Date Written: Fri, Jun 17th 2011
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