Keyword Stuffing and SEO
Keyword stuffing in digital marketing is never a good thing, so get this idea out of your head immediately. Once a commonly used tactic, many ‘SEO experts’ would cram blogs with keywords creating clunky and difficult-to-read content. These days, we know better, so don’t let keyword stuffing kill your SEO.
What Exactly is Keyword Stuffing?
Keyword stuffing usually occurs when brands want to cut corners and rank quickly for specific search terms. They might fill or ‘stuff’ a webpage with the same target term over and over again in a bid to boost search visibility. Keyword stuffing can include:
- Unnecessarily repeating words or phrases
- Adding words that are out of context
- Inserting blocks of the same keyword
- Using keywords that are not relevant to the topic page
Here is an example of keyword stuffing from a page trying to rank for the keyword ‘eyelash extensions.’
If you’re looking for the longest eyelash extensions, you’ve come to the right place. Our eyelash extensions are the most beautiful eyelash extensions around and are of the highest quality. Eyelash extensions really don’t get much better than this, so contact us today for more information about the type of eyelash extensions we have to offer.
As you can see, this isn’t nice to read. It’s far too repetitive and comes across as unnatural and pushy. While there’s no exact rule for how many times you should use a specific term, keyword density should sit around 2%.
Why is Keyword Stuffing Bad for my Website?
Keyword stuffing is considered a Black Hat SEO technique these days and could result in a keyword stuffing penalty. This could negatively impact the ranking of your site. It’s also important to remember that Google gives priority to sites that provide a good user experience. If you’re always stuffing keywords into your content, this will read poorly and could result in much higher bounce rates and pogo-sticking. This, in turn, tells Google that your site isn’t necessarily delivering what people want to see and could harm your page ranking.
How to Use Keywords Correctly
Keywords are an important part of any SEO strategy. They tell Google what your page is about and, when used correctly, can push you up in the search engine results pages. Keep your keyword density to 2% or less and try to incorporate primary keywords into important parts of the site such as titles, headers and the first paragraph. The focus keyword can also appear in the URL of the page and the meta description. Ideally, a new primary keyword will be assigned to each webpage for a focussed and targeted strategy.
It’s also important to make sure that the copy you write is informative, engaging and tailored to your audience. Google wants to deliver the most valuable results and therefore content over 300 words will ensure your site doesn’t look spammy. The more you write, the more you’ll be able to slip in primary and secondary keywords naturally.
If you’re looking for an SEO agency in Kent, don’t hesitate to contact Whitefish Marketing today for a tailored SEO and PPC strategy.
