Webmasters can’t really say they never saw it coming. Google is bound to realize one way or another that some sites are over doing search optimization in its own turf, thus the most recent webspam update, Google Penguin. Adorable as it may sound like the previous Google Panda, many are complaining about lost traffic and lower page rank.
One thing people must understand is that Google only wants to provide an impressive user experience so it is wise to anchor SEO strategies on this ideology. Put users first on the priority list. Generate ways to improve user experience for your site.
Bear in mind that Google loves quality websites and puts them at the top of the search results because they deserve it. Quality content will always make Google and your visitors happy. This being said, beware of keyword stuffing. Make sure that a site’s content does not appear spammy. Also, keep your content as fresh as possible.
Build sites that don’t look optimized. This is saying a lot because SEO aims to boost site traffic but all it takes is careful use of keywords for on-page SEO. Don’t cram your content with keywords and spam. For example, if your keyword is “San Diego SEO”, then don’t make it appear more than twice.
Finally, try and emulate high ranking sites with regards to their SEO strategies.
