Seven Heroic Ways to Avoid Playing Google’s Nefarious SEO Game

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I recently decided I’m done playing Google’s nefarious SEO game.  Rank me at the bottom, Google.  I will go down with this ship.

We’ve all seen those articles with clickbait titles like 11 Best Ways (For Men) to Tell Which Baby is Yours at Daycare or The 5 Most Important Life Lessons I’ve Learned Shooting Water Up My Nose.  These are clearly world class articles from a very brave and astute writer, but are they playing Google’s game a little too well?

It’s time we stop playing Google’s SEO game.  We are not pawns, we are people.  If you want to join me in obscurity, here are Seven Heroic Ways to Avoid Playing Google’s Nefarious SEO game. #endtheseo

  1. Don’t write listicles- Listicles are articles with clickbait titles like, 9 Deadly Myths About Exercise.  Yeah, I’m not into writing those.  I’m sure you probably want to read that article because who wants to succumb to a deadly myth about exercise? And there are nine of the deadly myths?!  Even I want to click on that.  That’s just what Google wants.  Feel free to click on that one because that article seems like it’s really important, but typically try to resist.
  2. Make sure to have an unrelated focus keyword- This article is about SEO, but I’m not out here writing “SEO” for my focus keyword, because that would rank me higher, and the higher I get ranked the more I’m playing into Google’s greedy little hands.  I’ll write a keyword that has nothing to do with my article just to throw Google’s hounds off the scent.  For this article I sent Google into a tailspin by making my keyword “Google’s.”  Dog, meet tail.
  3. Commonly go more than 300 words between headings– Our SEO overlords LOVE when you break up articles with headings every few paragraphs.  They say it’s to help make them easier to read.  Easier for who to read?  Google?  Nice try, Google.  I’ll write nonsense for two paragraphs just to go over the 300 word suggestion.
  4. Tags are for toddlers- Do you use tags on your articles?  You might reconsider after hearing this:  Tags is an acronym which stands for Tell A Google Secret. This is a code. Mix those words around and you might be surprised to learn Tags actually stands for Tell Google a Secret. Probably not as harmless as you thought.  If you can’t remember whether you should or shouldn’t use related words as tags remember this rhyme: Tags are for toddlers, and toddlers can’t use WordPress effectively. I’m sure Google would be thrilled if you put a few tags in your articles to help make them easy to find.  Don’t fall into this trap.  My tags are always the same three words: Nice, Try, Google.
  5.  Post articles that have nothing to do with your blog’s main objective- Our SEO rulers would love it if your blog stuck to one genre.  “If you write about baking, stick to baking,” they’ll say as they greedily rub their hands together like an old cartoon villain.  Gross.  Live a little and surprise your readers with a fun article about Simulation Theory, even if you’re a financial independence blog.
  6. Veer off topic- Of course the SEO potentate have put into our subconscious that we absolutely need to stick to one topic per blog post.  They’ll put out messages like, “Nobody will share your article if you start talking about IRAs, but then start talking about how much you hate small talk.” I’m sure Google would absolutely love it if your article got shared a bunch so their website got more traffic.  News flash kings of all things SEO, This is America, we don’t stick to one topic.
  7. Don’t label categories correctly- This tip is next level, but a great hack is to incorrectly label your categories.  Are Google’s privacy-stealing robots always combing through your articles?  I mean, probably.  Would it make it way easier for them if your articles were all grouped together by subject?  Definitely.  Nothing would surprise me these days , so I play it safe by haphazardly categorizing my posts.  Do this and it will drive Google nuts because you’re refusing to play their SEO game.
  8. Truth in advertising- “It would be really cool if your title says Seven Heroic Ways to Avoid Playing Google’s Nefarious SEO Game that you actually have seven ways.”-SEO Holy-ship.  Oh. Okay.  Sure, shackle me to a set number of heroic ways just because that’s what the title says.  I don’t think so, Google.  Write your title first, then write your article.  That way you know the authenticity of your title isn’t compromised based on what the article turns out to be about.  They want you to write your article first then come up with a title, but guess what?  It’s 2019 and we’re not playing that game.
  9. Mix the timing up- One trap young bloggers fall into is trying to be consistent with the timing of their articles.  This falls right into the SEO people’s hands.  They WANT you to be consistent because it will build an audience and get them MORE MONEY.  We’ve all heard the first part “Post consistently to gain a following…”  but they conveniently leave out the end of that sentence  …”so that we, the Google SEO overlords, can make a lot of money from your hard work.”  Disgusting.
  10. Spellcheck- Spellchecking your article is extremely important.  Make sure you mess up a few words hear and they’re.  The SEO hounds can’t read gramatically incorrect sentences and it drives them nuts. Warning: This tip is not for amatuers. Never mind that last bit.  It’s just infuriating when people have misspelled words or typos.
  11. Make sure your title cannot fit within the viewable limit- Have you ever come up with the perfect article title but some Google SEO Czar  tells you it’s not within the viewable limit?  Likely story, Google.  Hot tip:  You don’t have to listen to them.  They just want your title to be short and concise so it falls in line with their greedy self-absorbed standards.  Have fun with your titles and make them as long as you want.

