Many people are worried about over-optimizing their websites. They might have heard that over-optimization can result in penalties, but they are not sure exactly what might constitute over-optimization. For example, a common concern is the use of no-follow links on a site; however, if you are the website owner, you can use as many no-follow links as you want, without worrying about being penalized.

The one concern that a website owner or developer will need to be aware of is that excessive use of keywords or keyword spamming can result in a site that is not only unappealing to users, but it might be viewed as being spammy or not a legitimate site. It is important to consider your user and avoid repetitive use of keywords, as well as hidden keywords or anything else that would make a site appear to have a purpose other than providing value to the user.

Google has no specific penalty related to over-optimization, but a site that appears over-optimized might annoy users and appear to have gone overboard on keyword tags. If a site owner is worried that their site might be heading in this direction, it is wise to make changes to ensure that the site is appealing and not viewed as spam or a junk site. However, you can feel free to use no-follow links without risk of penalty. Watch this video for more information: Is over-optimization bad for a website? –