There’s no question that SEO is an important part of an effective online marketing campaign. Business owners know that they need to establish a presence in Google. However, the problem is that too many people don’t see the results they desire because they make common SEO mistakes.
Even the smallest details can have a profound impact on your SEO strategy. If you are looking to boost your online presence and dominate the search results, then make sure that you are avoiding these common SEO mistakes:
Mistake #1: Slow Loading Website
If someone visits your website and it’s taking too long for the pages to load, there is a good chance that the visitor will hit the back button and look for another option. Google wants to make sure that website visitors have a positive experience. Consequently, your site will be punished in the rankings if your website pages are taking too long to load. Take a moment to check your website using Google’s PageSpeed tool, then talk to your website developer about speeding up page load time.
Mistake #2: Using the Wrong Keywords
Be selective in the target keywords you choose to optimize on your website. Ideally, these keywords should be specific to the products or services you are offering while also having reasonable competition. One of the biggest common SEO mistakes is choosing highly competitive keywords because you’ll find it more difficult to get strong website rankings. Google’s keyword tool, or other SEO keyword research tools, can be helpful when you are finding the right keywords for your SEO campaign.
Mistake #3: Online Reviews
A lack of online reviews can harm your search engine rankings. Google wants to see the social evidence that your business is reputable and that people are happy with your offerings. So, having a lot of reviews can be helpful for your search results. At the same time, bad reviews can be harmful to your rankings and branding. While it’s normal to get dissatisfied customers sometimes, make sure that the reviews are largely positive.
Mistake #4: Lack of Content Structure
There’s a reason why it’s said that “content is king.” Placing quality content on your website makes it easier for customers to find what they need. Plus, it shows Google that you are providing a good user experience. Be proactive about developing an effective content structure, including location-specific pages to optimize your site for various geographical locations near your address.
Mistake #5: Low-Quality Content
As you add content to your website, avoid the common SEO mistakes of stuffing your site with low-quality content. While generating a bunch of pages through AI might seem simple, this content isn’t seen as quality and could harm your search engine results. Another low-quality content mistake is being penalized for duplicate content. For example, if you copy-and-paste the content onto multiple pages or have content that is also published on other websites, then it will hurt your search engine rankings.
Mistake #6: Not Verifying Your Business Location
Local businesses need to watch out for common SEO mistakes, such as failing to verify the location of the storefront. When you set up a Google My Business account, you will receive a verification PIN in the mail. Make sure your name, address, and phone information are accurate, and watch for the PIN to arrive so that you can verify that your business is located at the address listed.
Mistake #7: Skipping Backlinks and Contextual Links
Links on your website might seem like a small detail, but they can greatly impact your SEO results. Look at your site structure and find ways to add contextual links that connect various service pages on your website. For example, if you have a blog post that mentions a specific service you offer, it’s a great place to drop contextual links that point back to the services pages.
Other types of links can also be helpful for SEO, such as quality backlinks pointing to your website. Additionally, many people find it helpful to include on-page links pointing to high-authority websites and related resources.
Mistake #8: Neglecting User Experience
While it might be tempting to structure a page with all of the tags, keywords, and SEO factors that might help with your SEO, the most important factor to prioritize is the user experience people will have when visiting your website. Google page experience means that people come from Google and land on your website to find the clean, easy-to-navigate, and relevant information they were searching for. When all of these factors align, then Google will reward your website with better rankings in the organic search results.
Mistake #9: Website Technical Details
In addition to publishing quality information on your website, evaluate how the site’s technical details contribute to your SEO results. For example, structured data can be found on a page’s HTML and offers extra data that informs the search engines. You might look for ways to add rich snippets, such as events, reviews, and recipes. Even though website visitors can’t see the details within structured data, these elements play a role in search engine results. Every display in the search results includes the title tag, meta description, and URL – so you want to make sure that these elements are built into your structured data.
Mistake #10: Mobile Indexing
When Google is crawling your website, mobile-first indexing will be a priority. A smartphone agent crawls the pages and content to determine ranking and indexing. Remember that a large percentage of visitors will be viewing your website on mobile devices. So, ensure your site is mobile-friendly with a responsive design to accommodate website visitors and Google crawlers.
Other Tips to Avoid Common SEO Mistakes
Do you need help with your SEO campaign? Then, it might be time to consult with the online marketing experts at ARYU Advertising SEO service. Reach out to schedule a consultation so we can share tips to improve your website optimization, social media strategy, paid advertisements, and more. Contact us to discuss available services and find the best solutions for your online marketing campaigns.
