Google is on a task to offer its users the best search result.
It gives its users access to exact information, exclusive content and the best writers. And for offering the better results, Google updated its algorithms time-to-time to improve the quality of its search results.
So, with new algorithm update, your site might be penalized if you’re making some mistakes in SEO.
There are many reasons for why Google can penalize your website but some of them are most important.
Here, you’ll find 17 reasons or mistakes which impose Google to penalize your website.
Why Google Penalizes Website?
Google has been tuning and reviewing the way it indexes content. These updates were executed to give users the best possible answers to their search queries and offer the best user experience possible.
There are two penalties you can get-
- Manual action from Google’s spam team
- An algorithmic penalty
#1 Broken Links & 404 Errors
Google hates the most 404 errors and broken links problems on the website. If you are not delivering 404 errors or broken links, this would be a red signal that your user isn’t getting the info they ask for.
So, make sure that there are no 404 errors on your website; otherwise, Google will penalize your site.
#2 Keyword Stuffing
Keywords are an important part of your SEO plans for ranking your site. You need to insert them naturally into your content. Mostly, Google detects a high amount of keywords in a content is a flag for poorly written content. As Google detect it, you will be penalizing soon.
#3 Missing Meta Description Tags
Meta description tags are important for SEO feature. And also make sure you do not use more than 5 Meta keywords on one page.
Meta tags define your page to search engines and without it, your site will not tweak into related search results.
#4 Overusing H1 Tags
H1 tags help Google to identify what the page is all about. Overusing H1 tags on your web page can be negative because Google may get confused about the title and turn out penalizing your website.
#5 Duplicate Content
Google hates duplicate content, and it is a serious crime on the web. Any duplicate content on your site makes it less useful in Google’s view, and that can result in a penalty.
Ensure your content is unique and clearly written; use tools like, Editpad, Copyscape and CopyGator to check plagiarism.
#6 Images with missing alt tags
Search engine read images by their ‘alt tag’. Image alt tags are the best way to improve your site’s engagement in search engine result page as it lets the images on your pages to rank in image search results. Make sure, you don’t miss the image alt tags.
#7 Slow Site Loading
Site speed shows how speedily a website responds to web demands. In the present time, no one has the time to wait for minutes before a website opens a page. This would move your users to other faster websites.
Google uses a range of sources to determine the speed of a site comparative to other sites. Google will penalize your site for slow website speed.
#8 Buying Backlinks
Backlinks are important for your ranking strategies. If you buy into bad links, this can lead to negative effect on search ranking. Buying links are trying to manipulate search engine and PageRank.
#9 Missing Sitemap Data
Google uses XML sitemap to analyzed the structure of the website and learn how it’s put together.
Ensure your XML sitemap is available up-to-date and submit it in your Webmaster tools account.
#10 Broken External Links
Be attentive to your external links. If you don’t keep links up-to-date, Google will think that you don’t care about the user experience.
Ensure all the external links are working well and users do not end up with 404 errors.
#11 Hidden Links
Don’t make your links refined and hide them. Anything that’s hidden is considered doubtful. Make sure all of the links on your website should be clearly visible and useful to users.
#12 Too many affiliate links
Affiliate links are acceptable to use if you don’t add too many affiliate links. Overuse can raise a red flag and Google will identify your website content as not up to the mark.
#13 Black Hat SEO Advice
If you are using black hat methods for publishing information to manipulate SERP’s, Google doesn’t like and be ready to be penalized.
#14 Poor Mobile Websites
If you have a poorly designed mobile website, Google possibly will not be able to detect the link between your website and your mobile website. Confirm your website is mobile friendly.
#15 Hacked Content
Hacked websites are instantly removed from SERPs by Google. So, be attentive and fast to act on this.
#16 Error Codes
Google don’t like error codes, whether 302, 404, 500 or any. So, if your website page displays any of these errors, improve it right away.
#17 Over Optimization
Don’t overly optimize your website. Google doesn’t like it and identifies as an effort to eliminate your competition from SEO list. Make sure you publish good and natural content and check your methods.
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Wonderful article, keep sharing such stuff…