Keyword stuffing: a risky SEO practice

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Blocking key words

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Keyword stuffing, also known as keyword stuffingis an optimisation technique used to improve a site's ranking on search engines.

However, this practice can be detrimental to your SEO if left unchecked.

In this article, we will define what keyword stuffing is and show why it is best to avoid it.

What is keyword stuffing?

Keyword stuffing consists of excessive repetition of one or more keywords on a web page in order to increase its relevance in the eyes of search engines. This technique is based on the idea that the more a word is present on a page, the more relevant it will be considered by search engines.

In theory, this may seem logical, since search engines analyse the content of a page to determine its relevance and ranking. However, in practice, keyword stuffing is counter-productive and can even harm a site's SEO.

Why is keyword stuffing not recommended?

Risk of penalties from search engines

Search engines, such as Google, are constantly on the lookout for relevant, high-quality content to respond to users' queries. The algorithms that determine page rankings are increasingly sophisticated, and are able to detect keyword stuffing techniques.

When a site abuses this practice, it can be subject to penalised by search enginesThis leads to a drop in visibility and traffic. Google even has a specific penalty, called 'Penguin', which targets sites that make excessive use of keyword stuffing.

Nuance to the user experience

As well as damaging your SEO, keyword stuffing can also negatively affect theuser experience. Content that is overloaded with keywords quickly becomes difficult to read and less relevant to Internet users. It can cause your visitors to leave your site prematurely and slow down their engagement with it.

What are the alternatives to keyword stuffing?

To avoid the negative consequences of keyword stuffing, we recommend that you adopt a natural, user-centred approach when writing your content. Here are a few tips:

1. Create highly relevant and useful content for your audienceThe focus is on solving their problems or answering their questions.
2. Integrate your keywords naturally tags in the html appropriate (