you getting spammed by Google? These are some things you could be doing wrong //

As webmasters were caught unawares, complaints rose when Google released a new spam update at 2022’s end.

Why do people still use outdated SEO techniques like “keyword stuffing”

These are some other mistakes you might have made and how to correct them.

Seriously? Do you still believe keyword stuffing is a thing? !

Let me be completely honest. I was shocked to see that websites affected by Google’s recent spam update used an outdated SEO tactic called “keyword-stuffing”, according to analysis based upon Ubersuggest.

Keyword stuffing was popular in the late 1990s. This was before I was even interested in SEO.

In 2004, Google was the most popular search engine on the market, so keyword stuffing was practically a thing of the passé when I began practicing SEO.

Yes, some people tried to attain the ideal keyword density [sic!] It is not possible. Those were noobs back then.

When Google introduced the revolutionary PageRank algorithm to count and measure the value of incoming hyperlinks, keyword stuffing was officially out.

Why do people embarrass themselves and shoot themselves in their feet using spam tactics that date back to 25 years?

This is probably the same principle that you use to put your hand on a burning stove to discover what it’s like to be hot. It’s a good idea, but it is like telling me you are still watching movies on your VCR.

You are embarrassing yourself and the entire SEO industry if you keyword stuff in 2023 or later. It’s worse than the steam engine comparison.

Are you a blind person? Are you blind to the sufferings of others?

It is like letting the blind go on purpose by using old spam techniques such as keyword stuffing, hidden content, and repetitive meta tags. What would make someone do this?

Either you hate them, or you are blind to the suffering they cause. It’s too late. It’s impossible to claim that you didn’t know.

In a Mastodon update John Mueller highlighted the extra burden spam tactics have on the blindd (people who can’t read but aren’t blind) who use screen reader.

For the blind, even uppercase letters can be a problem. Avoid using acronyms like SEO unless you have to as they will not be understood by visually impaired visitors.

Ariel Gaster offers an informative guide to properly designing website content for people with low vision or no vision.

SEO is about finding the right keywords and ensuring that users can find what they are looking for on the site. Website accessibility and usability must be taken into consideration.

Are you looking for thin content? Get rid of it!

Thin content was another common problem found on sites affected by the Google Spam Update. This issue was discussed to death many years ago.

This is such a dull topic that it’s almost uninteresting.

What can I say to thin content? Get rid of it!

How? How?

Hire editors and writers, or hire them. Get help from professionals – in-house and freelancers – who can offer insights from their first-hand experience.

You don’t have to assume that an artificial intelligence tool can create all your content.

These tools are capable of aiding in content creation but you should not “outsource” all content to AI without human oversight.

AI content has been affected to some degree

True SEO experts constantly test new things and discover new technologies. They also adopt new technologies early on. Because I’m a tinkerer, I understand that.

It is often trial and error and you will waste your time and effort on these things.

Automation usually fails when people forget to follow ethics.

The late 2022 spam update has affected some AI content. This was a long overdue update, if you ask me.

I had hoped for a huge trashing during the helpful contents update.

AI-generated content, however, is not evil by itself.

Nearly every technology is possible to use in both a beneficial and harmful way. This is also true for content AI.

“What’s the purpose of automation?” That should be the question.

You want to make many pages of thin content to fool Google into thinking you are a rich site with many useful resources.

This increases the chance of the spam being weeded with the next update.

Are you looking to reduce the repetitive work of repetitive tasks and save money so you can devote more time to creative projects?

You will be more successful in your automation efforts over the long-term, and Google will reward you for it.

AI content was not completely deleted.

It was largely downgraded to lower ranks in the organic SERPs. The most lost AI content (think editing) was the one that didn’t require human intervention.

What are you doing wrong to be eligible for the spam update?

Again, I will be completely honest. I am an SEO and not a spammer. This is one of the reasons I was able to establish myself in the industry.

It was ethical from the beginning, even though Google trickery was common. Content creation was not a part of SEO.

I contributed my part in showing the industry that there is more to it than that. We don’t have to artificially inflate rankings for low-quality sites.

SEO to me means that you can take any website and make it shine using the right approach.

Therefore, when I see people using spam techniques to lower their SEO skills, it surprises me.

I won’t dwell too much on the spam updates that have led to dubious tactics. These tactics are not interesting to me, but some may be tempted to use other “under-the radar” spam strategies to cheat Google.

Instead, I’ll share with you what could be wrong in your overall SEO strategy or philosophy so that you can avoid them.

Taking lazy shortcuts

Automation is fine, as I mentioned above. I would love to see a world where no one has to do repetitive, boring tasks.

However, automation is not always the best option. Human interaction and creativity remain paramount in our field of work.

You are most likely making a mistake if you think you can “get rich fast” by creating millions of automated “content” pages.

Sometimes, taking it slow and following the more difficult route will lead to a higher summit and a better view. This isn’t just about hiking!

Google is the enemy

This misconception has been my own victim over the years.

Anger makes me more inclined to blame others, especially evil corporations, for my anger. This is a mistake.

Reality is less dramatic than it seems. Corporations are made up of people who do their jobs and try to help others.

No matter if you are working for Google or clients, do your part. Consider the search engine as a referee when you do SEO. You will be competing with other people to be the best in the discipline.

Egocentricity or being selfish

Prioritizing your own needs is the best thing you can do. As an SEO, nobody expects you to work for nothing.

To be able to rank high on Google and get money, status or fame/notoriety, is the same thing as trying to do so in other areas.

