7 tips for avoiding an SEO penalty from Google in 2021

1. Stay up to date with new Google rules and algorithms

Before you can follow the rules, you need to find out what they are. Google is constantly updating their search algorithms. It is a process of tracking and learning the user's search behavior to improve the search engine more and more.

If you always follow the old rules and don't learn about new updates, that can make your website SEO vulnerable. 

2. Perform content checks regularly

Content Auditing is when you step back and review your current website content to see what can be improved. It's a great strategy to improve the content and optimize it better for the search engines.

Not stopping there, content check is also analyzing which articles have performed the best? Which article has the worst performance? Are there any details that you missed out on your content. 

Take note of weaknesses in your content. Creating useful content that addresses all of your readers' needs will help you rank better on Google and help you avoid any SEO penalty in 2021. 

3. Invest quality in your backlink profile

One of the easiest ways to spoil a website's SEO effectiveness is to use old and outdated link building tactics. Poor quality links make Google think your content is spam. It puts you at risk of an immediate SEO penalty. 

Maintaining a quality link profile and relevant content is a great way to improve your SEO and rank content better. You can use tools like Ahrefs to keep track of any broken links.

Make sure to remove or replace these old links and keep your content fresh. Try to avoid using too many links in one post. 

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4. Avoid keyword stuffing

Keyword stuffing is a common mistake for inexperienced content creators to optimize for SEO. More doesn't mean better. The key is to create more engaging content than it is to include multiple keywords. 

Google rewards the best content readers click on and actually read. Things like poor bounce rate and readability will do you more harm than a lack of keywords. 

A general rule of thumb to keep in mind is to use only 2-3% keyword density in your posts. Google has optimized its keyword stuffing algorithm many times over the years, and it continues to get more and more advanced. Don't expect to beat Google.   

5. Don't use popup ads or heavy formats

We have mentioned it briefly before. One significant change in Google's algorithm is to penalize websites for using pop-up ads every time a user opens a website. 

Remember, you shouldn't do anything to interrupt the user experience.

Balance your pages by putting yourself in the shoes of your users. 

If you are unsure about the layout you are using, try asking SEO experts or get advice from professional SEO services for some optimization tips.    

6. Create consistent, quality content

Quality content sounds simple enough, but in fact Google uses a lot of specific factors to make the decision. 

1. Readability
2. Site score
3. New content
4. Relevance of the site 
5. Usability of the site  

These are just a few of the 200 different elements used in Google's algorithm. 

7. Focus on your brand and build trust

Google uses brand awareness as a factor when ranking pages in search engines. Recent algorithm updates emphasize branding and reward strong branded businesses. 

By incorporating your branding into the anchor text. If your anchor text is branded, it tells Google that the page is relevant to this brand and that this brand is related to the topic.

SEO is a technique that requires extensive expertise and knowledge, and it's best to find one of the reputable digital marketing agencies. Due to the power of Google with its algorithm, updates keep even experts waiting to find out. These tips not only help you avoid penalties, but can also boost your SEO rankings to drive more of your traffic in a more sustainable way. 

These tips will help your current SEO strategy and eliminate the risk you face from any future penalties from Google.  

David Pac

Update 07 May 2021