You MIGHT Get a Penalty. Maybe. - Episode 107

Summary

**Grumpy SEO Guy Podcast Summary

**Episode 107: "You MIGHT Get a Penalty. Maybe."
Release Date: May 7, 2025

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Introduction

In Episode 107 of the Grumpy SEO Guy podcast titled "You MIGHT Get a Penalty. Maybe.", the host delves into the often misunderstood realm of SEO penalties. Drawing from his 14 years of experience running an SEO agency, Grumpy SEO Guy aims to clarify the uncertainties surrounding penalties and provide actionable insights for SEO professionals.

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Understanding SEO Penalties

Grumpy SEO Guy begins by emphasizing that not every SEO tactic that could lead to a penalty will result in one. He states:

"Just because you do something that might get you a penalty doesn't mean you are going to get a penalty."
[00:42]

This foundational understanding sets the tone for the episode, reassuring listeners that caution is necessary but not all actions are inherently punitive.

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Common Causes of SEO Penalties

The host identifies several key actions that can potentially lead to penalties:

1. Over-Optimization of Anchor Text:

   • Overuse of identical keywords in anchor texts can be a red flag.
   • Quote:

     "Over optimization is when too many of your anchor text use the same keywords."
     [02:10]

2. Keyword Stuffing:

   • Excessive repetition of keywords within website content.
   • Quote:

     "Do not go beyond 3% of your text being the same word."
     [02:20]

3. Link Spam:

   • Acquiring backlinks from spammy websites increases the risk of penalties.
   • Quote:

     "If you get backlinks from websites that are classified as spam, there's a good chance that you might get a penalty."
     [02:30]

4. Negative SEO:

   • Deliberate attempts to harm competitors' SEO standings.
   • Quote:

     "Negative SEO is when you do terrible SEO to your competition."
     [05:31]

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Misconceptions About Penalties

A significant portion of the episode addresses common misunderstandings:

• Inconsistency of Penalties:

  • Not all instances of potential penalty triggers result in actual penalties.
  • Quote:

    "Maybe you saw somebody who's keyword stuffed and they're outranking you. Well, doing something like keyword stuffing can get you a penalty, but it doesn't mean you are going to get a penalty."
    [03:43]

• Confusion from Algorithm Uncertainty:

  • Grumpy SEO Guy speculates that search engine algorithms might intentionally create ambiguity to challenge SEO practitioners.
  • Quote:

    "Do you think that would create confusion with people? ... if you don't actually have, like, total certainty that it's bad, you might not believe that it's actually bad."
    [04:14]

• Effectiveness of Negative SEO:

  • Attempts at negative SEO may fail if the target has a robust backlink profile.
  • Quote:

    "Just because somebody tried it and it didn't work doesn't mean it doesn't work. It means that person didn't do a sufficient job to generate the results they wanted."
    [05:28]

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Strategies to Mitigate Penalty Risks

Grumpy SEO Guy offers practical advice to ensure websites remain within safe SEO practices:

1. Regular Audits:

   • Monitor anchor texts and backlink profiles to detect over-optimization or spammy links early.

2. Balanced Keyword Usage:

   • Adhere to the 3% rule for keyword density to avoid keyword stuffing.
   • Quote:

     "This is my rule... if you have 100 words on some page on your site, do not have more than three of those words be the keywords."
     [02:23]

3. Maintain a Healthy Backlink Profile:

   • Focus on acquiring high-quality backlinks to overshadow any potentially harmful ones.
   • Quote:

     "If you have a good backlink profile and then you notice some, like, bad quality backlinks pointing to you, you're probably okay."
     [06:05]

4. Swift Remediation:

   • If issues like keyword stuffing are identified, address them promptly to minimize risks.
   • Quote:

     "If you find out that your pages are keyword stuffed, calm down and fix it."
     [06:05]

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Addressing Listener Concerns

Throughout the episode, Grumpy SEO Guy responds to common queries and misconceptions from listeners and industry discussions:

• He acknowledges the confusion caused when similar SEO tactics yield different results across websites.
• He clarifies that witnessing a penalty is not always a straightforward indicator of wrongdoing, as penalties are influenced by multiple factors and their application can be inconsistent.

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Conclusion

In wrapping up, Grumpy SEO Guy reiterates the importance of understanding the nuanced nature of SEO penalties. He encourages listeners to remain vigilant, conduct regular SEO audits, and focus on sustainable SEO practices rather than chasing quick wins that could jeopardize their website's standing.

"I hope this episode helps you understand a little bit more clearly about how penalties can happen."
[07:06]

He invites listeners to engage further by subscribing, leaving reviews, or reaching out via Reddit or email with questions and topic suggestions.

