Although there are certainly many Search Engine Optimisation risks that should be avoided at all costs, there are a number of others that can end up paying off considerably. By its very nature, SEO can often involve making decisions that may seem risky at the time. As Google’s algorithms continue to shift, SEO has changed a great deal over the years. The SEO strategies that have always worked a few years back can end up getting your site penalised today. Likewise, the risks that could be taken a decade ago could result in long-term damage that is almost impossible to recover from once your site and reputation have been damaged.
The best way to approach your strategy is to understand which SEO risks are worth taking. Once you have a better idea of what you can (very carefully) do to move ahead, it will be a lot easier to make decisions that can have a high pay-off.
SEO Risks That May be Worth Taking
Not to be confused with SEO mistakes that set you back, these SEO risks can help get your site ahead, providing they are planned carefully.
Making changes with testing
Both big and small changes can end up paying off considerably as far as traffic and ranking go. Simply making changes is not going to help, however. All changes can be risky if they are not done carefully. To get the most from any changes made to your site, always proceed with A/B testing and make one chance at a time rather than trying to change everything at once.
Receiving and giving high-quality backlinks
High-quality backlinks can be an excellent way to boost your rankings and also increase your authority. With that said, despite the fact that backlinks play a big part in your SEO campaign, they can be seen as a risk. It often requires giving something away to get something back in return. You may be concerned about losing traffic by placing links to quality sites on your website. This can end up increasing your own ranking, however, even if you lose a few visitors.
Optimising your website’s URL structure
There is a right way and a wrong way to change your site’s link structure. The wrong way is to simply change links without any strategy or plan in place. The right way is to optimise links carefully, making sure that links are short, simple and easy to remember. You will also need to have 301 redirects in place and be aware that even changing links properly can sometimes drop your traffic initially.
Doing a complete website revamp
Finally, another risk that can pay off, in the long run, is a website revamp. Websites can get old over time and battle to keep up as search and the overall internet evolve. Redesigning can be a bit tricky, not to mention pricey. Approaching this with no strategy and no system in place to ensure that links and pages are not lost in the revamp is essential. Make sure that you invest in professional help rather than trying to do this without SEO assistance.
Approach SEO Risks Carefully
Now that you have a better idea of the risks that you can take, it is important to note that any type of SEO risk should be done carefully. Rushing into any change or taking risks without any backup plan can be far more damaging than you realise. Put a bit of thought into how you take SEO risks and you will see the reward.