If you only care about your own needs and neglect the needs of others, you will have a narrow vision that will not allow you to properly optimize content and websites. Effective SEO requires empathy and anticipating the needs of others. Be open to others and let go of your own self-preoccupations.

SEO is all about helping people find the right product, not buying you a larger car than your neighbor or what you bought last year.

Quality over quantity

Instead of writing one article, you wrote a dozen to a hundred automated articles that were based on data everyone else has.

This may work in the short-term for your bank account. This is a bad decision for both your authority overall and your long-term revenue.

No one wants to have to go through tons of fluff. Even content that can be automated or reproduced easily (think lyrics, scores, or weather updates), requires additional work to make it relatable.

What other reason would viewers still tune in to weather reports on TV, where presenters show how clouds will move across maps?

Perhaps it is better to do one thing well than a dozen or more mediocre, or even a hundred lower-level things?

Do not do what you love. Only what is profitable

Many times, when we were young, we were told by someone that we couldn’t be:

• Artists.
• Musicians.
• Poets.

We need to find a “real job” instead. This could be something that is not useful or highly valued, such as becoming:

• Doctors.
• Lawyers.
• Executives.

Today, many executives, doctors, lawyers, and other professionals are unhappy and seeking a way to fulfill their true purpose and follow their passion.

Some keywords and industries are more lucrative than others in SEO. You can achieve a lot of status working for Fortune 500 companies.

Or, you can become a “rotten Scoundrel”, doing dirty work that pays more since ethics are not required.

It won’t make your self-esteem improve. Most likely, you will be trying to get rid of the job you hate by using money and status.

Do you want to do work you love?

Sometimes, you can combine what is useful with your passion and still make a living.

Although I have been a poet once before, I prefer to help people directly and make money doing it. However, I cannot imagine anyone spamming.

It is easy to ignore actual website visitors

The early SEO era was all about Google and making search engines believe your site should be at the top of the results page.

This is just one step away from “the means justify the ends” logic and cheating to get ahead, regardless of whether or not you deserve it.

Remember who your optimization is for. These are the real people who will visit your site, and who use it to purchase something.

Instead of solely focusing on Google, it’s possible to behave like a shop owner and be helpful to customers. It’s a big difference.

Google is a middleman and “traffic” is not the ultimate goal of SEO.

Traffic is the cars driving by your store. Inside are people who don’t want to buy anything. Focus on what you want and look for a way that will help people.

No matter how old spam tactics are, you can still make sure that you don’t fall for the next one by using the opposite strategy.

How to avoid future spam alerts

Let’s look at the positive side. Although SEO is search engine optimization, it doesn’t mean that we can optimize search engines directly. Instead, we are “search result optimization”.

Are you worthy to rank at the top? Search for your keywords using Google. Take a look at the top and think again.

These are timeless methods to get there, without tricking anyone, not Google, visitors, or yourself.

Market research can help you find out what people are looking for

Many SEO campaigns or projects only begin at the keyword research phase.

This is when all the important decisions are made, even before the possibility of a market demand driven technologically.

Startups are known for creating a revolutionary product or service that everyone needs, but no one knows about it.

They have to convince people they need something, using questionable methods such as FOMO (“fear or missing out”) and needy design patterns (“we haven’t seen you since yesterday. Please come back to our site! “).

If there isn’t a lot of competition, it’s much easier to reach an existing market. It is possible to find out upfront what people want. These people often don’t even know there is a name.

You can avoid falling for the annoying trap of people waiting until you need your solution. Start by identifying keywords that everyone else has searched before you.

Start with market research. Do not assume that everyone needs your “me too.” site because it is listed in a keyword tool.

Find out how you can personally help to create a unique selling proposition

You have now identified a real need, and not something you can sell as “the next big thing”, until people believe it.

The fun part is over: how you can help, either personally or in a business.

What has been bothering you the most? Find solutions for real-world problems.

What part of the problem do you want to solve? While you cannot solve climate change, there is one way to address a specific issue.

Numerous apps and tools are available to help you address climate change issues right now. Nearly everyone will not search for a climate change solution app if they don’t know of one.

To get a better idea of the search terms people use to find your product, you might want to visit People Also Ask Questions on Google.

Spammers are often not helpful. Spammers often benefit themselves by convincing others with make-believe statements and dirty tricks.

You are more likely to be spammed if your content, offering, or website isn’t helpful. If you are unable to provide something of value, the “circumstances” will make you a spammer.

You are the only one who can offer a solution that is unique. This is your unique selling proposition (USP).

It’s possible for established businesses to do this by investing heavily in product development. Consider all the inventions Braun and Dyson made over the years.

Startups and small businesses can find the micro-niche that no larger or more established company cannot.

Once you have your USP, you can create valuable content, such as tutorials, infographics, or guides that help people to identify and solve the problems that you can solve.

Realize a business model beyond Google ranking and pushing ads

This is the biggest mistake that leads to spammers. Their business model is to “make money plastering ads all across a random site.”

They will first search for competitive keywords and then create a website that nobody would want to visit. They must not solve a problem to get people to click on their ads. Instead, they must lure or misdirect existing visitors to their site.

For many affiliate websites, a more restricted mindset is required. They have to not only lure people to their website but also ensure they make sure they purchase using their affiliate link. Many affiliate websites are not only misleading, but also spammy.

You can often manage the SEO and business model when you have a self-sustaining business model.

Software is sometimes free for private users while it costs money for business users. You can also get free entry-level plans, but upgrade to more advanced features will need to be purchased.

By spreading the word and linking to your site, these free users can often become brand ambassadors.

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