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"Keyword Stuffing" and the navigation menu

by BenWesty
8 replies
  • SEO
    • |
So I maintain a website that sells 7500 very similar products. On each page there is a nav menu that pops up with sub categories and their sub categories. Because of this, certain keywords are mentioned an absurd amount of times.

For example, the nav bar has "Niche category A", then in that it has 10 sub categories "Niche Sub Category A" "Niche Sub Category B" "Niceh Sub Category C" etc etc. In this scenario, the words "Niche Sub Category" are mentioned a lot

Because of this, each page has a random keyword mentioned over 500 times, a density of nearly 20%.

Now I know keyword density isn't a huge factor anymore, but I also know Google will penalize for keyword stuffing. Can Google tell that these keywords are part of the navigation menu and have nothing to do with the page in question? Or will they see a massive 20% keyword density for a keyword I am not even trying to rank for?
#keyword stuffing #menu #navigation
  • Profile picture of the author BenWesty
    No one on the SEO subforum can advise me on this?
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  • Profile picture of the author inetguru_987
    Whatever they see it as...it is bad design. No need to repeat the keyword that much. Why not just update it?
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  • Profile picture of the author ProfitFromMyDomain
    I dont think anyone knows if navigation structure effects your on page SEO. I actually just asked something similar about it.

    I've noticed that allot of people "people who focus on SEO" and who don't come from a development stand up, don't understand the importance of proper navigation structure.


    By the sound of it, its okay but I don't know what it looks like. You can pm me a mroe detailed example if you'd like.
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    I would have invented Google and Microsoft if I was born earlier.

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  • Profile picture of the author Dokemion
    Best is to use Synonyms for your keywords. (E.g. Buy use "Purchase" or "Order") with this in mind you can balance it and avoid being categorized by Google to doing "Keyword Stuffing".
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    Contact me for any SEO Services you need I'm glad to be of your service.

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    • Profile picture of the author BenWesty
      Originally Posted by Dokemion View Post

      Best is to use Synonyms for your keywords. (E.g. Buy use "Purchase" or "Order") with this in mind you can balance it and avoid being categorized by Google to doing "Keyword Stuffing".
      Thanks, but I think you did not manage to understand the problem. These are category keywords. Imagine this being a computer website. So you have a category for "Computer Mice" and "Computer Keyboards" and "Computer Monitors". The word computer gets used way more than it should be. Now imagine this 500 times in the menu and it being necessary to use the words.
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      • Profile picture of the author yukon
        Banned
        Originally Posted by BenWesty View Post

        Thanks, but I think you did not manage to understand the problem. These are category keywords. Imagine this being a computer website. So you have a category for "Computer Mice" and "Computer Keyboards" and "Computer Monitors". The word computer gets used way more than it should be. Now imagine this 500 times in the menu and it being necessary to use the words.
        Your keyword stuffing the word computer.

        Silo your navigation, example:
        • domain.com
          • domain.com/monitors
            • domain.com/monitors/hp-21-led-widescreen-monitor-v221
            • domain.com/monitors/acer-21-led-widescreen-monitor -s220hql
            • domain.com/monitors/viewsonic-20-led-widescreen-monitor-va2037a
            • etc...

        ...where the home page is targeting the root keyword (ex: computer).
        • computer > monitor > product-id
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        • Profile picture of the author BenWesty
          Originally Posted by yukon View Post

          Your keyword stuffing the word computer.

          Silo your navigation, example:
          • domain.com
            • domain.com/monitors
              • domain.com/monitors/hp-21-led-widescreen-monitor-v221
              • domain.com/monitors/acer-21-led-widescreen-monitor -s220hql
              • domain.com/monitors/viewsonic-20-led-widescreen-monitor-va2037a
              • etc...

          ...where the home page is targeting the root keyword (ex: computer).
          • computer > monitor > product-id
          Because of the niche, that is not possible for the keyword causing the problem. I can't think of another suitable example, but in my case without the keyword that I am worried about stuffing, the categories won't make sense to customers.
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          • Profile picture of the author yukon
            Banned
            Originally Posted by BenWesty View Post

            Because of the niche, that is not possible for the keyword causing the problem. I can't think of another suitable example, but in my case without the keyword that I am worried about stuffing, the categories won't make sense to customers.
            I have no idea why the niche would matter, example look at Amazon/Walmart/Ebay left sidebars (all silos).

            Also look at the text version of your webpage (ex: Google cache (text version)), from what you've described earlier (computer keyword), the webpage will look spammy.
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