⚡ Get All Content for 20% Off ⚡

Can Too Much SEO Be a Bad Thing? With rumors that Google could start penalizing over-optimized websites, here are three tips for staying on the search giant's good side.

By AJ Kumar

entrepreneur daily

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Can Too Much SEO Be a Bad Thing

As a small business owner using the web to reach customers, you've surely been implementing search engine optimization tactics to make sure your site turns up high in web searches. But just when you might feel like you're starting to get the hang of this SEO thing, it appears that search giant Google might start penalizing websites that are over-optimized.

At this year's South by Southwest festival, Google spokesperson Matt Cutts hinted that such a penalty would weed out sites that focus too much on SEO and too little on providing a quality experience for their users.

So what factors might play a role in an over optimization penalty? Cutts outlined several signals that would qualify as too much SEO, such as "too many keywords on a page" and "exchange way too many links."

The tricky part is determining what constitutes too many keywords or links. While the penalty has not yet been put in place, you can still take steps to make sure your business's site doesn't end up being labeled "overly optimized":

Related: A Six-Step Survival Guide for Search Engine Updates

1. Write content for people first and search engines second.
Site content written specifically with SEO in mind is often clunky and difficult to read. Focus on providing content that's useful to your readers and trust that links and search engine results will follow.

2. Focus on link quality over quantity. Just because you can buy 10,000 profile links for $10 from any number of link sellers doesn't mean you should. Instead, redirect your efforts toward courting quality links that reflect well on your site.

3. Pay attention to Google's '23 Questions.' Though these questions were released in conjunction with last year's Panda update, there's no doubt that these stated quality parameters are still in effect. Focus on getting your site in line with these principles to avoid over optimization penalties Google could release.

Related: New Google Search Update Could Spell More Trouble for Business Websites

Of course, Google hasn't announced anything specific yet and rarely releases exact details about the internal operation of its algorithms. To stay up-to-date on what Google does next, you can monitor SEO news sites and Google's Webmaster blog for details about potential over optimization penalties as they're rolled out.

What steps will you take to make sure your site doesn't get penalized? Share your suggestions in the comments below.

AJ Kumar

Entrepreneur Leadership Network® Contributor

Digital Maestro

Aj Kumar, the “Digital Maestro,” is the founder of The Limitless Company, a smart content creation engine for your brand. AJ and his team are on a mission to help entrepreneurs in the Creator Economy build for-profit human-healing brands.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Side Hustle

The Remote Side Hustle a 43-Year-Old Musician Works on for 1 Hour a Day Earns Nearly $3,000 a Month: 'All From the Comfort of Home'

Sam Ziegler wanted to supplement his income as a professional drummer — then his tech skills and desire to help people came together.

Business News

Costco CFO Reveals Uncertain Fate of $1.50 Hot Dog and Soda Combo

CFO Richard Galanti reveals that the price will stay the same — but only "for a while."

Business News

The Most Unexpectedly Popular Side Hustle of the Decade Has Low Startup Costs and High Markups

A new report shows that vending machines are a popular investment — and the industry is set to grow up to $3 billion by 2031.

Marketing

Ever Wonder Why Certain Websites Rank Higher Than Yours? This SEO Expert Reveals The Secret to Dominating Search Results

It's often the smart use of SEO, now supercharged with AI, particularly in keyword optimization.

Business News

AI Is Impacting Jobs. Here Are the Gigs Affected the Most, According to an Analysis of 5 Million Upwork Postings

The researcher said in the report that freelance jobs were analyzed first because that market will likely see AI's immediate impact.

Leadership

Former Interrogator Shares 5 Behaviors Liars Exhibit and How to Handle Them

Five deceptive behaviors to look for and how to respond to those behaviors when you encounter them.