It’s not working anymore: SEO tactics that have outlived their time

Sometimes things stop working. It happened with my phone a couple weeks ago… but I digress. SEO is a moving target, just as much an art as it is a science. Many of the tactics we’ve used over the years have gone by the wayside, as Google refines their algorithms. Let’s take a look at what’s not working now, and what you can quit dedicating time, energy and resources to.

SEO tactics to toss in the trash for 2014

Overuse of keywords – Back in the day you could pound your pages with lots of instances of your primary keywords, and they’d rank well for those. Not anymore. The best practice these days is to include your primary keyword in the title, and perhaps a few other places on the page, but let’s be clear that Google is asking you to write for your readers first. The relevance of your content in much more important than the number of times your main keyword appears on the page.

Micro content – Currently the pages that rank on the first pages of Google are alike in that they sport longer, more in-depth content. The times when we could get by with slapping up 250-300 words of dubious quality are long gone, so far as your main blog and site pages are concerned. There’s a place for micro-content; such as on sites like Tumblr, Facebook and other primarily social sites.

Article marketing – This one expired a while ago. Since Panda came down the pike, article directories have struggled. To publish your content there these days and expect much in the way of traffic or links is an exercise in futility.

Keyword anchor text – Google’s algorithm is now smarter, and now understands that if every link to your site has “Your main keyword” as the clickable anchor text, something is not right. Aim for a more natural link footprint, using keywords, your site URL, and some random phrases that make sense, including “click here” and longer, post specific terms.

No social elements – The day when you could ignore social media entirely and get by is a thing of the past as well. Do yourself a favor and include social sharing buttons and links to your own social properties.

Inbound run of site links – Getting, or God forbid buying, run of site inbound links, is a sure-fire way to find yourself punished. Want to make it worse? Have them all use the same keyword!