Send us a text

Managing SEO risk isn't just about playing it safe—it's about building something that lasts. After two decades in the industry, I've watched countless "guaranteed" tactics rise and fall, leaving digital casualties in their wake.

The March 2024 Google core update highlights a fundamental truth: while both white hat and black hat tactics can work, understanding the associated risks is crucial. When my team at BroadbandCoUK lost 99% of our Google traffic after the Penguin update, we narrowly avoided collapse. Recovery took well over a year—a timeline that would bankrupt many businesses dependent on organic traffic.

Today's controversial tactics, particularly AI content generation without significant human oversight, mirror previous patterns. Google has signalled its intentions clearly, and with thousands of brilliant engineers working on detection, it's only a matter of time before automated penalties become more sophisticated. The short-term gains simply aren't worth the long-term vulnerability for those building lasting digital assets.

What many SEO influencers won't tell you is that black hat techniques create significant complications for future business opportunities. During the sale of BroadbandCoUK, I had to provide warranties about our past SEO practices—had we engaged in manipulative tactics, the entire transaction would have been jeopardized. This rarely discussed reality affects your ability to build genuine brand value or exit your business successfully.

Want to ensure your content strategy stands the test of time? Book a free demo at keywordspeopleuse.com/demo where I'll show you how to discover and answer the questions your audience is actually asking. Let's build something sustainable together that won't collapse with the next algorithm update.

SEO Is Not That Hard is hosted by Edd Dawson and brought to you by KeywordsPeopleUse.com

Help feed the algorithm and leave a review at ratethispodcast.com/seo

You can get your free copy of my 101 Quick SEO Tips at: https://seotips.edddawson.com/101-quick-seo-tips

To get a personal no-obligation demo of how KeywordsPeopleUse could help you boost your SEO and get a 7 day FREE trial of our Standard Plan book a demo with me now

See Edd's personal site at edddawson.com

Ask me a question and get on the show Click here to record a question

Find Edd on Linkedin, Bluesky & Twitter

Find KeywordsPeopleUse on Twitter @kwds_ppl_use

"Werq" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/