How To Pick The Right Keywords For Your Website

Since 2012, Google has made a series of changes to its search algorithm that have altered the role of keywords in creating good content. The biggest misconception people have is that keywords are no longer necessary to help move a website up into the first page of search engine results. The real truth is that keywords are still important, but the way you choose the right keywords has changed.

Use The Tools That Are Available

Choosing keywords is not nearly as easy as it used to be, which means that you have to use tools that have kept up with the times. The most obvious tool to use for any keyword search is Google AdWords. You can do keyword searches and get a lot of information back on the keywords that would be relevant to your business by using the AdWords free keyword tool.

Another powerful way to use Google AdWords to get the right keywords is to run test AdWords campaigns using keywords you feel are relevant and see what kinds of results you get. You don't need to spend a lot of money to start seeing activity, but you will get a wealth of information on how keywords really react when consumers start doing searches.

Be Specific

If you are a shoe manufacturer, then the days of you getting lots of valuable web traffic using the keyword "shoes" are ancient history. These days, millions of websites use the basic keywords, which means that you are going to need to get creative if you want traffic.

When you put keywords together, be specific in your wording. If you sell red shoes, then use "red shoes" as a keyword. If you find other keywords associated with "red shoes" that perform well in keyword tools, then use them as well. If you work to find specific keywords within your industry, then you will start to attract traffic that is actually interested in what you have to offer.

Understand The Long Tail

Not too long ago, digital marketing agencies shied away from long tail keywords because they didn't work. But now that Google is more focused on finding good content for users, the long tail keyword has become king.

Understanding the long tail keyword is in line with the idea that your keywords need to be specific. Users are inputting longer and longer keyword searches to find what they are looking for, and you need to craft the long tail keywords that will attract those users.

Have A Plan

The best keywords are the ones that match your specific marketing goals. Each digital marketing campaign you launch should have its own, specific keywords to get the best results. You should avoid using generic keywords with your marketing campaigns, and you should monitor keyword activity to determine which keywords need to be changed to give you better results.

Digital marketing has become more than a full-time job, which is why you need to hire experts to help you handle your marketing needs. Developing effective keywords used to be a lot easier back in the days when search engines counted content instead of reading it. Now that Google is looking to give users quality search results, you will need to understand what keywords are going to work to attract your audience, and what keywords are not already being overused by the competition.

What Is A Bad Link

As Google keeps refining how it ranks websites, it’s forcing businesses to rethink how they build links and create content. Buying links or using shady tactics to boost rankings is no longer just ineffective—it can actively hurt your site. In some cases, one bad link (or a whole pattern of “badlink” behavior) can trigger penalties that tank your visibility in search.

Google wants you to grow your website organically by earning links from relevant, reputable sites that are genuinely connected to your content. But even if you’re not buying links, certain link characteristics can still send Google red flags.

Here’s how a good link can turn into a bad link—and what to watch out for.

Linking to Questionable Websites

Before you agree to a link swap or add an outbound link, you need to vet the site carefully. If the website:

then pointing to it can turn your link into a badlink by association.

Google reads links as a kind of endorsement. If you keep “endorsing” low-quality or toxic sites, your own credibility and rankings can suffer.

Irrelevant Content = Bad Link Signals

Google is also much stricter about relevance than it used to be. A gardening site linking to a personal finance blog just to trade authority, with no meaningful connection, can now be treated as a bad link.

Links should:

If a link feels random or forced, Google is more likely to treat it as a badlink and devalue it—or worse, use it as a signal that you’re trying to game the system.

Overusing the Same Link

Finally get a great link partner? Awesome. But don’t overdo it.

Putting the same link in:

can make even a high-quality link look manipulative. From Google’s perspective, that pattern can turn what started as a strong signal into a bad link footprint.

Use good links strategically and sparingly, not like wallpaper.

Too Many Links to the Same Site

If you and a partner site—or, for example, you and your brother’s similar website—link back and forth constantly, it can create a lopsided, unnatural pattern. Google may see this as a link scheme rather than a genuine relationship.

When a large percentage of your outbound links point to the same domain, that can be interpreted as a badlink network, even if your original intent was harmless. It’s better to keep your link profile diversified and organic.

Keyword-Stuffed Anchor Text

For a long time, the “best practice” was to use exact-match industry keywords as anchor text for your links:

“If you’re looking for cheap car insurance in New York, click here…”

Now, this kind of keyword-heavy anchor text is a classic bad link signal.

Google prefers:

If your content is packed with stiff, keyword-stuffed anchors, Google may treat those links as badlink tactics and downgrade your site.

Why Cleaning Up Bad Links Matters

The definition of a good SEO link changes frequently, but one thing stays the same: using bad link practices can lead to serious penalties and long-term damage to your rankings.

If you want to stay on Google’s good side, you should:

And if you’re not sure whether your site has a badlink problem, working with an experienced SEO or internet marketing professional can make all the difference. The right guidance can be the line between steady, sustainable traffic—or devastating Google penalties that are costly and time-consuming to fix.