Optimization Penalty

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How is “Over Optimization Penalty” defined?

Over Optimization Penalty means a penalty received for over-optimization. It is initiated when non-permitted SEO measures (in the form of over-optimization) can be seen on a website in the on-page and off-page areas. For example, it refers to keyword distribution and unnatural link growth. The result is a massive loss of ranking. In the worst case, your site may even be excluded from the search engine index .

What does Over Optimization Penalty mean?

The craze of over-optimization came about due to those who were unfortunate enough to be affected by this Google algorithm change. And how do you get back on track if you get hit by Google?

Over Optimization has just been added to the list of “don’t do’s” by Google. You might think that this category only includes “black has techniques”, but this is obviously no longer the case. Even natural, “white hat SEOs” now have a fine line, this line is called just enough optimization and thus there is no danger of over optimization penalty.

Aggressive SEO/over optimization therefore no longer has the consequence of being good. Things slow down to allow Google to go over your site and grow your SEO and are thus protected from Over Optimization Penalty.

What are the factors behind over-optimization?

Why take the risk of an over-optimization penalty?

Over Optimization goes far beyond the optimization of your website than what you would aim for in an off-page perspective. It is a content quality check to enforce the Panda update (Google update).

The decisive factor is an “if statement”. If your website does not have high quality content and additionally e.g:

  • Lots of exact match anchor text coming to your website (unnatural link building).
  • Obvious Link Exchange (link exchange sites signal spam). Setting up a link exchange page is not permitted. Content-related link exchange, however, is.
  • Fast Link Acquisition Rate (unnatural link building).
  • The relationship between social signals and the links is far removed from each other.

Ultimately, a website can only be considered over-optimized and penalized with Over Optimization Penalty if it is filled with SEO techniques and the content does not match the SEO level of the website.

Regular algorithm adjustments

The algorithm is regularly adjusted by Google to provide users with the pages that are relevant to their search. This is usually not the case with over-optimized pages. Certain SEO techniques are used extremely frequently here, which are simply intended to influence the ranking without paying attention to user interest. Due to these algorithm adjustments (e.g. Penguin update), websites are penalized with an over-optimization penalty.

The changes to the algorithm only affect individual optimization areas. In the meantime, however, the Google search algorithm has been perfected to such an extent that only a few measures of over-optimization of a website result in a better ranking.

What can over-optimization look like?

Over optimization used to work, there wasn’t too much of anything to do, so it was done. Since it brought good rankings, it was further over-optimized. There was no over-optimization penalty.

Overly applied SEO techniques:

  • Keyword stuffing: The website has a very high keyword density, extreme use of the keyword, which should increase the relevance for the keyword.
  • Keyword links: An extreme use of the keyword in the link text (internal and external links).
  • Hidden text: A method from the field of Black Hat SEO and means the integration of text that is invisible to the user (e.g. by the same font color as the background), and is only used for reading for the search engine.
  • Rapid link growth: A sudden growth of many links when there was little link growth before indicates unnatural link building (buying many links).
  • Link exchange: used to be very popular and simple: agreements among each other, simple barter, whether it was thematically appropriate or not. Professionalized, extensive link exchange networks were created here.

How do you comply with webmaster guidelines and optimize for the user?

If you have great, quality content that focuses on people and not search engines, don’t worry. In this case, there is no risk of an over-optimization penalty.

Here are a few guidelines you should follow when reviewing content that is considered “quality” by the Google Panda update, for example:

  • Would you trust the information in this article?
  • Was this article written by an expert or enthusiast?
  • Are there duplicate, overlapping or redundant articles on the same or similar topics on the website?
  • Would you provide your credit card information on this website?
  • Does this article contain spelling, style or factual errors?
  • Are the topics determined by the real interests of the website’s users, or does the website generate content that could rank well in search engines?
  • Does the article contain original content, information, reports, research or analysis?
  • Does the page offer significant added value compared to other pages in the search results?
  • What is the quality control of the content?
  • Does the article describe both sides of a coin?
  • Is the site a specialist in the subject?
  • Was the article well written, or does it seem simple and quickly created?
  • Would you recognize this website as an authoritative source if it was mentioned by name?
  • Does this article provide a complete or comprehensive description of the topic?
  • Does this article contain insightful analysis or interesting information that goes beyond the obvious topic?
  • Is it a page you could bookmark, share with someone or recommend?
  • Does this article contain an excessive number of ads that are distracting or annoying?
  • Have the pages been created with great care and attention to detail?

The problem with over-optimization (caution: over-optimization penalty) is the strong focus on technical SEO, using technical measures alone to push the website in Google’s search results. A technically clean site is very important, but it is not the only solution to the problem. It only serves to show the search engines based on the algorithm what it is about and to show their robots the way. However, it is only one point that influences the ranking.

If you adhere to the webmaster guidelines when optimizing your website and use SEO techniques in an acceptable amount, both for the search engine and for the user, we do not fear an over-optimization penalty. In terms of the user experience, it is advisable to improve the quality of a page with online marketing measures (conversion optimization, content marketing, social media activities) and to increase the level of awareness in addition to on-page and off-page measures.

You will only achieve a positive increase in your visibility if the relationship between technology and usability is right. The aim of your website optimization is to get more visitors and then win them as potential customers and thus generate sales.