{"id":207355,"date":"2022-11-02T12:28:36","date_gmt":"2022-11-02T04:28:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/seo-hacker.com\/?p=207355"},"modified":"2023-02-08T16:51:17","modified_gmt":"2023-02-08T08:51:17","slug":"win-against-spammy-seo-strategies-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/seo-hacker.com\/win-against-spammy-seo-strategies-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"Google\u2019s Punishment on Spammy SEO Strategies and How to Win Against It In 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Google\u2019s<\/a><\/p>\n

What if you wake up one day and discover your website\u2019s ranking crashing to the ground- with years of SEO effort invalidated by Google\u2019s algorithm update?<\/p>\n

Your website might have been involved in a black hat SEO practice called \u2018SEO spam.\u2019 Here is everything you need to know about it and how to act against it in 2023.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

What is SEO Spam?<\/h2>\n

SEO Spam, also known as Spamdexing, is an SEO practice that involves unethical practices such as spamming other unmoderated websites to boost website ranking and promote faster web page indexing. This controversial approach comes in many forms- popular ones being keyword stuffing, link spamming, private blog networks, cloaking, and hidden texts and links.<\/p>\n

With the persistent malpractice of SEO still apparent all over the internet, Google has been more aggressive in addressing it. This was especially evident in their release of the October 2022 spam algorithm update<\/a> that shook the world of black hat SEO practitioners a day after its release.<\/p>\n

Signs You\u2019ve Been Practicing SEO Spam<\/h2>\n

One of the telltale signs that your website\u2019s been affected by an algorithm update would be a drop in rankings. You\u2019ll notice negative changes in impressions, clicks and overall traffic coming into your website- with some penalties completely de-indexing some of your pages.<\/p>\n

\"Example<\/p>\n

But what you need to worry about are the penalties from a spam algorithm update that tends to provide worse results in search ranking. Not only will your rankings dramatically drop, but it could result in Google de-indexing your whole website. So what can you do to prevent this?<\/p>\n

6 Ways To Win Against SEO Spam<\/h2>\n

Avoid Keyword Stuffing<\/h3>\n

Keyword stuffing refers to spamming your target keyword all over your content. This is the practice of over-implementing your keywords to the point that it appears unnatural and out of context.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a painful example of keyword stuffing:<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is instant<\/strong> coffee<\/strong>? Instant<\/strong> coffee<\/strong> is a ready-to-mix coffee that serves as a low-cost solution to caffeine intake. Instant<\/strong> coffee<\/strong> nowadays comes in different flavors. There are white chocolate-flavored instant<\/strong> coffee<\/strong>, mocha-flavored instant<\/strong> coffee<\/strong>, and even plain black instant<\/strong> coffee<\/strong>. This instant mix drink also serves as a health solution for some consumers. Some instant<\/strong> coffee<\/strong> shops sell slimming coffee in the form of instant<\/strong> coffee<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This technique of SEO Spam is one of the most common malpractices of any aspiring SEO practitioner. Increased keyword usage does not equate to a higher ranking. A healthy ceiling for keywords written in the body of your content is 1%.<\/p>\n

Use AI-generated Content as a Guide, Not as an Article<\/h3>\n

With algorithm updates favoring topical authority, the popularity of AI-generated content has been growing more and more popular in 2022. Digital marketers all over the internet have been publishing articles that are purely written by technology. This causes frustration for some search users regarding the accuracy of the information they\u2019re looking for and has been catching Google\u2019s attention for quite some time now.<\/p>\n

The best way to exploit AI-generated content is to use it as the basis for content writing. You can start by analyzing the points presented in the generated copy. Then utilize that as a means to write your own unique content- publishing an article that\u2019s relatable, relevant to your target market, and most of all, human.<\/p>\n

Defer from Cloaking<\/h3>\n

Cloaking refers to presenting a search result that doesn\u2019t match the expectation of the users. Imagine a user searching for the term \u2018medicine for cough\u2019. After searching they chose to click a particular result that they believe best represents the answer they are looking for (because a loved one or they themselves are suffering from cough) then they unwillingly find themselves on a web page that\u2019s making them apply for a gym membership. What the?!<\/p>\n

\"Visual<\/p>\n

The content and meta tags you set in your pages must always be relevant to the search term you\u2019re targeting. Not only does this prevent unintentionally practicing \u2018cloaking\u2019, but it even improves your overall website ranking.<\/p>\n

Use Appropriate Hidden Content<\/h3>\n

Hidden content is sometimes stuffed in a website to manipulate rankings. This is done in a way that the text or link involved in increasing the rankings is stuffed within the HTML of the web page but not appearing (or minimally appearing) in the actual display. It can appear as the following:<\/p>\n