Google might penalize websites for Over Optimization

This article was updated on July 16th, 2013 at 06:06 am

So, the new buzz in SEO town is that, Google might soon be launching (or probably already launched) an update that will soon crack down “over optimized” websites from the web index. (Source: Search Engine Land)

What is “Over optimization”?

Well, as obvious as it sounds, websites that are extremely SEO friendly. Unnaturally, SEO friendly, let’s say.

As always, Google is keeping it vague this time too. Although Matt Cutts has hinted that they are trying to level the ground trying to discount the signals that might have been artificially sourced for a website, we might never know what they actually are.

This is the latest in Google’s effort to crack down artificially sourced search engine optimization methods. We’ve seen that recently Google had initiated an update to discount websites that were “over advertised”. Now, the mantra is that if not only content is king, but you got to build websites for people, not for engines or for ads. So if your website is approved by your grandma, Google will probably approve it as well.

It will be interesting to see how Google figures out genuine and “spammish” websites. As always, some genuine websites will definitely take the hit in the huge update. Collateral damage, you may call it, but let’s hope that your website is safe.

What are your thoughts? What factors do you think Google would be counting as signals of “over-optimization”?