From keyword stuffing gone wrong to the accidental SEO success of a Canadian singer, these hilarious stories of outrageous tactics and unforeseeable results will give you a glimpse into the sometimes absurd world of Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Join us as we share the 5 funniest SEO stories that will make you laugh out loud and remind you that even in the world of SEO, there’s always room for some unexpected humor.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a complex and ever-evolving field that involves making websites rank higher in search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo. Although the primary goal of SEO is to improve a website’s visibility and increase its organic traffic, there are some hilarious stories about SEO that are worth sharing. From outrageous tactics to unforeseeable results, here are some of the funniest SEO stories.
- Targeting the wrong keywords
One of the biggest mistakes that novice SEOs make is targeting the wrong keywords. In 2012, a prominent online retailer decided to target the keyword “Lego” for their website. While the keyword may have seemed like a perfect fit, the retailer soon discovered that they were competing with the actual Lego website, which had a much higher domain authority. As a result, the retailer struggled to rank for the keyword and had to come up with a new strategy.
- Keyword stuffing gone wrong
In the early days of SEO, some website owners would stuff their content with as many keywords as possible to try and trick search engines into ranking them higher. In 2012, an online flower shop tried this tactic, but it backfired spectacularly. The shop’s website was filled with phrases like “cheap flowers,” “buy flowers online,” and “discount flowers.” While the keywords helped the website rank higher initially, it soon became clear that the content was unreadable and unhelpful. As a result, the website’s bounce rate increased, and it fell in the rankings.
- The hidden text trick
Another popular SEO tactic in the early days was to hide text on a page by making it the same color as the background. This allowed website owners to include keywords without affecting the user experience. In 2005, BMW tried this trick, but they were caught by Google’s spam team. As punishment, the search engine giant removed BMW’s website from its index for a brief period.
- The power of memes
In 2012, a company that sold office supplies noticed that one of its products had become a popular meme online. The meme featured a picture of a stapler with the caption “I’m going to need you to come in on Saturday.” The company decided to capitalize on the meme’s popularity by creating a page on their website dedicated to the stapler. They optimized the page for the keywords “come in on Saturday” and “stapler,” and within a few weeks, the page was ranking on the first page of Google’s results for both keywords. The company saw a significant increase in traffic and sales as a result.
- The accidental SEO success
Sometimes, SEO success can happen by accident. In 2011, a Canadian singer named Justin Bieber tweeted a link to a video of a 3-year-old boy singing one of his songs. The tweet went viral, and the video received millions of views. However, the video was uploaded to a YouTube channel that had no other videos, and the channel’s description included a link to a website that sold Justin Bieber merchandise. As a result, the website received a huge amount of traffic and skyrocketed in the rankings for keywords related to the singer.
While SEO is a serious business, there are some funny stories that illustrate the sometimes absurd tactics and unexpected results that can occur. From keyword stuffing and hidden text to viral memes and accidental success, these stories show that sometimes even the most outlandish ideas can work in the world of SEO.