WordPress SEO – What Not To Do
What Not To Do
As well as many things you should do to maximise your WordPress SEO there are also some things you should not do as they have a negative effect.
Here we will look at some of the things to avoid.
Duplicate Content
Having the same content on multiple pages is bad for WordPress SEO. Unfortunately the structure of WordPress means that this is inevitable so it is essential that you install a WordPress SEO Plugin which ensures that duplicate content is not indexed.
Use of Unreadable content
To get best results from your WordPress SEO remember that search engines can’t read Flash or graphics. Always complete the text alternative and for links always use text.
Illegal Content
Do not use copyrighted material without permission. If found out this will be disastrous for your WordPress SEO.
Keyword Dilution
Don’t try to use too many keywords on a page. Even the most important will be lost and you will not be sending a clear message to the search engines. Unless you are an expert it is best to target one keyword per page/post.
Keyword Stuffing
This is overdoing your WordPress SEO by repeating the keyword too much (i.e. your content is directed at the search engines rather than visitors) and you will be penalised.
Invisible Text
This is text that is not visible to visitors but is read by the search engines. This will be seen as an attempt to manipulate the search engines and will be penalised.
Too many Outgoing Links
Pages that consist mainly of links will not rank well particularly if they are not relevant to the content. For WordPress SEO purposes relevant links from within pages/posts are good and you should minimise site wide links e.g. in the sidebar.
Outbound Links to Suspicious Sites
If you link to sites that employ “black hat” SEO techniques this will be a big negative for your WordPress SEO. You should only link to relevant sites, preferably authority sites, and check periodically that their status has not changed.
Cross Linking
This is where a series of sites link together to form a loop rather than just linking to each other. This looks artificial and may be penalised. Forming a chain can be good for WordPress SEO purposes but make sure that a loop is not completed.
Hidden Links
Do not try to hide links so that visitors cannot see them. This will be seen as an attempt to manipulate the search engines.
Taking short cuts and trying to trick the search engines may work for a short while but will be found out. If you want to see your site ranking well for the long term it is worth spending time to develop your WordPress SEO properly.