The last thing you can afford to do is annoy Google. Unlike other search engines, Google has a ridiculous amount of power. The company is so powerful it can make or break other businesses, and it can do it remotely through its algorithm. That’s right – it doesn’t even need to know who you are or what you stand for because it isn’t important. What is important is that you follow the rules. As long as you do, the rankings will kindly reflect on the firm. With that in mind, here’s how not to get in the firm’s bad books.
Don’t Steal Content
Stealing is illegal in real life, and it’s illegal online too. Search engines hate sites that take because it shows a lack of originality, not to mention it is lazy. At the moment, Google wants to see unique content on the web, not a rehash of the same old articles and posts. The reason is that rehashes don’t add value for web users – once they read one post there is nothing else worth reading. As a result, it’s important that you don’t steal or plagiarize material from other sites because the algorithm will catch you in the act. The best option is to think of content that is fresh or put a new twist on an old topic.
Never Buy Links
In the early days of SEO, businesses simply bought links to shoot up the rankings. Nowadays, the search engines are wise to this ploy, and they penalize any firm that continues to try and pull the wool over their eyes. They want to see a reputable link building service in action because it is a sign that the company is organic and natural. According to Google, these are the ones that deserve rewarding the most. Plus, it is disingenuous to the customers that think the firms at the top of the rankings are the most reputable. Regardless of how much you need a link, you should never buy them in bulk. Instead, try producing content or a reputation that makes others want to link your site. These are the most efficient links, especially if they come from other reputable sites.
404 Error Pages
As you can probably tell by now, Google wants you to offer web users a top service. It’s simple – the sites that provide an excellent service get the best returns, which is why a 404 error page is inexplicable. An error page means you have bugs and glitches within your code that prevent visitors from getting the information they require. So, the regulators view your website as ineffective and unable to deliver on its promises. The good news is that any firm can keep on top on 404s by looking for problems and testing pages. Think of a site as a beautiful garden in the sense that it needs weeding and cultivating regularly. The less you maintain it, the less useful it becomes.
Keep Google and the other major search engines on your side and you’ll be ok.
