Most entrepreneurs with a web-based component to their business, real estate whiz kid Jason Hartman included, are very familiar with the importance of search engine visibility. One of the highly lucrative cottage industries that have emerged from this desire to be seen is “Search Engine Optimization.” Fundamentally, this is the art and science of engineering your website so that it is more visible to search engines and receives more ‘organic’ web traffic that does not need to be paid for by the click. (Anybody who has used pay per click advertising is keenly aware of the high costs typically accompany attempts to ‘purchase’ web traffic.)
Unfortunately, many people fall into the trap of over-optimizing for search engine visibility. This typically involves the use of unethical practices and can result in your site being ‘blacklisted’ or removed from the registry of search engines. Since the internet is a critical part of business success for most new entrepreneurs, it is critically important to avoid this pitfall. The cardinal rule to remember at all times is that content is king. Compelling content is your ultimate goal. Search engines exist to help customers find the best content. In all of your optimization activities, continually ask if you are supporting this goal. If not, there is a good chance that you are engaging in ‘shady’ SEO conduct.
One of the most frequently used terms in the realm of Search Engine Optimization is keyword density. Simply put, this refers to the percentage of searchable text on a given web page that is occupied with a particular keyword. In theory, this would be a great indicator of relevance, but many people of less than wholesome motives engage in a scorned practice known as “keyword stuffing” to try and enhance their ranking. This sketchy practice involves keyword placement for the simple purpose of increasing search rankings, and not necessarily to make the content engaging or relevant. Because of this, site authors should understand that keyword density needs to be ‘just right’ and that stuffing keywords will result in search penalties. A general rule of thumb is that a keyword density of 3% to 7% falls within reasonable bounds. If keyword density exceeds 10%, it is unlikely that your page will be very intelligible because of the heavy keyword use. Because of this, most search engines will penalize your ranking. Most search engines weight keyword use in the headings and first paragraph more highly. Stuffing keywords is still not recommended.
Another way that some people attempt to stuff keywords is through hidden text. Put simply, this sketchy method of keyword stuffing involves creating text that is outside the visible range of a page or the same color as a page background. This results in higher keyword occurrence in the HTML code, but is considered manipulation by search engines. If you use this tactic, don’t be surprised if your page ranking declines or your site is de-listed.
Another big pitfall of search optimization is duplicate content. This is when content is repeated across multiple pages on a site or between two heavily linked sites. It is important to note that syndicated content does not count under this category of unethical behavior. If somebody else is making your content more visible, you will not be punished by the search engines. If you are trying to use the same content repeatedly in an attempt to launder keywords, you should not expect the search engines to be kind.
Another key aspect of search rankings is links. Search engines track both your links out to other sites and links from other sites back to yours. There are some unethical sites called “link farms” that simply churn text links in an attempt to artificially boost the ranking of a particular site. Search engines have become wise to this strategy of link laundering and remove links to or from link farms in their search-ranking algorithm. In general, website owners should avoid association with link farms so that their bad reputation does not rub off on your website. There is a vast plethora of link checking and search engine optimizing diagnostic tools that can be accessed on the web to check your site links, your page relevance rank, and see whether you site or sites you link too have been blacklisted by search engines. Other considerations for your search rankings are keyword use in your domain name, link text, files, and folder names. As with everything else related to search optimization, attempting to ‘stuff’ keywords will prove to be counterproductive.
In the end, the search engines do not care what your intentions for using questionable optimization techniques. Even if your intentions are simply to legitimately promote your compelling content, using sketchy techniques can backfire in a very messy fashion. Make sure to use best practices when optimizing your site for search visibility. This may involve studying search optimization in more detail, or it may involve contracting with an expert in web design and optimization. In either case, it is critical to avoid chasing after shortcuts to page rankings.
Action Item: Make absolutely certain that your search engine optimization activities are legitimate and ethical. Maintain a primary focus on the creating of compelling content at all times. Search engines exist to help users find the highest quality content with the most ease, so your paradigm should always be to optimize your current content for greater visibility instead of getting your site noticed at all costs. (Top image: Flickr | Sean MacEntee)
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