Are you behind the modern and (mostly) technology-based times? 

As a Web marketer, you may be aware of the constant evolution of search engines, particularly their ranking factors. Additionally, you may have gone through overhauls and reassessing of techniques in order to keep up with optimisation trends.



But since there are so many existing strategies, it can be quite confusing to figure out which ones are still applicable and which ones are no longer effective.

Therefore, have a look at the six methods I have gathered which, because of the recent Panda and Penguin updates from Google, are no longer feasible.

1. Article submissions

If “EzineArticles”, “Ehow, or “Buzzle” comes to mind when you are discussing SEO, you are on dangerous ground. This is because even before Google introduced its algorithm updates, directory submissions were merely ways to get quick links to your site.















Now that does not sound so bad, right? Wrong. These sites have no authority over a particular field, which means that your articles may not be useful to readers. Furthermore, they typically cram adverts, keywords, and links to the page, which makes it look suspicious to the search engines.

What is your alternative then?

You can submit to directories that focus on a specific industry or niche, specifically yours. Such portals can provide you with quality links, which in turn can increase your visibility.

2. Link exchanges

Like the first, this is another trick to gain exposure without the extra effort since you are just swapping backlinks with another website.

Now this technique is not a wrong move as long as the process is natural, like maybe you linked to a website’s content because it is relevant to your own and the site owner mentioned you in a comment or new post.

You can consider linking as a form of endorsement in a sense that it is only worthy if it points the browsers (or the people surfing the Web) in the right direction, which is your domain.

3. Poor content

For the sake of having fresh posts each week, you upload feeble and insubstantial articles. You should move on from this strategy because, as you may already know, quality content is an extremely powerful tool to expand your audience, gain trustworthy links, and earn a top spot in search results.
















So here are some questions that you should ask yourself to assess your posts’ excellence:

Are they useful for my readers? You must remember that writing is not solely for SEO; it is for your potential clients or viewers too.

Are they original and creative? You must always have an innovative approach for new topics; otherwise, you will come out as either plagiarising or rehashing an old concept.

Do they relate to my business niche? Topics about cars will sound off to your audience when your company is selling food products. Stick to your field and find useful and interesting matters to share to your visitors.


4. Ignoring the power of social media
















Most blogs and websites now feature social sharing buttons on their pages. Do you know the use of these signals?

If you are not so sure, here is what Larry Page, the CEO of Google, has to say, “the search box isn't really searching a string... it's actually searching for that person I know. Having real feedback from users... is very useful for search... we have a lot of those signals already, but we can always use more... we can always use better relevance and we can always use more data to generate that.”

5. Keyword stuffing

During the late 90's, this was all the rage as it was the easiest and quickest way to get a site indexed by search engines. Here is a brief example of cramming a webpage with targeted terms.

We offer domestic cleaning services in Australia. Our cleaning service ensures that you do not have to worry about cleaning your house any more. Our cleaners are professionals who are trained and experienced in the field of cleaning. 

Obviously, the term 'cleaning' is repeated more times than necessary. Back then, this technique worked perfectly. Today, with Google’s Panda and Penguin updates, this method is highly prone to penalty.

“Why?”, you may ask. Well, it does not make sense. To top it off, it is clearly a ploy to rank for your targeted keyword. Most readers, who encounter this, will feel annoyed. But the biggest impact of all is landing in the bottom SERPs because you have been penalised.

6. Spamming comments

If you are an avid news and blog reader, you may be aware that a LOT of viewers head to the comments section to post their own views on a particular subject, if 1000+ comments (not to mention replies) are any indication of the crowding of these people. Well, you can only imagine the amount of exposure you can get.

Given that this activity can provide high visibility, you are probably thinking of placing your own insights on the topic along with a link to your site. Are you? Well, you need to think twice before doing it.

Now why is this bad?

This technique becomes unethical when you insert links into your comments without considering if they make sense or not. For example, you respond to an article on the importance of proper health and insert a link to your Web page, which talks about car insurance. Not only is this misleading, it can lead to a bad reputation on the Internet.

So when is it not a problem?

Commenting is not wrong at all if you give sensible opinions on niche-related content, insert links when needed, and provide your unbiased insights as best as possible.

Conclusion













Do not dread whenever Google, Yahoo, Bing and other search engines introduce new algorithm updates. Instead of putting your website at risk, such changes help boost your online presence. What is more, these allow you to keep up with the fast-paced advancement of the virtual society.

About the Author: Emma Tomlinson is the Head of Retail at Smart Traffic, an SEO company with search specialists and marketing consultants in Bristol who assist clients from various countries across the globe.