From the horses mouth... (Quality guidelines from Google)

1. 66

   darksideposted 14 years ago

   * Make pages primarily for users, not for search engines.
   
   * Don't participate in link schemes designed to increase your site's ranking or PageRank.
   
   * Don't use unauthorized computer programs to submit pages, check rankings, etc.
   
   * Avoid hidden text or hidden links.
   
   * Don't use cloaking or sneaky redirects.
   
   * Don't send automated queries to Google.
   
   * Don't load pages with irrelevant keywords.
   
   * Don't create multiple pages, subdomains, or domains with substantially duplicate content.
   
   Source

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2. 71

   thranaxposted 14 years ago

   That's not too hard to follow. It's basically saying make your own original content and you will be rewarded greatly by Google!
   
   ~thranax~

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3. 85

   Everyday Miraclesposted 14 years ago

   #1 is pretty important, in my experience. If you follow the basic guidelines for SEO for Google, you'll find that they are more user-friendly anyway (like header text and bolding important words in your article).
   
   Thanks darkside!

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4. 63

   Kelsey Tallisposted 14 years ago

   So by hidden links, you mean a link "embedded" within a word or phrase, correct? I didn't realize that would even be a problem. Is it because they may think you're trying to direct someone to a suspicious (or adult) site?
   
   From what I've read so far, as long as you write "naturally," you should be okay... and that writing "naturally" tends to create natural keywords anyway.

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   1. 63

      Mishaposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      No, incorrect
      
      Google means links that are not visible to users, but visible to search engines. There are ways to do this

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      1. 63

         Kelsey Tallisposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Thank you for answering that Misha, but could you explain further? I don't understand what you are referring to...

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5. 85

   Everyday Miraclesposted 14 years ago

   Kelsey, I think that if you don't know how to do it you aren't doing it. And there isn't a way here on Hubpages, is there? You need javascript and/or comment tags, right?

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6. 63

   Mishaposted 14 years ago

   EM, there are easier ways, like using the same color for fore- and back-ground And what did you mean by comment tags?
   
   Kelsey, don't worry, you don't need this, and as EM rightly noticed - if you don't know, you aren't doing it. Regular anchor text links (which I think you meant in your original question) are absolutely OK

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   1. 63

      Kelsey Tallisposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Misha and EM, thanks for answering! I still don't know exactly what you mean but I get the impression that's probably a good thing, lol! And Misha, yeah, the "anchor text links" are what I was confused about.
      
      Cheers! :-D

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   2. 85

      Everyday Miraclesposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      D'oh! I never thought of that because would you believe I almost always highlight a page if it isn't black on white? I usually catch those links and navigate away when I notice them!
      
      Comment:
      
      <!--Comment-->

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7. 75

   Lissieposted 14 years ago

   I wrote this one about 6 months ago but it still stands - in fact nothing much has changed for years SEO Google Explains How to Do It

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8. 63

   Mishaposted 14 years ago

   gotcha

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