Search engines reward clean and honest content. If your website includes tactics that break SEO rules, it may be pushed down in ranking or removed completely. In this blog, I will cover 5 things you should never do on your website if you want to maintain and grow your search visibility.
1. Duplicate text content (copy and paste)
Do not copy content from other websites. Do not repeat blocks of the same text on multiple pages of your own site. Search engines want original written content. If they see duplicated text, they will either ignore it or penalize the page.
Keep each page on you site focused in a specific topic. Write in your own words. Use a unique tone and format. Make sure your pages provide new value instead of repeating information that already exist.
Duplicate content can overall confuse search engines. They may not know which version to rank. This will hurt your visibility and lower trust in your domain.
2. Invisible Assets
Some people try to hide content or links on a page to manipulate SEO. Here are some examples:
- White text on a white screen/background
- Text placed off-screen
- Links hidden behind images
Search engines have learned to detect these tricks. If your page uses invisible assets, it can get flagged or banned.
Therefore, keep everything visible. What users see is what search engines should see. Make sure your content is readable and accessible!
3. Cloaking or Redirecting
Cloaking means showing different content to users than to search engines. Some websites do this to rank for certain keywords without actually showing that content to users. Others use fake redirects to trick search engines into ranking pages that no longer exist.
Both practices are against SEO rules. If a user visits a page and sees something different from what was listed in search results, that page loses credibility.
Always deliver what you promise. If a page is about car wash tips, the content should be about car wash tips. Do not bait clicks with unrelated topics!
4. Keyword Stuffing (exceeds natural guidelines)
Keyword stuffing means using a keyword too many times on a page. It can make the content hard to read and look spammy. Search engines can detect this and penalize your page.
Here is an example of keyword stuffing:
“Our car wash in Michigan is the best car wash. If you want a car wash, come to our car wash. We offer the best car wash deals.”
This is not helpful to users. Instead, use your main keyword naturally a few times. Then use related words and phrases. This helps your content stay readable and relevant.
To know how to complete keyword research and use keywords effectively, specifically for local businesses, check out our blog post on How To Do Keyword Research For Local Car Wash Businesses.
5. Sketchy Outbound Linking
Be careful where you link! Do not send users to spammy or unrelated websites. Avoid linking to:
- Link farms
- Affiliate networks that look suspicious
- Adult or gambling sites (unless your site is in that niche)
Your links affect your site’s trust. If you link to low-quality sites, your own quality score drops. Make sure every link you include makes sense and helps the reader.
Use outbound links to support your content. For example, linking to a car care study or an industry guide can help your content look stronger. But never link just to add keywords or to try to pass SEO value.
With all this being said, onsite SEO is about creating real, helpful content. Avoid tricks and shortcuts. They may work for a short time, but can lead to long-term harm. Focus on being clear, honest, and helpful.
Stick to these five rules:
- Write unique content
- Keep everything visible
- Don’t mislead users or search engines
- Use keywords naturally
- Link only to trustworthy sites
By following these, your site will stay in good standing and have a better chance of ranking well! Hope this blog helps:) Please feel free to leave a comment and I will get back with you as soon as possible!
For more blogs with AI and SEO topics, head to 2025 Michigan AI and SEO Trending Concepts
Leave a Reply