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Key Takeaways

• Not All Risky SEO Actions Lead to Penalties: Understanding that potential penalties are not guaranteed allows for more informed decision-making.
• Monitor and Adjust SEO Practices: Regularly auditing SEO strategies can preemptively address issues that might lead to penalties.
• Focus on Quality Backlinks and Content: Building a strong backlink profile and maintaining balanced keyword usage are fundamental to avoiding penalties.
• Stay Informed and Engaged: Active participation in SEO communities and continuous learning are essential for navigating the evolving landscape of SEO.

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By unpacking the complexities of SEO penalties, Grumpy SEO Guy equips listeners with the knowledge to navigate their SEO strategies confidently, avoiding common pitfalls while striving for sustainable search engine rankings.

Transcript

[Grumpy SEO Guy]

This is Grumpy SEO Guy, episode 107. You might get a penalty. You're listening to Grumpy SEO Guy, the SEO podcast that doesn't waste your time with nonsense that doesn't work. I'm the Grumpy SEO Guy and I'm sharing with you the strategies that have helped me successfully run my SEO agency for the last 14 years. In this podcast, I'll be sharing my knowledge and experience, discussing tips and strategies, and trying to help you cut through the confusion that permeates this industry. If you listen to this podcast, you will know more about SEO than 99% of people on the planet. Ready? Let's get started. I'm the Grumpy SEO Guy. Let me tell you why I'm grumpy today. I'm grumpy today because people are unsure about penalties. And so there's something that I really want to clarify for everybody. And so that's what we're going to talk about. But before we do that, my lawyer tells me that I have to say this right now. A quick disclaimer before we get started. Everything I say here is based on my experience and opinion from 14 years in the industry. I don't officially know how Google or any other search engines work. Everything I say here is hypothetical. And based on my experience, this podcast does not constitute advice or services. What worked for me may or may not work for you. Okay, back to the show. But before we do that, I want to remind you, if you email me. By the way, I like hearing from you. I try to respond to everybody. If you haven't gotten a reply in a couple days, check your spam folders. Usually when we talk about SEO or backlinks or whatever, it can go into spam. Okay, Anyways, so I just wanted to. I just wanted to get that out there. Don't think that I did not answer your email. Anyway, so here's the thing. This is very important. So listen, just because you do something that might get you a penalty doesn't mean you are going to get a penalty.

[Listener]

Okay?

[Grumpy SEO Guy]

So on this podcast, we talk about some of the stuff that can cause you to have a penalty. And I'll refresh your memory, don't worry. But I want you to be aware, just because you see these things doesn't mean you will get a penalty. And just because you see it on your competition doesn't mean they are breaking the rules and somehow doing spammy SEO, but somehow ranking really well. Okay, because just because you do something that can cause a penalty doesn't mean you are going to get a penalty.

[Listener]

Okay?

[Grumpy SEO Guy]

It's a very important topic. So for example, maybe you have a website that has over optimization.

[Listener]

Okay?

[Grumpy SEO Guy]

Over optimization is when too many of your anchor text use the same keywords.

[Listener]

Okay?

[Grumpy SEO Guy]

Anchor text is the words in a backlink.

[Listener]

Okay?

[Grumpy SEO Guy]

So if you have backlinks that say dishwashers, that's the anchor text, okay? So if you have a hundred backlinks and all of them say dishwashers, that that's definitely over optimization. Okay? That can probably get you a penalty, but that doesn't mean it is going to get you a penalty. It means it could get you a penalty.

[Listener]

Okay?

[Grumpy SEO Guy]

So here's some other ones that you should be aware of. There's also. This is kind of a hot button. Cause some people don't think it's a thing. But anyways, link spam can get you a penalty and keyword stuffing can get you a penalty. So keyword stuffing is when too many of the words on your website are your keywords or they're just any word. This is my rule. This is not an official rule, but 3% do not go beyond 3% of your text being the same word. So if you have 100 words on some page on your site, do not have more than three of those words be the keywords. Okay? Now the other one is link spam. Like I said, if you get backlinks from websites that are classified as spam, there's a good chance that you might get a penalty. Okay, so we'll talk a little bit more about that in a minute. Maybe. But anyway, I just want you to be aware, doing something that can get you a penalty does not mean you will get a penalty. It means you can get a penalty.

[Listener]

Okay?

