Why Keyword Stuffing No Longer Works for Websites

Keyword stuffing or spamming refers to the act of stuffing a website or landing page with keywords and phrases that have little or no connection to the site content. Especially when keywords are out of context, it appears that you as site owner are attempting to manipulate and control major search engine rankings in search results. Some site owners insert keywords unnaturally, in list form, rather than as part of the body of written web content. Some other examples of keyword stuffing include text blocks that list cities, states and locales that the website they appear on seeks to rank highly for. Another example is inserted lists of unnecessary and seemingly unrelated phone numbers on site pages.

Although in earlier years of SEO use for website optimisation as a marketing and promotion strategy, heavy-handed use of keywords did gain attention and sometimes high rankings from search engines, this cumbersome, repetitive use of keywords no longer works. In fact, rather than aiding your efforts to gain high search engine result page (SERP) rankings, this repetitive use of a few words can bring major penalties from Google and other search engines. If keyword stuffing has been one of your SEO tactics in the past, it is definitely time to change your optimisation techniques and practices.

Why Keyword Stuffing Is No Longer Effective as an SEO Technique for Your Website

There are specific reasons why keyword stuffing will no longer result in effective and profitable SEO for your business website or personal interest site, such as the following:

• Google’s Hummingbird Changed Keyword Interpretation. – The introduction of Google’s Hummingbird algorithm meant multiple changes in the ways that keywords are interpreted on the Internet. This brought a halt to the former SEO-based game of attempting to outsmart algorithms as content-focused strategies took over as valuable keys to good site optimisation. Although use of appropriate keywords is still important, the overuse, or stuffing, of keywords as a tactic for trying to gain increased search engine attention for higher rankings is no longer SEO-effective for website pages.

• Excessive Use of Appropriate Keywords Is No Longer Acceptable SEO. – When even the most appropriate keywords are used excessively in your site content, this older, once useful type of SEO is no longer acceptable use of language for search engine optimisation. Overly broad or tiresomely generic keywords will no longer bring search engine notice or boosts in targeted web traffic to your website. Today, effective SEO results from use of keywords and phrases that have high levels of search volume and low degrees of competition. They must also be directly related to your major site content. For example, in place of “cars,” use “vintage Jaguar.” Instead of “jacket,” use “gold sequined evening jacket.”

Effective SEO Practices That Bring Good Results for Updated Site Optimisation

Current SEO techniques that work well for today’s updated site optimisation include the following practices:

• Site Content and Performance. – For online success today, websites must have content that is directly relevant to frequent web searches in your niche. Sites must also function well for top quality optimisation that brings good results. The best ranking websites load quickly, and all of their features and interactive elements work smoothly and easily. Broken links will discourage good SEO immediately, so all links should be checked frequently to make sure they are accessible and operating well.

• Site Authority Levels and User-Friendliness. – To be successful, your website needs to offer valuable content that other site owners will want to link to. In addition, if other sites use your site as a content reference, this will give your website a definite boost in its authority levels. Also, to provide excellent quality visitor or customer experience, your site must operate well and be easy and enjoyable to navigate. It needs to look professional and attractive and maintain a consistently low bounce rate with high caliber content and presentation. User friendliness is essential, so make sure your site presents a welcoming, simple and easy-to-use format for attracting and capturing all your web traffic for higher visitor numbers and conversion rates.

These important site elements and currently valuable optimisation techniques now replace the older, outdated excessive use of keywords for acquiring high SERPs counts and gaining high levels of visibility and success for your website. Keyword stuffing is a practice of the past, and, fortunately, more valuable, attractive and functional strategies for excellent SEO have now taken its place.