The 7 Sins of SEO

We all know that Google will rank you up or down depending on a number of SEO factors - and it pays to be in the know of a major core update and staying optimised going in. March saw what is being hailed as ‘a fairly impactful update’ that has now concluded its business. It’s always a good time to keep a tight eye on your analytics, (or have an expert do it for you). Here’s a handy dashboard if you’ve ever been curious about the types and nature of updates that have been deployed.

Some new features are also coming to the ‘Google Search experience’, some of which are coming through already in the US. When it comes to SEO, being a trustworthy source is paramount, and many of the following features help to cover that ground:

‘About This Result’ & ‘About This Author’. Beside each result on the SERP should be three dots that you can click on to describe more information about what contributed towards it. You can view the source, security, and URL. Soon you will be able to view the background of various authors behind certain articles or news pieces.

‘Perspectives’. This juicy new feature is a carousel designed to display arange of insights from different journalists, top-ranking officials in the field, and even popular Twitter Twitterers on the particular query you have entered into the search bar. Expect this to start popping up under the ‘Top Stories’ section if popular opinion is more your thing.

So, with a month of search jitters, we thought this edition could do with some SEO reminders. Specifically, 7 SEO sins you should never commit!

1 - The Lust of Keyword Stuffing

It’s such a well-known technique that it probably doesn’t need too much of an explanation. Using a keyword unnaturally or too many times in order to get ranked will just turn Google from being multiple colours to just straight up red.

2 - Link Gluttony

You want to have high-quality backlinks on your website. Anything spammy, bought, or weirdly unrelated to your website, (or niche), will get viewed as a naughty practice - and to the corner of the search results you may go.

3 - The Envy of Content Duplication

Having content that’s remarkably similar, or even dirtier, an exact copy of something that exists elsewhere on the internet, is a bonafide SEO sin. While that may seem obvious, many don’t realise that having duplicate content on different pages of your website is also going to get in the way of ranking. Google wants to see each page that warrants indexing to have its own distinct information.

4 - The Wrath of Poor User Navigation

Users don’t want to be frustrated when entering and browsing through your site, and Google agrees. Pop-ups, slow loading times, and elements shifting on the screen when users go to click - the Core Web Vitals outline exactly what to avoid, and even have their own measurements.

5 - The Pride of Wearing A Black Hat

You must have a lot of pride to believe you can cheat Google and get away with it. Cloaking, hiding text, using PBNs - if it’s penalisation you’re after, for some warped reason, then sure, continue using those terrible black hat techniques.

6 - The Greed of Favouring Desktop Computers

Ever browsed a website on your phone and realised it’s an absolute nightmare to navigate because it was designed with a PC or Mac in mind? No more zooming in and out and moving side to side - it’s 2023, and statistically as of the time of publishing 52% of users surf the internet with their phone. It’s a no-brainer to say that your site needs to be optimised for mobile.

7 - General Sloth

It pays to be on top of your website as often as you can. Keep an eye on your analytics, make sure your site is regularly updated, and be sure to respond to any issues. Whether you do it yourself, or have an expert help you, letting your website go or having an issue fester is a big no-no.

Great SEO is a virtue! Keep the white hat on and stay on top of the ranks!