SEO is a must for any online business. It’s not just about having a website- it’s about your company and its future as well.
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation, which means optimising your site to show up higher in search engine rankings. This can help you reach more people with your product or service, drive traffic to your site, and generate new leads through organic search (versus paid advertising).
However, companies make many mistakes when it comes to their SEO strategy, some of which could be disastrous if they aren’t corrected soon!
Here are 10 common SEO mistakes people make on the internet today:
Ignoring Search Intent
One of the biggest mistakes companies make is not taking into account search intent. This means that you need to understand what people are actually looking for when they type in certain keywords. Are they looking for a product or service? Information? A solution to a problem? Once you understand this, you can better structure your website and content to match what people are looking for.
Slow Page Load Speed
Page loading speed is another critical factor that Google considers when ranking websites. If your pages take too long to load, Google will de-rank you, and your ranking will suffer.
Key Points in Improving the PageSpeed Insights Score:
- Server response time
- Image compression
- HTML & CSS Structure
- Minification & Script Compression
- Cache Policy
- Lightweight Theme & Plugins
Keyword Stuffing
Keyword stuffing is the process of adding keywords to your content to rank higher in Google. While it was once a common practice, Google has now cracked down on this technique and will penalise your site if you’re caught doing it. So, how do you know if you’re keyword stuffing? If your content sounds unnatural or forced, you’re probably keyword stuffing. Another sign is if your keywords appear more than once in a sentence. Not only will this make your content difficult to read, but it will also negatively affect your search engine rankings.
Ignoring Alt Tags
When you upload an image to your website, you have the opportunity to add text called an Alt Tag. This is a brief description of the image that will show up if your website can’t display the image for some reason. It’s also another opportunity to add keywords to your site, which can help with your SEO. Most people ignore this field or add the image’s file name as Alt text. However, you can get a lot of mileage from using relevant keywords as your Alt Tag.
Publishing Duplicate Pages
Duplicate pages are a common mistake that can hurt your SEO. This happens when you publish the same content on more than one page of your website. Not only does this confuse your audience, but it also tells the search engines that your site doesn’t have much original content. This can lead to lower rankings in search engine results pages (SERPs).
To avoid this, make sure all your content is original and high-quality. Write fresh articles, update your old ones, and regularly add new pages to your site. It would be better if you also use keywords and other SEO tactics to help improve your ranking.
Building Irrelevant Backlinks
Backlinks are still an essential part of SEO. However, not all links are created equal. Many companies make the mistake of building irrelevant backlinks, which can hurt their ranking rather than help it. Make sure all of your links are relevant to your site and its content and avoid spammy links at all costs!
CSS & JavaScript Error
One of the most common mistakes people make on the internet is not checking for CSS and JavaScript errors. These errors can cause your website to look messy and unprofessional and affect your SEO.
To avoid this, make sure you check your website for CSS and JavaScript errors regularly. Several online tools can help you do this, such as the Google PageSpeed Insights Tool.
Ignoring Internal Link Optimisation
Internal linking is another often-overlooked SEO tactic that can help improve your ranking. When you link to other pages on your website from within your content, you’re telling search engines that these pages are essential and worth ranking.
To take advantage of this, make sure to include internal links in your content whenever possible—link to related pages, your homepage, and other important pages on your website. You can also use keywords as your link anchor text to improve your ranking.
Non-Secure HTTP Sites
Google is now giving preference to websites that use HTTPS over those that use HTTP. Sites that don’t use HTTPS may even be penalised in search engine results pages.
To make your site secure, you need to install an SSL certificate. This is a small piece of software that encrypts the data between your site and your users’ browsers, ensuring that their information is safe and secure.
Contact your web host or developer if you’re not sure how to install an SSL certificate or need help setting up HTTPS on your site.
Not Refreshing Old Content
One of the best ways to improve your SEO is to update your old content regularly. This tells search engines that your site is fresh and up-to-date and can help improve your ranking in SERPs.
To refresh your old content, update it with new information, images, and videos. You can also rewrite it to make it more relevant and engaging for your audience.
Final Thoughts –
SEO is an ever-evolving field, and it’s crucial to stay up-to-date on the latest trends and tactics. These 10 SEO mistakes are some of the most common ones businesses make, but you can easily avoid them if you know what to look for. Keep these tips in mind, and you’ll be on your way to better SEO and higher rankings in no time!