When Google\u2019s Panda and Penguin algorithm took effect many websites were penalized and dropped in the SERPs. Such sites relied heavily on link building schemes and thin spammy content, written for search engines not users. The website owners panicked. They removed spammy content, disavowed links and then jumped right back in again, and sought how they could \u2018game\u2019 this next generation algorithm and get back on top, the faster the better. This unfortunately creates a perpetual cycle, for those seeking to influence the search engines. Some of these unfortunate souls, doing their own SEO by themselves did not know any better.<\/p>\n
The following Gray Hat\/Black Hat tactics set yourself up for the perpetual cycle of temporarily beating the search engines and then getting beat.<\/p>\n
1)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 buying likes, shares, tweets
\n2)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 buying high DA links (Domain Authority)
\n3)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 buying links, link schemes\/networks
\n4)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 spamming forums with links
\n5)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 buying high PR links
\n6)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 buying dozens of low value search engine targeted content pages
\n7)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 making fake social media accounts, and using them for links or social signals<\/p>\n
Promoting any of the above tactics or clamoring over importance of getting \u2018link juice\u2019, and \u2018do-follow\u2019 links from blogs is definitely not the road to success. Those actions are not going to grow your brand or business. This kind of SEO could be considered \u2018Gray Hat\u2019, or just simply ignorant. It may have gotten some ahead, but at the end of the day your business needs revenue, and we get paid in dollars, not link juice. Additionally any tactics which open one\u2019s business up to penalization by Google is never a good idea.<\/p>\n
Therefore, when you are doing DIY SEO for your site, shift the idea from getting links to making the conversation about how you can use your brilliance and expertise to add VALUE to your site and increase revenue. This can be achieved by driving more traffic to the site using PR, Content Marketing, etc.<\/p>\n
Google and its 150 staff with PhD\u2019s in their Web-Spam Department will continue to evolve Search, so don\u2019t fight them; it is pointless. Instead let\u2019s create AMAZING content which floods users into our sites and produces revenue!<\/p>\n