How to Write Content That Tops Search Results Smartly

In the vast world of the internet, visibility is the most expensive currency. Every website owner, whether it's a small store on a platform like Shopify or a personal blog, dreams of having their site be the first result a user sees when they search for a service or information. This frantic quest towards the top has led to the emergence of various strategies under the so-called SEO.
However, not all strategies are helpful. There's a dark side to the SEO world known as black-hat SEO, which is a set of practices that try to manipulate search engine algorithms instead of delivering real value. Keyword stuffing is on top of these practices.
In this detailed article, we will take you on a journey to learn everything related to this concept, in a simple and clear style away from technical complexities, to help you build a strong and sustainable website.

How did the story of word stuffing begin?
To understand why word stuffing today is considered a bad practice, we have to go back a bit, to the beginnings of search engines in the 1990s and early 2000s. At the time, search engines like Yahoo and Google were based on very simple mechanisms to rank sites. The golden rule back then was: the more the word is repeated on a page, the more important the page is. This simplicity tempted website owners to do strange things: they would fill their pages with long lists of keywords, sometimes placing them at the bottom of the page in a very small font or a hidden color. Unfortunately, these tricks were working at the time!
But Google, as a tech giant, has realized that these stuffed results don't offer any benefit to the user. A user who is looking for a way to make a cake doesn't want to see a page that repeats this sentence 500 times without any real explanation. That's where the update revolution like Panda and Penguin Update began, where the focus shifted from how many times did you mention the word to how good the content you provide?.

What is keyword stuffing in today's sense?
Simply put, word stuffing is the exaggeration of the frequency of certain words or numbers in the content of a page with the aim of influencing their ranking in search engines. This repetition appears abnormally and makes the text look like it was written by a machine rather than a human.

The difference between smart use and filler
Not every iteration is filler. It is normal to mention the subject of the article several times. The difference lies in context and value.

  • Smart Usage: Mention the keyword when the context requires it, with the use of synonyms and related words that make the text rich and smooth.

  • Filler: It is inserting the word into sentences that you don't need, or repeating it in a sequence that cuts the cord of the reader's thoughts.

Word stuffing forms Where do people make mistakes?
Some might think that padding is limited to articles only, but in fact it creeps into every corner of the website:

  • Filler within body text
    This is the most obvious form. You find entire paragraphs designed just to repeat the word.
    Example: If you want to design a website, we are a website design company that specializes in designing a website for businesses. Website design is our core service, and we have experts in website design.
    Impact: The reader will immediately get bored and lose confidence in the professionalism of the company.

  • Filling in Titles & Meta Tags Title 
    is the first thing a user sees in Google. Stuffing words into it makes it look like a spam ad.
    Mistake: Best Natural Honey - Original Sidr Honey - Buy Honey - Honey for Sale -  True Honey Store
    : A Comprehensive Guide on the Benefits of Natural Honey and How to Distinguish the Original Type

  • The padding in the link URLs
     should be short and clear. Repeating words in it makes it look suspicious.
    False: 'example.com/best-laptop/cheap-laptop/buy-laptop-online'
     True: 'example.com/best-laptops-2024'

  • Padding in Alt Text Alt Text Alt 
    Text Its function is to describe the image to those who do not see it. His exploitation of stuffing is an open manipulation.
    Error: Picture of a cat, and the alt text is: Beautiful cat cat for sale small cats breeding cats cat food.
    Right: A small Shirazi kitten plays with a white wool reel.

  • Invisible Text
    This type is the most dangerous, where keywords are placed in the same color as the background or behind images. Search engines consider this to be a visual deception and punish it with the most severe penalties, which may reach a permanent ban on the site.

Why is word stuffing considered suicide for your site?
If you're thinking about using this technique, here are the reasons why you should change your mind right away:

  • Google's algorithms are becoming more human
    thanks to AI technologies such as RankBrain and BERT, Google understands language as well as humans do. He knows when speech is natural and when it is artificial. The padding is no longer on it, but has become a red flag indicating poor site quality.

  • Ruin the UX
    Imagine you walk into a store and the seller starts repeating the product name in every sentence they say. Will you buy from him? Probably you will go out immediately. In the online world, this quick exit raises  the Bounce Rate, which tells Google that your site is bad, and it lowers your ranking.

  • Loss of credibility and
     a successful brand is built on trust. Word-stuffed content gives the impression that the site is unreliable or that it is just a spam site that only aims to collect traffic without providing value.

  • Google
    doesn't just have algorithms, it has a team of human reviewers. If your site is subjected to manual review and is found to be based on filling, you may be subject to a manual penalty, which is very difficult to recover from.

How to Write Results Topping Content Now
that we know what to avoid, let's learn the right way that Google and readers love:

  • Start with  User Intent
    Before typing a single letter, ask yourself: Why is the user searching for this word?.
    If he's looking to learn to code, he wants a tutorial.
    If he is looking for the cheapest phone, he wants to compare prices.
    When you focus on meeting this need, you'll find yourself using the right words naturally and automatically.

  • Use Related Keywords LSI Keywords
    These are the words that usually appear with your topic. If you are writing about traveling to Turkey, it is natural to mention visa, hotels, istanbul, aviation, attractions. Google understands that having these diverse words means that your article is comprehensive and of high quality.

  • Although  there is 
    no fixed rule, most SEO experts recommend that the keyword frequency should not exceed 1% to 2% of the total words of the article. If your essay is 1000 words, mentioning the word 10 times in different places is very enough.

  • Focus on catchy headlines
    instead of stuffing the title with words, keep the reader curious. Use strong numbers or words such as a comprehensive guide, secrets, practical steps. This increases CTR, which is a very powerful ranking factor for Google.

The role of AI in this equation
With the advent of tools like ChatGPT, it has become easier to generate huge amounts of content. But beware! If you ask the AI to write an article and focus only on keywords, it may automatically produce stuffed content.
Tip: Use AI as a draft and then add your human touch, real-life stories, and personal opinion. Google greatly appreciates content in which a human expert appears what is known as E-E-A-T standards.
Ultimately, we must remember that Google is not an enemy we are trying to deceive, but rather a broker who wants to offer the best to its users. If you make it your goal to help the reader and provide honest and useful information in a simple way, search engines will reward you with the lead.

Keyword stuffing is a false shortcut that leads to a dead end. Good content is a long-term investment that builds a loyal audience and an invincible brand. Start writing for humans today, and you'll find that algorithms will follow you wherever you are.