Ravi Saive: A Technology Blog For Newbies

Google has a set of strict quality guidelines that sites must follow, or they risk being banned from Google ranking and search engines. Google's Webmaster Rules include the most prevalent varieties of deceitful or sneaky behavior, but Google might react in a negative way to other deceptive techniques not outlined in the basic guidelines. It's not safe to presume any deceptive practices not listed are safe.



Google does not approve of any misleading practices that try to "trick" the search engines to get better Google ranking. Website managers that devote their efforts to protecting the spirit of the basic fundamentals of the Google guidelines will be more useful and, in turn, will be a better alternative to internet users than the deceptive sites. The result will be a higher ranking than those who misuse the system.

Google Don’ts

Any of the following guidelines are cause for immediate banning:

1. Don't create pages with the intent to manipulate search engines. Create pages that will attract and be useful to your visitors. If your site is about industrial computers, then give information about technology. Don't try to trick search engines by presenting different content or links to them than you display to the users who visit your sites. This highly discouraged practice is known as "cloaking."

2. No text or links should be hidden from the users. That is clearly an intent to deceive. Some useful questions to ask are is the purpose of my website to offer information, sell products or services, or help users? or "Is my main goal to achieve a higher search engine ranking".

3. Don't link to internet spammers or "bad neighborhoods". First, it's unscrupulous, and second, your ranking may well be harmed merely by association with them. If they are banned from Google's ranking system, you may be as well. The fallout can be disastrous and very difficult to recover from.

4. Don't create different pages with essentially duplicate information, even if the website domains are different. Google has caught on to this strategy and has started cracking down on those who engage in this activity.

5. Clearly avoid creating pages that are only for search engine ranking or affiliate programs that offer no substantial content. That's not to say that affiliate programs are bad or even discouraged, but be certain your page offers something of value to its visitors. Also, try to offer content that is useful and relevant to your site visitors.

The good news is if you are banned by Google either because of a direct attempt to manipulate rankings or an innocent misstep, you can recover. After you have made changes to make your website pages conform to the prescribed guidelines, you can then submit your site for review.