SEO is a complicated beast and as frustrating as it can be perfecting your website and getting your optimizations on point, it’s entirely worth the effort.
In this article, we’re going to share x 5 of the most common SEO blunders and why they can be so damaging to your campaign. Read on and see if you can avoid making the same mistakes with your SEO…
1. Having no understanding of keyword search intent
Keyword research is a critical aspect in every SEO campaign. You need to choose the most relevant keywords while also striking the ideal balance between short and long-tail keywords with varying levels of competition.
But what’s more important is understanding keyword search intent. What are users expecting to find when typing your chosen focus keywords into Google? Which outcomes do they desire?
The more information you have on keyword search intent the better positioned you will invariably be to meet and exceed your website visitor’s expectations.
This is a common mistake that people make; failing to properly understand the intent behind each keyword and thus struggling to reach optimal conversions.
2. Publishing amateur website copy
Don’t make the mistake of publishing amateur copy on your website. If writing is not your area of expertise we strongly recommend outsourcing these requirements to a professional writer.
It may be tempting to write something yourself or to try and use AI to put something together for free, however, if you want to achieve the very best results and outperform your competitors, this is an area that must not be neglected.
Poor quality content is a sure fire way to put your website visitors off. Not only that, but Google’s people-first algorithm update means that they are only willing to grant websites with high-value content with greater visibility.
Don’t skimp.
3. Buying cheap backlinks
While developing a strong backlink profile is important, there is a right and a wrong way to go about building yours.
Don’t fall prey to these “cheap deals” on thousands of backlinks. If you do, you’ll receive a Manual Action for Google and you will be penalised with very little visibility.
Much like the quality of your content, the quality of the link is critical. Don’t try to cut corners or save money because you will suffer for it.
Instead, publish high-value, ‘share-worthy’ content, develop a guest blogging strategy, and use only the most above-board link-building strategies.
4. Not having a mobile responsive design
Over 50% of all website traffic is conducted on a mobile device and if your website is unresponsive and fails to accommodate these users, you’re going to miss out on an awful lot of potential business.
Not only that, but unresponsive websites experience higher bounce rates which signal to Google that they are not providing a positive user experience and thus their rankings will suffer as a result.
Make mobile responsive design a priority when building or redesigning your website. Far too many businesses make the mistake of recognising the immense importance of this.
5. Neglecting internal linking
Another big one is having a lack of internal linking (if at all). For the best results, you should have an extensive and intuitive internal linking structure. Every page and blog post should be connected where possible – thus providing a more positive user experience.
When you produce a new blog post, link internally with your older blog posts, especially when they are related subjects that your users could benefit from reading.
Again, intuitive internal linking means a superior on page experience, but it also helps Google to crawl and index your website and rank your content accordingly.
Final thoughts
It’s easy to make mistakes with your SEO, especially when the goal posts are forever on the move. So, rather than be penalised as a result of poor SEO, or struggle by yourself to try and keep up with new changes and make the amendments yourself, we recommend hiring the professionals.
As a small business owner, you’ve got a million and one things to think about as it is, not to mention your socials and finances. With expert SEO services however, you can make light work of these critical tasks and ensure that your website is as tight and tidy as can be!
