If you’ve ever heard anything relating to SEO, there’s a pretty good chance it had something to do with keywords. Right? For a long time, keywords were the be-all and end-all of SEO best practices—and to this day they’re still super important.
But as Google’s search algorithms change and become more sophisticated, the principles of good SEO have had to change along with them. Conventional wisdom at one time taught us that keyword stuffing was the best way to get noticed. Today, this is a big no-no.
So, what is keyword stuffing? That’s what this guide is going to get into, in the hopes that it’s something your business can avoid. Read on for everything you need to know now.
What Is Keyword Stuffing?
As previously stated, back in the day, keywords were one of the most prominent aspects Google would use to rank a page. This led many SEO marketers to conclude that the more keywords on a website’s page, the better. This, in turn, led to a whole lot of non-sensical passages of text being written and published on small business sites.
Not only does this do horrible things for the UX of a website, it also quickly became an outdated practice. Every few years or so, there comes a paradigm shift in the world of SEO. Google will announce a big change in the way it’s ranking websites, and SEO principles need to adapt.
So how does keyword stuffing hurt SEO? It was during one of these seismic announcements that Google explicitly stated that not only did keyword stuffing not help a site’s SEO but that pages would be penalized for this practice. That’s why today, sites need to be very careful with the way they use keywords.
How to Prevent Keyword Stuffing
The big problem many businesses face is that keywords and rankings are still very much intertwined. Using keywords in the right way can still improve your rankings. So you still need to use them.
But you need to use them in the right way. As Google says, the best way to use keywords is in a contextual and natural way that makes sense in light of the broader piece of text. The passage should read normally, not like a word is being repeatedly jammed into it in an awkward manner.
This can be a difficult line to toe. It’s a fine balance between adding in enough keywords and making sure not to include too many.
If you’re afraid of being penalized by Google, then it can be a good idea to work with an expert in this area. Digital marketing agencies will be able to craft content that’s SEO-friendly but not overzealous. You can get more information here.
Master the Art of SEO Today
We hope that you’ve come away from this article with a better understanding of what is keyword stuffing, why it’s bad, and what you can do to avoid it in the future. Working with an SEO expert can be a great start. If you’re looking for more digital marketing advice for your site, check out the rest of our content now!