[Grumpy SEO Guy]

I'm sure you've been researching your competition and you see that they have spammy backlinks, but somehow they're still outranking you. Well, that's because doing things like getting spammy backlinks can get you a penalty, but doesn't definitely get you a penalty. Maybe you saw somebody who's keyword stuffed and they're outranking you. Well, doing something like keyword stuffing can get you a penalty, but it doesn't mean you are going to get a penalty. Okay, here's another thing. I want you to think about this, like actually. Like I actually want you to.

[Listener]

Okay?

[Grumpy SEO Guy]

What if the algorithm has uncertainty designed into it? Okay? For example, maybe there are four websites with keyword stuffing and only three of them get penalties. Now think about this for a minute. Do you think that would create confusion with people? Do you think they would be like.

[Guest Expert]

Wait a minute, these websites have keyword stuffing. And I heard that you're not supposed to do keyword stuffing, but one website didn't even get a penalty, so keyword stuffing isn't legitimate.

[Grumpy SEO Guy]

Okay, do you think that they might have done. I'm not saying they did it that way, but do you think that would help confuse people doing SEO? Like, look, if you know that keyword stuffing is always bad, you're not gonna keyword stuff, right? But if you don't actually have, like, total certainty that it's bad, you might not believe that it's actually bad, right? I'm not saying it works that way. I'm just saying if you consider the battle between search engines and people who are attempting SEO, that might be a little bit of a method that they use. Anyway, I'm not saying it works that way. I'm just saying maybe. Anyway, so it's kind of like with negative SEO too, right?

[Guest Expert]

People are like, negative SEO doesn't work.

[Grumpy SEO Guy]

Well, just because somebody tried it and it didn't work doesn't mean it doesn't work. It means that person didn't do a sufficient job to generate the results they wanted. And, and by the way, negative SEO is when you do terrible SEO to your competition.

[Listener]

Okay?

[Grumpy SEO Guy]

Anyways, you should probably stay away from that whole thing. Anyways, this is my point, because people.

[Guest Expert]

Are like, well, I read this thing and this guy did. This guy did negative SEO, and it did. It didn't work. There's no such thing as negative SEO.

[Grumpy SEO Guy]

Okay, look, maybe that page, maybe that domain just had a good enough backlink profile that your negative SEO didn't do anything. Yeah. Did you think of that? Look, here's the point. Just because you do things, and I know I've already said this, but this is important. Just because you do things that might get you a penalty doesn't mean you will get a penalty. So what does that mean for you? Okay, if you find out that your pages are keyword stuffed, calm down and fix it. But if you don't already have a penalty, you're probably okay. All right? But I probably, you know, you know, solve that issue as quickly as possible. If you have a good backlink profile and then you notice some, like, bad quality backlinks pointing to you, you're probably okay. You're probably fine. Okay? Just don't. Don't like where you're. You. You're not gonna get a. Oh, I can't say you're not. But it's. It's improbable that you would get a penalty because some spammy website gave you a couple backlinks and you have an already good backlink profile.

[Listener]

Okay?

[Grumpy SEO Guy]

So anyway, I know this is a short episode, okay? But this is very important because people actually, like, get a little bit, like, bewildered by this whole thing. They're like, I see cases of penalties, of things that should cause penalties, but there's no penalty. Well, yeah. Cause it wasn't adequate to generate a penalty. But I'm just saying, if you're researching your competition, all right, and you see that they have, you know, spammy links or keyword stuffing or over optimization, and you can't figure out why they're ranking, it's because you don't constantly get a penalty from doing these things. But you can.

[Listener]

Okay.

[Grumpy SEO Guy]

But you might. So I just. I just wanted to clarify that we've got some really neat episodes that are gonna come out, but I wanted to make this episode right now and explain to you this, because I get a lot of questions about this and I see a lot of threads where people are discussing, like, things that do and don't make penalties and stuff. So anyway, I hope this episode helps you understand a little bit more clearly about how penalties can happen. Thanks for listening. Don't forget to subscribe, and if you enjoy this podcast, please leave a review. It would really help the show out. I hope this episode was helpful. If you have any questions or want to suggest a subject for a future episode, you can contact me on Reddit. My username is Grumpy SEO Guy. You can visit the Grumpy SEO Guy subreddit or you can email [e-mail] if you email me, please either whitelist my email address or check your junk folders, because I've been told that my replies are going into the junk folder. And it's probably because we're talking about things like SEO and backlinks, and I think those words will classify an email as spam. And if you want to support the podcast, because it's the best source of SEO information on the planet and it's free, you can do [e-mail] grumpy SEO guy and I will talk to you later. You're listening to Grumpy SEO Guy, the SEO podcast that doesn't waste your time with nonsense that doesn't work. Join us next Wednesday for another episode.