These Mistakes Will Get Your Website Penalized in Google

Google’s algorithm is constantly changing to give users the most relevant, useful information online. In other words, Google wants to make sure that users find what they’re looking for with ease. If your site doesn’t follow Google’s latest updates and guidelines, you might find that some of your content no longer appears in search results — or at all — as Google starts to penalize websites that violate their policies. Here are nine things you should keep in mind if you want your website to stay fresh and new so Google can continue to trust you.

What is Google’s algorithm?

Google’s algorithm is the algorithm that determines what information is shown to users when they perform a search. In other words, it’s the reason why you see what you see when you search online. Over time, Google’s algorithm has changed quite a bit. The latest updates were announced recently, which means that you’ll want to check your website to see if it is up to date. The algorithm uses a wide range of factors to determine what information is shown to users in search results. These factors include:

• The popularity of a given keyword.
• The relevance of someone’s search query.
• The presence and type of relevant sites on the web.
• The quality of the site that someone is viewing.
• The trustworthiness of the site that someone is on.

Rank to the top

If your website’s content is fresh and you follow Google’s guidelines, then you have an opportunity to really stand out in search results. That’s because the algorithm factors in how often your website appears at the top of Google’s search results. If your website appears frequently at the top of Google’s search results, it will be more likely to show up when a user performs a search. Naturally, it’s difficult to stay at the top of Google’s search results. That’s why you want to make sure that your content is up to date and follows Google’s guidelines.

No spam, period.

The ability to rank at the top of Google’s search results relies heavily on the trust that your target audience places in you and your website. The easiest way to lose this trust is by spamming your site with irrelevant or fake content. Of course, you want to publish content that is useful and helpful, but you don’t want to go overboard and start posting irrelevant non-sequiturs.

Don’t over-optimize

There’s nothing wrong with using keywords in your site’s titles and meta descriptions. However, you don’t want to overdo it. You’ll lose out on page authority if you do, and Google’s algorithm will take notice.

Avoid thin content

If you’re publishing articles that are much less than 1,500 words in length, you’re probably wasting your time. Google will consider your articles to be “thin content” if they’re less than 500 words. Google’s algorithm considers these articles to be lower quality than long, in-depth content. Read our article on "How long should a blog post be?"

Avoid using unnatural language

Nobody like word salad. Make sure it makes sense as you read. We are all guilty of typing too fast to get our thoughts out. But do you read it back to your self to make sure its sounds and reads good? I am just as guilty but a must to help in ranking. When it comes to your content, you don’t want your writing to sound unnatural. You want to avoid keyword stuffing, pronoun misuse, and all of these other things that can make your content sound unnatural.

Provide consistent on-page information for your target audience

Google’s algorithm is looking for a consistent level of quality on your site. It’s not enough to publish a new article or post every now and then. You’ll want to publish content regularly that is helpful and useful for your target audience.

Consistent site structure and navigation for users

Again, your site’s navigation and site structure are important to the algorithm. Google will consider your site to be inconsistent if your navigation is inconsistent. In other words, the navigation has different levels of importance depending on the page it appears on.

Final Thoughts

Google’s algorithm is constantly changing to better serve users. If your website isn’t following these latest updates, you might experience a drop in rankings or be completely removed from search results. The first step to staying fresh and new is to make sure that your website is up to date. You can also refresh your knowledge by reading through Google’s latest update guidelines and updates.

Do you need help getting your website to rank in Local  or a Nationwide Google Search? Tommy House Studios is here to help! Reach out to our team and lets improve your business listing in Google's eyes today!