Too Much of a Good Thing? Overdoing SEO

Good SEO requires more than just a commitment and a work ethic. In fact, too much work in certain areas can actually do more harm than good. We tend to naturally embrace the notion that “more is better” but when it comes to optimizing your site for search engine performance there are times when it pays to back off a little bit.

The most obvious proof of that theory becomes obvious when you look at the old-school SEO technique of keyword stuffing. If you’ve been online for more than a few years, you can probably remember those sites with “hidden” keywords designed to attract search engine attention. That kind of stuff actually worked, too. Now, however, it’s a recipe guaranteed to put you on Google’s bad side. That’s why the keystuffing era is history.

There are some practices used today that will suffer from overkill. One of them involves the use of anchor text in inbound links to your site. People doling out the SEO advice will often tell you that the right anchor text is a great idea. What they fail to mention is the fact that too many backlinks featuring the exact same anchor text will raise a flag at Google. It looks automated and may make Google wonder if you really “deserve” all of those votes of confidence. That’s why too much of the same anchor text is a mistake. You need to mix it up.

Another example is the use of bold texting. This on-page SEO technique can work. The search engines do notice those <b> and </b> tags and they take notice of what rests between them. However, you dillute the value of bolding when you toss it around too much. You also give yourself away if you’re bolding every single instance of a keyword. This is another great place for SEO moderation.

You can do too much of a good thing. Bolding, anchor text and keyword stuffing all prove that the best SEO involves knowing when to put the pedal to the metal and when to slow down.

Meta Tags in 2009

Meta tags have been part of the SEO discussion for years and no matter what happens in other areas, the topic has a way of rearing its head again and again.

That wouldn’t be a bad thing if it wasn’t for the fact that so many commentaries on meta tags are relying upon old information that no longer reflects the SEO reality associated with their use.

So, in hopes of getting 2009 off to a great start, let’s separate truth from fiction with respect to meta tags and search engine optimization.

First, if you believe meta tags are a real difference maker in terms of your search engine rankings, think again. It simply isn’t the case. Once upon a time, when Google and the other search engines were less advanced, they tended to rely upon meta tags much more than they do today. Currently, the top SEO experts argue, meta tags have less influence on SEO today than they ever have.

Second, if you think you should disregard meta tags completely, you might want to reconsider your perspective. No, they aren’t the big deal they once were. However, SEO is often a game of small improvements and finding edges wherever they exist. That includes meta tags. They are still used by some of the minor search engines and the info in your meta tags often appears as part of search results. You don’t want to sweat blood over your meta tags, but there’s no reason to ignore them completely.

Third, don’t be sloppy when you do tinker with those meta tags. If the keywords embedded in the tags don’t match the actual material on your page, there’s a good chance that the search engines might give you a slap on the wrist in the form of worsened rankings. It would be a shame to hurt yourself with something that only offers a slight SEO advantage.