1. 6 SEO Tactics to Scratch Out From Your Book
It’s 2015 and very few digital marketers will say that SEO has become an easier business for them.
With the new Penguin and Panda algorithm updates from Google that have taken place in the past
fewyears,itcomesas little surprise tofindthe worldof SEOchangingsofrequently.
With such a high volume of volatility in the field, digital marketers are required to be highly agile
with their tactics. This calls for frequent adaptation of the latest guidelines that are being
periodically implemented by search engines into their algorithm. Here, we will be focusing on the
SEO tactics youshouldnotbe usingbecause—toputitsimply—theyjustdon’tworkanymore!
1. Use of ultra-short content: Travis Bliffen of the popular WebsiteMagazine.com ranks the
development of short 300-word optimized content as a practice that needs to be stopped with
immediate effect. While there was a time when any successful SEO campaign was considered
incomplete minus these ultra-short offerings, brand managers today would do well to abide by the
rulesof Google andother popularsearchenginesbycreatinglongerpiecesof contenttooptimize.
2. Forcing keywords into the title: It has been highlighted that the once popular practice of
forcefully including the target keyword in the title of the content should now be regarded as highly
unnecessary and less of a mandate. A better approach would be to focus on the use of a title that
implements strong words, highlights the value present in the content, and has the right mix of fun
devicessuchasalliterationswhereverpossible.
3. Using a large number of meta keywords: Apart from creating an impression of being too
cluttered and unfocussed, overusing meta keywords serves as a complete giveaway to competing
brands as to what clients usually focus upon while creating and planning content for their marketing.
A measured approach with better strategic implementations of these tools is likely to put you in a
much strongerposition.
4. Making the most of every guest blogging opportunity: It was not very long ago when the quality
of your submitted content was considered irrelevant provided you could make the most of every
guest blogging opportunity that came your way. However, in tune with the changing times, there has
been a dramatic shift in the associated best practices with an increased emphasis on quality. The
2. guest blogs you seek on behalf of the brands you represent should be ones with a strong reputation
and be capable of drivingthe valuesof these organizationsinquestion.
5. A press release without any concrete direction: When place in the right hands, a press release
can be a highly powerful tool that allows you to leverage the more formal aspects of content
marketing and SEO. However, history suggests that there are plenty of press releases that do not
contain any form of concrete news. A press release is no longer a means of free publicity, and
neither is it a mere piece of content to be included in the digital portfolio of your clients; they should
be warrantedand rich ininformative contenttohelpboostsearchengine rankings.
6. Dropping the reliance on automation: Automated content generation is probably the most
notable relic that points to an obsolete era of SEO tactics. Once a pillar of numerous effective
campaigns, it is no more than a warning sign to marketers and brands in the modern age. If you
generate a lot of unwanted and junk content, be it by spinning or otherwise, it should come as little
surprise when you find yourself being slapped with a healthy penalty on your page rankings by the
popularsearchengines.
What was once considered a best practice in the world refining and optimizing content may not hold
true any longer. So stop wasting your time on tactics that are obsolete and instead focus yourenergy
on those strategiesthatare likelytoimprove traffic toyourwebsite.
Which other obsolete SEO tactic do you still find people using? Share your thoughts in our comments
section.