Is There Such a Thing as Too Much SEO?

With so much talk about Google frowning upon pages targeting SEO rather than people, is there such a thing as too much SEO?

The theory that Google is able to detect content that is too optimized is not new at all. We have been dealing with that concept since Panda. Googlers have slipped the concept of “too much SEO” multiple times since then.

Is there such a thing as over-optimization and how can it be detected?

>>> Join us to discuss this topic LIVE Wednesday 1 pm est here <<<<

I’ve done a webinar with Clearscope team reviewing sites some of which were hit by helpful content updates. See the playback here, it’s a good webinar.

When I was asked that question, my answer was, you know too much SEO when you see it, just like you see an obviously paid link when you see it.

But how do you put these words in practice?

Well, we don’t know how Google does this.

But from commonsense approach:

1. Focusing too much on keywords

It is always obvious and this usually comes from the wrong content development approach.

Yes, keywords are great for ideation and giving you direction.

But they are not everything, for many reasons.

There is a searcher behind every keyword.

Ask yourself what that searcher really needs. Where are they on their buying journey? How well do they know what they need? Do they need a basic explanation or are they ready for advanced tips and tricks? Use our Custom GPT to better understand your target query and give your searcher exactly what they need.

The problem starts when you try to optimize for anything that has to do with your target keyword, regardless of search intent.

An example we were discussing over at the webinar was “virtual banking.” If someone is searching for that keyword, they are likely to find out what it is and how it works. But if someone searches for “best virtual banks”, they are likely already know all the basics, so there’s no reason to try and force the page to rank what something like “what is virtual banking.”

Those types of over-optimization mistakes (trying to rank your page for anything regardless of where your target searcher may be when performing a search) is likely to negatively impact your on-page engagements and send negative signals to Google.

2. Relying on high-search-volume keywords

Of course, we all want traffic. But here is the hard truth: Your favorite keyword research tool knows about 10%-30% of search queries. Google knows more but even Google says that people search in new ways all the time and they discover new keywords every years.

So stop thinking about popular keywords. Talk to your customers and listen to forums and Reddit to find topics that may not be keywords.

The healthiest organic search profile is generating 80% of your search traffic from low- or 0-volume keywords.

You should still use your tools to better understand searchin trends but don’t be afraid of modifying them and creating content that is nt 100% focused on those keywords.?

Talk to your customers more and address their concerns and questions on your pages. This is how traffic comes in naturally.

It is all about prioritizing the user

I know this sounds vague but this is so true. Keep an eye on how people interact with your site and do your best to address their needs. Google wants their users to be happy. It is trying to surface content that makes their users happy. So simply changing your mindset from keywords to helping your target audience will make a huge difference.

And of course, you need links and branding. These are good for SEO and overall online visibility.