Search Engine Optimisation - What Not To Do

<p>When it comes to best practice in the world of search engine optimisation (SEO), opinions change every week regarding the top five or top ten elements you can put in place on your website to secure a high ranking on the main search engines - a high ranking on the Search Engine Results Page (SERP) being the holy grail.</p>

<p>However, most SEO experts agree on what is bad practice - a combination of search engine optimisation ignorance when building and maintaining a website, and so-called 'black hat' SEO - shady ploys and tactics employed by some to achieve a good SERP positon. If you want to be found by Google, then read on to discover the things you should avoid at all costs when optimising your website.</p>

<h2>Warning - SEO Tactics To Avoid At All Costs!</h2>

<p>Around 80% of all internet searches are performed using Google - the popular search engine has become part of of our culture, our language, and all because it does what it does very well. So when Google speaks, search engine optimisers listen, and it has a few things to point out which are guaranteed to get you in trouble and maybe even banned - the other big search engines don't like them too much either.</p>

<p>Cloaking is certainly a black hat SEO tactic - designing your website so search engines see one thing and visitors another, to get a higher ranking - and can be achieved with re-directs or programming. If you try this you might enjoy a higher ranking for a short time but if discovered you will be certainly be banned by Google and potentially black-listed so other search engines don't pick up your site.</p>

<p>Duplicating content is another mistake - copying large chunks of your own content or worse, copying another companies, and having it displayed on numerous pages to increase page views. Occasionally a spamming website might be causing your legitimate site problems by duplicating your content, but if this is happening you can let Google know.</p>

<p>Keyword stuffing - hiding text on the page by making the font the same colour as the background page of your website - is a great way to be removed from Google's search engine index. If you try and get around this by cramming tiny text at the bottom of pages, you will still get caught.</p>

<h3>Have Some Patience, Reap The Rewards</h3>

<p>If you design a clear, and well-organised website, write quality and informative content, and read up on the <a href="http://queryclick.com/">good practices</a> recommended in <a href="http://queryclick.com/seo-search-engine-optimisation/">search engine optimisation</a> circles you will be rewarded by Google and the other major search engines. Don't be tempted to put that black hat on and try any quick fixes to get your website high up the rankings - in the long-term it won't work and you could find yourself banned.</p>

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About the author

Harvey McEwan writes to bring you the very best search engine optimisation advice.

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