As Google attempts to level the search engine playing field it’s important to be aware of over-optimization. A decade ago you really didn’t have to worry about this, except for maybe avoiding link farms and duplicate content. Nowadays you need to be mindful of how over-optimization may hurt you.
In this article I’ll discuss several tips for keeping your optimization strategy on-point and avoiding any possibly penalties from Google. If you want to learn more about implementing a simple SEO strategy click here:
1) Avoid keyword stuffing: Yes, you should aim to have the keyword you’re targeting mentioned several times throughout a given article or page, but don’t over-do it. Google is getting better at reading through content and determining the quality. One of the biggest red flags in this process is the over-use of a given keyword.
2) Clean up your backlinks: You don’t want every single backlink going to your website to have the same anchor text. Nor do you want every backlink to have a keyword-rich anchor text. It looks unnatural. Lastly, your links should be spread out throughout your website and not just going to your home page.
3) Be open to linking out: Gone are the days when we need to be paranoid about linking out. Now it’s perfectly fine, and in some instances encouraged, to link out. This not only refers to your social networks, but 3rd party websites. If you’re referencing a study or a quote from another professional, why not link to them to give them credit. By doing so your article becomes more credible.
4) Don’t over-use h1 tags: There should only be one h1 tag. Google needs this to identify the header of the page. If you need to highlight other sub-headers, and bold just isn’t cutting it, try the h2 or h3 tag. Also, don’t keyword-stuff these. Your header tags should flow well with the rest of the article.
Some of the aforementioned tips may not necessarily hurt you, but they certainly won’t help you. Kind of like meta keywords; go ahead and diligently fill those in for every page and article you publish, but they’re meaningless.
Remember to keep your blog articles above 200 words in length. It’s about quality, not quantity. Here are some tips for writing great blog articles that every medical practice should be aware of.
If you’d like to add any tips of your own we’d love to hear from you. Just leave us a comment below. If you have any questions about how your website is doing from an optimization standpoint then leave us a note here, or call TRBO at 877-673-7096 x2.