Wow.  We just learned about Seven Ways to Avoid Playing Google’s Nefarious SEO Game.  If you follow a few of these, Google will get tired of trying to control you and you’ll rank happily near the bottom of their search engine and away from their prying greedy bug eyes.

None of us like playing the SEO game, and for years bloggers have collectively felt defenseless against it.  Until now.  SEO overlords, you’re on notice.  Bloggers, go and be defenseless no more.

It makes Google’s SEO nobility furious when you share this article!

While you’re here, check out my recent interview on YourMoneyGeek.com

I Interview The Most Successful Blogger Ever!

 

Author: MrBurritoBowl

Mr. Burrito Bowl is a 34-year-old man from Whitefish, Montana who likes to draw stick figures and say things that sometimes relate to finances, but not always.

18 thoughts on “Seven Heroic Ways to Avoid Playing Google’s Nefarious SEO Game”

  1. Hi Mr BB,
    I’m now worried that Google is in the progress of ranking me lower just for reading this, and blocking my site for a week for leaving a comment.

    However, in seriousness, this does hone in the the point that we do try and market our articles to google. I wonder how different we would all write if it wasn’t about ranking?

    Matt

    1. Yeah I wonder that too. It doesn’t seem like the most successful bloggers worry about that, but did they worry about it early on, before they had an audience? I go back and forth. Some posts I don’t do any SEO and then I’m annoyed nobody reads it, haha. Other posts I’m annoyed that I make it too SEO friendly.

  2. So if I’m doing a lot of these things already, but it wasn’t intentional, is that good? Or bad?

    1. Hmmm very philosophical. If your blog blows up and you become world famous is that good or bad? Good. But, what if you then get assassinated because you’re so famous? Suddenly, it’s not such a good thing. Great point.

  3. Really enjoyed this!
    You’re not the only person flagrantly thumbing your nose at our robot overlords…
    I refuse to have headings in my blog posts. I’m writing an article, not a series of bite-sized chunks.
    Also, I, like the person above, write for adults, so my sentences will be as long as I damn well please, with 5 commas in them if I want. I feel that it’s my blog, so I’ll write things my way.
    I also enjoyed the interview. Nicely done, you wildly successful thing, you!

    1. Woah, woah, woah. I was just called successful for the first time last week, I can’t be getting compliments like “wildly successful.” It will go to my head. Thank you!

  4. I don’t bother with SEO. It’s exhausting and the rules are ever-changing and… Whatever. I’ll write what I write (which are rarely listicles because I too have a distaste for them 99% of the time). If it shows up well, great. If it doesn’t… Meh, I’m okay with my blog staying at its current size if it means I don’t have to contort my writing.

  5. Thanks for this reminder. Sometimes it is easy to get caught up in the SEO game simply because you want to have an audience and interaction.

    But this seems to deter from the reason I started a blog in the first place, so I could have an outlet to say whatever I want 🙂

  6. Thanks, this made me chuckle. Half my posts are labelled as “red” for SEO. Usually because my sentences are supposedly too long. But most of the people that stumble on my blog are adults that are interested in index funds and pension planning etc. I think they can handle a complex sentence.

    1. I can’t publish a red seo label just because I apparently have ocd. I don’t know if that’s ocd, I just know I wish I could publish a non-green seo article. haha I’m glad you have found freedom in your writing.

  7. Nice~ lol. I always like the common advice to NOT have creative titles anymore. Like… get creative within the article but your title better bore the daylights out of everyone OR ELSE!

    Nicely done.

  8. Hilarious. You’ve outdone yourself on this one and I’m going to be finding your posts on purpose now versus just when the Twitter algorithm gods decide that now would be a good time for me to read one. +1 follower.

  9. Funny and useful article. I follow some of your rules and break others. I have listicle titles like ‘3 Ways I Grew My Indie Revenue 100% Per Year’ and then I give four or five ways. I write my title before my article. I sometimes go above the recommended title size. I sometimes misspell. And I forget categories and tags and put free books into 3 Ways to grow 100% per year articles.

  10. SEO makes me sleepy. Finally, permission to make epic headlines and talk about whatever I want! Thanks Mr. Burrito!

    P.S. If you do the opposite of these things, will Google love me? (asking for a friend)

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