Mediarun Search Marketing News

Too much SEO?

By Matthew Kynaston

March 22nd 2012

Search Engine Optimisation News

Is there such thing as too much SEO? Even if it is “good” SEO? Well according to Google’s head of webspam, Matt Cutts, there may well be. And not only that, these sites could also face “penalties” in the coming weeks and months.

This surprise announcement came during a panel which Matt Cutts participated at the famous SXSW (South by SouthWest) conference, which brings together the best of film, music and digital industries in Texas, US.

Cutt’s said that they wanted Google to “…level the playing field a bit. All those people doing, for lack of a better word, over optimization or overly SEO – versus those making great content and great site.”

So should we be worried? Well, possibly. Google have not really explained what constitutes as an “overly optimised” site, other than mentioning keyword stuffing and excessive linking – the extremes of which are already recognised as bad SEO.

• Natural Keywording – It sounds simple, but rather than just using popular keywords amidst fluffy waffle, stick to the subject and keep keywords as naturally placed as possible


• Unique/ Topical – Instead of just rehashing popular sites, create something different and new. If it’s interesting enough it will gain traffic anyway. Content will naturally be shared if its enlightening to the reader, rather than just copied and reworded.


• User Generated Content – Genuine user-generated content is gold. Blogs and user comments need to be spam-free. This will happen if the content is interesting.


• Moderate Linking – As spelt out by Mr Cutts, excessive linking may well be penalised. Ensuring your inbound links are from good relevant sources, and link quantity is gradually acquired over time.

If you have any queries about your sites, speak to one of our consultants on +44 (0)8009 550 176 or contact us.