SEO has changed a lot over the years. Many tactics that once seemed clever now look risky, outdated or simply unhelpful.
Search engines have become better at recognising pages that exist mainly to manipulate rankings and users have become less tolerant of content that feels awkward or spammy.
If you are reviewing an older website or speaking to someone about SEO, these are the old techniques to avoid.
1. Article spinning
Article spinning means taking one article and automatically rewriting it into many slightly different versions.
The aim was usually to publish those versions across article directories or low-quality sites to generate links. The result was almost always poor content that helped nobody.
A better approach is to create genuinely useful articles for your own website or for carefully chosen publications with real audiences.
2. Bulk directory submissions
Not all directories are bad.
A listing in a relevant local directory, trade association or respected industry website can be useful. The problem is bulk directory submission, where a site is added to hundreds of low-quality directories purely to create links.
Those links are unlikely to help and may make your link profile look unnatural. Focus on directories that real customers might use.
3. Over-optimised anchor text
Anchor text is the clickable text in a link.
If many external links use the same keyword-heavy phrase, it can look artificial. Natural links tend to vary. Some use the brand name, some use the URL, some use the page title and some use ordinary descriptive language.
Do not try to control every link pointing to your site. Earn links because the page is useful and keep internal links clear and helpful.
4. Private blog networks and artificial link schemes
Private blog networks, link wheels and similar schemes are designed to create artificial signals.
They may involve expired domains, thin websites or groups of sites that exist mainly to link to one another. These tactics are risky because they are built around manipulation rather than value.
A stronger long-term approach is to earn mentions from real websites through useful content, good relationships, PR, local involvement and genuine expertise.
5. Spammy blog comments
Leaving comments on blogs purely to drop a link is an old tactic that should stay in the past.
Comments such as "Great post" followed by a keyword-rich name do not build authority. They look lazy and spammy.
That does not mean commenting is pointless. Thoughtful comments on relevant articles can help build relationships and visibility. Just do it as a person contributing to a discussion, not as a link-building shortcut.
6. Doorway pages
Doorway pages are pages created mainly to rank for slightly different search terms while leading users to the same destination.
For example, a business might create dozens of near-identical location pages with only the town name changed. That is very different from creating genuinely useful local pages with real information for each area.
If a page would not be useful to a visitor, it probably should not exist just for a keyword.
7. Keyword stuffing
Keyword stuffing is one of the easiest old SEO mistakes to spot.
It is the practice of repeating keywords unnaturally in headings, paragraphs, footers, image alt text or metadata. It makes pages unpleasant to read and can make a business look untrustworthy.
Use the words your customers use, but write naturally. A good page should answer the searcher’s question, explain the topic clearly and guide the reader to the next step.
What to do instead
Modern SEO is not about finding loopholes.
It is about making useful pages easier to discover, understand and trust. That means clear page structure, helpful content, sensible internal links, fast loading, mobile usability, accurate business information and genuine authority in your topic.
Old shortcuts may sound tempting, especially when someone promises quick results. But sustainable SEO is built on usefulness, not tricks.