Last Updated on September 26, 2025
“Which SEO tactics should we not employ?”
It sounds simple, right? Don’t do the bad stuff, stick with the good stuff. But the truth is, SEO keeps changing. What worked 10 years ago might sink you today. What looks like a shortcut now could cost you long-term trust and visibility.
So in this article, I want to give you both:
- A few reminders of the basics we sometimes forget
- A few points that take into account how AI, OnPage, OffPage, and Technical SEO are evolving
This isn’t a rant. It’s a gentle nudge for all of us – because even the best of us slip into old habits.
TL:DR?
No time to read the article? Prefer a video summary? We’ve got you covered!
Link Schemes and Black-Hat Backlinks
Let’s start with the old favorite: link buying.
We still see it – buying links, link farms, dodgy exchanges. But here’s the truth: buying links is like building a bridge out of cardboard. You might get across once, but eventually it collapses.
And when it collapses, it’s not just a broken link – it’s your reputation, your visibility, your credibility.
Instead? Build relationships. Publish content worth linking to. Collaborate. Trust is built, not bought.
Focus on earning links naturally by creating content that genuinely answers questions and adds value. Real authority is built, not faked.
Keyword Stuffing and AI Over-Optimization
“Utilize Google Search Console to monitor keyword performance and ensure your content aligns with user intent, avoiding over-optimization.”
Next, keyword stuffing. It’s like shouting in a crowded room: no one listens, and you annoy everyone around you. Repeating keywords excessively or hiding them in invisible text is a one-way street to penalties.
With AI-driven search, context and intent matter more than repetition. Use semantic variations, entities, and natural languagethink of your content as a conversation with the user rather than a formula for bots.
Mini-tip: Pick one page this week. Could a human read it and feel it answers their question naturally? If not, revise it.
If AI generated your content, did it solve a real problem for your audience, or just fill a keyword quota?
On-Page SEO Mistakes
OnPage SEO traps still linger:
- Duplicate content: Avoid repeating across multiple pages or domains.
- Misuse of headings and structured data: H1s, H2s, and schema markup are your content’s skeleton – ignore them, and clarity suffers.
- Over-optimization of internal links: Forcing links where they don’t belong confuses users and search engines.
OnPage SEO is like a museum exhibit – clear signage guides the visitor, cluttered or hidden signs frustrate them.
Conduct a UX check on one key page per month: does the layout guide the reader naturally through the content?
And here’s something we don’t talk about enough: build light website themes. A bloated WordPress template, overloaded with scripts and plugins, might look “fancy,” but it kills your performance. Users want speed. Google rewards speed. Less fluff, more function.
“Tools SemRush and Screaming Frog can assist in identifying on-page issues like missing meta tags or duplicate content.”
Off-Page SEO Pitfalls
OffPage SEO risks include:
- Comment spam on blogs just for links
- Irrelevant social media posts meant only for SEO
- Buying reviews or mentions
Instead, think of OffPage SEO as your reputation at a dinner party. Authenticity matters. Participate in meaningful discussions, collaborate with peers, and create content people genuinely want to reference.
And please, don’t ignore social. Your audience lives there. Your brand presence there reinforces trust. Social doesn’t just drive traffic – it sends signals, creates shareability, and sparks the very mentions that Google values.
“Are you part of the conversation, or just broadcasting into the void?”
The future of OffPage SEO is human-driven, not algorithm-driven. Focus on building credibility, and search engines will follow.
Technical SEO Traps
Technical mistakes still sneak in:
- Heavy scripts that slow load times
- Ignoring mobile responsiveness
- Duplicate URLs, canonical errors, messy redirects
Technical SEO is the foundation of your house. No one sees it directly, but if it’s shaky, everything else collapses.
Pick one technical audit per month: page speed, mobile usability, or canonical structure. Fix small issues consistently – they add up.
“PageSpeed Insights is still invaluable for assessing site speed, a critical factor in both user experience and SEO rankings. If your SEO score isn’t 100 there, this is where you should begin.”
PPC vs. Organic Content
Here’s a mistake I see too often: trying to use PPC keywords for organic.
It doesn’t work. PPC is transactional and short-term. Organic is relational and long-term. They serve different masters and intents.
Instead: let PPC teach you what converts. But use organic content to tell the story, nurture the journey, and build authority.
Landing Pages & Funnels
This one’s often overlooked: ignoring landing pages as lead drivers.
SEO isn’t just about your homepage or blog posts. It’s about being visible between funnel stages. Many people are on the cusp of research and purchase. If you’re not there with a strong landing page, they’ll find someone else who is.
Landing pages are where visibility turns into action. Without them, traffic is vanity. With them, you have conversion.
“Don’t just optimize for traffic. Optimize for transformation – from visitor to customer.”
Wrapping Up
Let’s wrap up. The overarching message: avoid shortcuts, manipulation, or outdated tricks.
Great SEO comes from focusing on being a helpful authority people can find.
- Don’t buy links.
- Don’t stuff keywords.
- Don’t bloat your site.
- Don’t ignore social.
- Don’t mix PPC and organic.
- Don’t skip landing pages.
And in 2025, here’s one more reminder: don’t ignore Bing. Microsoft isn’t just Bing anymore. It’s Bing + AI + Copilot + LinkedIn data. That ecosystem is powerful. Many of your users are there, whether you realize it or not.
Who cares if Bing is less than 10% of its market? So is Shopify.
“SEO isn’t about tricks – it’s about trust, value, and clarity.”
Let me leave you with a question: If you stripped away the algorithms, would your site still help people?
Keep your focus on value, credibility, and sustainable practices – and you’ll avoid the pitfalls while future-proofing your digital presence.
