In the works, according to Google search voice Matt Cutts, is an over optimization penalty that Google will apply to websites trying to cheat the search results. The question with any announcement about potential impacts on search engine rankings (organic placements) is, “to what extent?”
Google has long ignored attempts to manipulate the search engines through over-optimization, but the notion was always those ‘tactics’ were effectively stripped to zero impact. If Google needs to apply an “over optimization” penalty rather than a discount, does it imply the system they had before wasn’t working–that somehow the tricks ‘SEOs’ used to rank a website higher had some manipulative power on search engine rankings?
Those implications raise red flags with respect to Google’s integrity on previous announcements regarding what ‘works’ and what doesn’t to help meet website standards and guidelines.
Regardless, the impact of a supposed penalty, as with any shift in the search sphere with Google, I surmise will be tepid at best. Rarely do we observe, apart from algo shifts but even then we’re a far cry from fluctuating ‘Google Dance’ shifts, sudden and significant search result shifts.
SEOs themselves are wondering aloud what the over optimization penalties will consist of. Keyword stuffing? Keyword density? Incoming web link anchor text?
Your thoughts?
More discussion here: https://searchengineland.com/too-much-seo-google%E2%80%99s-working-on-an-%E2%80%9Cover-optimization%E2%80%9D-penalty-for-that-115627