Creating a Relevant SEO Strategy through Deoptimization
Even with a long-term SEO strategy (one that includes an internal link strategy), it can be easy to accept a broad outlook on the strategies in place. When a strategy is too robust, too many optimizations can be implemented on a webpage, which might prove volatile for search engines.
How does an organization turn a heavily optimized page into one with natural and relevant SEO keyword intent and a focus on the user experience? We’ll look into that, here.
How Can I Identify Over-Optimization?
Many organizations have been there when it comes to SEO strategy: you’re looking for a way to rank higher on search engines results pages (SERPs) and end up choosing a strategy that verges on optimizing for too many keywords.
Optimizing for an overabundance of keywords is known as over-optimization. This can happen when too many keywords over a small amount of time are optimized on a website’s page. When this occurs, Google and other search engines can get confused as to why the page, or pages, are being updated in an uncommon manner.
As part of your company’s SEO strategy, it’s smart to understand your company’s website goals as well as user experience. Ask questions like:
- “Do these SEO optimized keywords sound natural to a user who’s reading the website content?”
- “What is the intent of the keyword and how does that integrate into the SEO and content strategy?”
- “How does this internal link strategy influence the user experience and would it translate into a positive ROI or conversion rate?”
By identifying where on your website you have over-optimization(s), it’ll be easier to deoptimize. A few characteristics of over-optimization include stuffing the footer and/or content with keywords, using non-branded URLs, or using keyword-rich internal link anchor text. After you’ve identified areas of over-optimization, then it’s time to deoptimize and get your SEO strategy back on track.
What Is Deoptimization and Why Should I Do It?
Once you’ve identified the signs of over-optimization, it’s time to proactively deoptimize content through a plan. Keep in mind that each deoptimization strategy will be dependent on the source of the over-optimization. Deoptimization is a great way to refocus your SEO and marketing goals and objectives through methodical, but simple, steps.
Although we’re not including every aspect of the deoptimization strategy, two steps of the process include running a link audit and analyzing keyword intent. Performing these steps are important for Google and search engines in recognizing that SEO is improving on the website.
How Does an Internal Link Strategy Help?
One step of your deoptimization strategy should be focusing on links. An important aspect of having an internal link strategy, regardless of if you’re taking part in a deoptimization strategy or not, is performing a thorough analysis of links by carrying out an internal link audit.
Link audits don’t usually take too much time but they are a backbone of informing you of how a page is looking in terms of site link health. An internal link audit will help identify if your site or page has too many of the same link types.
Though links from social media and earned links from industry websites are important for an SEO strategy, diversifying your outbound and internal link strategy could be the way to move forward. By having the link audit analysis as a companion throughout the deoptimization process, it should direct you to making more informed decisions regarding external and internal link strategies.
Link opportunities are abundant when taking into consideration that you will have your internal link strategy built up, in addition to any outbound links. Within your link strategy, it’s vital to utilize relevant links with an eye toward your keyword intent.
How Does the Keyword Strategy Fit in?
As part of your deoptimization strategy — with one step being conducting a link audit and creating an internal link strategy — another step would be to look at the keyword research and targeted keywords that are part of the SEO strategy. Although it’s a two step process, completing the tasks will make the deoptimization and reoptimization strategies easier to implement.
The steps incorporate:
- Determining the keywords that stand out due to having become stagnant.
- Discovering which keywords either have an incorrect keyword intent or the intent has changed.
Overall, a deoptimization strategy should include analyzing and updating your internal link strategy after performing a link audit, identifying any change in keyword intent, and conducting a new keyword research and SERP analysis.
When taking part in the deoptimization process, remember to understand the goal, or goals, of the company’s website as well as the specific pages you are deoptimizing. By doing so, this will help with not only keeping the SEO strategy on brand but will assist with keeping the user, and the user experience, in mind.
