SEO stands for search engine optimization. For those who don’t know, SEO plays a very important part in getting your website ranking on the first page of search engine results. But, how does this happen? Well, trust is just one of the many factors that play into it. Others? Link-building and keywords.
There are many ways in which a website can rank using link-building. In the past, people used black hat techniques to get their website ranking higher. In fact, some probably still do. These black hat techniques consist of a variety of things, but the two main techniques used are link-building and keyword stuffing.
Now, both link-building and keywords are a must with all SEO, black, white, gray, you name it. However, what search engines want to avoid (and will subsequently punish you for) are utilizing these techniques in a way that “tricks” search engine algorithms and doesn’t serve the user with any valuable information. Black hat link-building refers to inserting links (or buying links) that point back to your website. However, these “links” are posted in comments, for example, on web pages and have nothing (or little) to do with the actual content on the page.
Another black hat link-building technique is utilizing “link farms” to create backlinks that point to your website. Link farms tend to contain no valuable information or content at all and are simply made up of numerous links that point to various web pages; they are created with the sole purpose of getting your website to rank higher organically by inserting backlinks that point to your website, and they are considered SPAM.
Keyword stuffing is the other black-hat technique I mentioned. Keywords are essential for all SEO. They are words and phrases that people type into search engines in order to find the information they are looking for. When using keywords within your content, you need to be sure that the content relates to that keyword, is informative, and gives value to anyone searching for those specific keywords. It is essential that you target the proper keywords for your industry based on what kind of traffic you want to be driving to your site. For example, if you sell pet apparel, you don’t want to be using keywords that might drive traffic to your site for people looking for human apparel. This will cause bounces and won’t get you the traffic or conversions you are looking for.
Now, while keywords are essential for any SEO campaign, keyword stuffing is to be avoided. Keyword stuffing is taking the keywords you want to be targeting and inserting them anywhere you see fit or overstuffing the content on your page with them. For example:
If you are searching for Samuel Hubbard Men’s Shoes, you’ve come to the right place. We have all the Samuel Hubbard Men’s Shoes you need. Our Samuel Hubbard Men’s Shoes are made from high-quality materials that are made to last. We have Samuel Hubbard Men’s Shoes, boots, sneakers and more. Check out our collection of Samuel Hubbard Men’s Shoes and get the Samuel Hubbard Men’s Shoes you are looking for, today. For more information on our Samuel Hubbard Men’s Shoes, head to our Samuel Hubbard Men’s Shoes category page and find the Samuel Hubbard Men’s Shoes that are right for you!
As you can see in the example above, this tiny piece of content is overstuffed with the keyword ‘Samuel Hubbard Men’s Shoes.’ Not only will GoogleBot read this as spam, but people who actually end up on your site will most likely bounce because you are not providing them with any valuable information that makes them believe you care about them and their needs.
If you need help with your SEO or are looking for more information on how a digital marketing agency can help with your SEO, reach out to 1Digital Agency. We are a full service digital agency with a strict focus on eCommerce businesses. We’ll build a custom marketing strategy for your business that will put you at the top of search engine pages to get your ranking. Visit us online at 1digitalagency.com or give us a call at 215-809-1567. We’re always happy to help!