Note |
Factor
# |
NEGATIVE
ON-Page SEO Factors |
Brief
Note |
BAD |
39 |
Text presented in graphics form only
No ACTUAL body text on the page |
Text represented graphically is invisible
to search engines. |
BAD |
40 |
Affiliate site? |
The Florida update went after affiliates
with a vengeance - flower and travel affiliates were hit
hard - cookie-cutter sites with massive inter-linking,
but little unique content. Subsequent updates have also
targeted affiliates. |
BAD |
41 |
Over
optimization penalty (OOP) |
Penalty for over-compliance with well-established,
accepted web optimization practices. Since the Florida
update, if you simply cannot achieve top position, your
only alternative to first page SERP exposure may be Google
AdWords (you pay for exposure). |
BAD |
42 |
Link to a bad neighborhood |
Don't link to link farms, FFAs
(Free For Alls)
Don't forget to check the Google status of EVERYONE
you link to periodically. A site may go "bad", and you
can end up being penalized, even though you did nothing. |
BAD |
43 |
Redirect thru refresh metatags |
Don't immediately send your visitor to another
page other than the one he/ she clicked on. |
BAD |
44 |
Vile language - ethnic slur |
Including the George
Carlin 7 bad words you can't say on TV, plus the 150
or so that followed. Don't shoot yourself right straight
in the foot. Also, avoid combinations of normal words,
which when used together, become something else entirely
- such as the word juice, and the word love. |
BAD |
45 |
Poison
words |
"Links" in title tag, etc. Here is my list
of Poison
Words for Adsense. This penalty has been loosened
- many of these words now appear in normal context, with
no problems. But watch your step. |
BAD |
46 |
Excessive
cross-linking |
- within the same C block (IP=xxx.xxx.CCC.xxx)
If you have many sites with the same web host, prolific
cross-linking can indicate more of a single entity, and
less of democratic web voting. Easy to spot, easy to penalize. |
BAD |
47 |
Stealing images/ text blocks from another
domain |
Copyright violation - Google responds strongly
if you are reported. ref egol
File Google DMCA |
BAD |
48 |
Keyword
stuffing threshold |
In body, meta tags, alt text, etc. = demotion |
?? |
49 |
Keyword dilution |
Targeting too many unrelated keywords on
a page,
which would detract from theming, and reduce the importance
of your REALLY important keywords. |
?? |
50 |
Page edit - can reduce consistency |
Google patent -
Google is now switching between a "Newer" cache, and
an "Older" cache, frequently drawing from BOTH at the
same time.
This was implemented to frustrate SEOers. Did your last
edit substantially alter your keywords, or theme? Expect
noticeable SERP bouncing. |
6 - 7 |
51 |
Frequency of Content Change |
Google patent - Too frequent = bad |
32, 33 |
52 |
Freshness of Anchor Text |
Google patent - Too frequent = bad |
?? |
53 |
Dynamic Pages |
Problematic - know pitfalls - shorten URLs,
reduce variables, lose the session IDs |
?? |
54 |
Excessive
Javascript |
Don't use for redirects, or hiding links |
?? |
55 |
Flash page - NOT |
Most (all-?) SE spiders can't read Flash
content
Provide an HTML alternative, or lose out. |
?? |
56 |
Use of Frames |
Spidering Problems
with Frames - STILL |
- |
57 |
Robot exclusion "no index" tag |
Intentional self-exclusion |
- |
58 |
Single pixel links |
A red flag - one reason only - a sneaky
link. |
- |
59 |
Invisible text
(Google is now devaluing some pages) |
OK - No penalty -
Google advises
against this.
All over the place - but nothing is ever done. (The
text is the same color as the background, and hence cannot
be seen by the viewer, but is visible to the search engine
spiders.) |
- |
60 |
Gateway, doorway
page
(I see changes here - not only does
the doorway page disappear, but the main page gets pushed
down, as well - this is a welcome fix.) |
OK - No penalty - Google advises
against this.
Google used to reward these pages.
Multiple entrance pages in the top ten SERPs -
I see it daily. There they are at #2, with their twin
at #5 - 6 months now. Reported numerous times.
|
- |
61 |
Duplicate content (YOUR'S)
Duplicate content (THEIR'S) below (Highjack) |
OK - No penalty - Google advises
against this.
Google picks one (usually the oldest), and shoves
it to the top,
and pushes the second choice down. Currently a big issue
with stolen content - the thief usurps your former position
with YOUR OWN content. |
- |
62 |
HTML code violations
(The big G does not even use DOCTYPE
declarations, required for W3C validation.) |
Doesn't matter - Google advises
against this.
Unless of course, the page is totally FUBAR.
Simple HTML verification is NOT required (but advised).
|
- |
|
Since the above 4 items are so
controversial, I would like to add this comment:
There are many things that Google would LIKE to have webmasters
do, but that they simply cannot control, due to logistical
considerations. Their only alternative is to foment fear
and doubt by implying that any violation of their "suggestions"
will result in swift and fierce demotion.
(This is somewhat dated - G is getting
around to fixing these things.) |
IN GENERAL, this works pretty
well to keep webmasters in line. The fallacy of this is
that even the casual observer can readily observe continuing,
blatant exceptions to these official pronouncements. SPAM
reports elicit no response, unless specific-case, knob-tweaking
penalty imposition is authorized. There are many anecdotes
about GG "taking care" of a problem. Google states that
they do not provide hand-tweaked "boosts", but are silent
about hand-tweaked demotions. They occur, fer shure. To
believe otherwise is naive. Wouldn't YOU swat the most
obnoxious flies? I would. Avoid any Google blacklist which
may exist. |