So last week we told you our Top 5 SEO Tips. This week we narrowed down our list of bad SEO behavior...
Try to avoid the following (and if you do you will be rewarded with your site floating up the search responses!)
1. Flash!
Full flash websites can actually be amazing to look at — their own bit of interactive artwork. But unfortunately the search engines don’t get along well with Flash. Although there is talk of possible advancement in this area, for the most part the rule of thumb is that search engines cannot read Flash.
2. Splash!
Equally as SEO “pointless” are splash pages. Once very popular, the splash page should no longer be an important feature of any site. While splash pages used to serve as an introduction into a website (often with a flash animation), it is no longer seen as helpful, and often times might actually annoy visitors. Nowadays "skip to content" can mean close window and move on to a different website!
3. Don't try to fool the search engines
There are many SEO outfits out there selling various 'black hat' and 'grey hat’ SEO techniques. They will use a range of spammy and dodgy techniques to build your ranking up in a short space of time. These techniques might work for a while - for a week or a month - but the search engines quickly wise up to them. At best, you'll be knocked off your perch at the top of the search rankings; at worst you'll get banned for a period of time by the search engine. Don't be tempted!
4. Hiring Someone Who Promises a #1 Search Engine Ranking
There is no guarantee that you’ll be #1. While you can control certain variables to help you get ranked, such as keywords, some inbound links and optimizing your website for crawlers, there’s a lot you cannot control. For instance, inbound links of competing websites and pages, and the strength and popularity of a competitor’s site are just a few variables that you (or anyone you hire) cannot manipulate. There are countless variables used to determine page rankings that we just don’t know about, so no one can guarantee or promise high rankings.
5. Bait and Switch
You’ve probably heard of the old “bait and switch” routine used in the auto sales business. Well there’s a similar method being used online to drive traffic to websites. Some site owners think they can lure visitors in with keywords that are totally unrelated to their website, and then convert the visitors over to buyers or ad clickers once they arrive. Avoid this method like the plague. It will eventually cause the search engines to kick your site off for good, and visitors will dislike your site as well once they realize it’s not what they’re seeking. Use only those keywords and phrases that are relevant to your website’s theme for the best long-term results.
As always we are here to help. Give us a call to brainstorm your SEO goals and put together an online marketing plan that meets goals!