Originally posted on July 23, 2014; Updated on July 30, 2021
Everyone who has ever managed their website’s search engine optimization knows that it’s a complicated field with many nuances, rumours, and changes, which makes it hard to define what really works. Some experiment for months before they realize that SEO is not bringing the results they desire. Quite often, the reason is a deviation from basic SEO truths. Everything starts with learning, so let’s cover the most common optimization mistakes. Get in touch with our Edmonton SEO company today for a free marketing check up.
Is your website indexable? Google Webspam team manager Matt Cutts has said that the most common SEO mistake by volume is having a website that is not crawlable. When Google cannot find your website and define the content, how can your website show up in search results?
It’s quite amazing how easily the keywords are chosen for SEO. Obviously, every business associates their products/services with certain terms used in internal circles. The question is whether a regular person would use those keywords in their search queries. Google Keyword Planner will help figure that out. This free tool shows the keyword search volume by country and language, even suggests related keywords. Find out what terms your customers are searching. Don’t underestimate keywords with low search volume as they are easier to optimize and can bring more specific traffic to your page.
Another mistake is evaluating keywords only by search traffic without considering conversion rate. It’s easy to generate traffic, but it’s a completely different thing to actually make that traffic earn you profit. The traffic you get on your site may be completely irrelevant if you are targeting keywords that can have different intent than the content you are providing causing your site to have a high bounce rate. So instead of giving credit only to the most popular keywords find out the ones that are really valuable for your business.
Even though several SEO-minded communities have claimed that meta data has lost its SEO value, meta data is critical. If not so much for the ranking factor, the usability remains as a substantial reason to still use meta data. Page title (i.e. tag) appears in search results and is an important signal for Google to determine ranking. A page’s meta description can appear as a search result description. Stand out from your competitors with thought-out descriptions including call-to-actions, keywords, and benefits of your products/services.
SEO
Mistake #4 – Too Focused on Link Building
Focusing on link building is a mistake made by many businesses. As Matt Cutts has mentioned, thinking about link building alone limits your mindset. It’s true that in the end of the 90s linking was as popular as the Backstreet Boys, but now the game has changed. Linking is still one of the major ranking factors for Google but the circumstances have changed. The focus is now on quality instead of quantity.
Google algorithm changes fight against webspam and link schemes. These methods often result in a boost for a short-term and drop significantly when Google discovers the scam. Do not buy links. Matt recommends focusing on other things like quality content and marketing to earn links. This way natural links are generated that improve your site value for Google. Linking is an extra bonus for creating compelling and quality content, not a goal of its own.
Google offers free resources for webmasters to improve their SEO, including Google Search Console and Lighthouse. These tools should be the handbook for every SEO specialist. Not knowing the basics may cause you a lot of wasted time and resources. These tools outline exactly what Google wants you to do to achieve better rankings, providing you with important data to help you better understand what’s going on with your site and how to solve common problems.
Google resources define some SEO tactics as dishonest methods to improve your site ranking. Those methods are considered low quality and are forbidden by Google. Using the prohibited methods may cost your good reputation and get you banned from Google if discovered. Low quality tactics include:
Trying to outsmart Google is dangerous and will end with poor results. Why waste your time and money on suspicious methods instead of focusing on quality SEO? Think further ahead and invest into long-term results instead of practicing low quality SEO and facing the dangers of dishonest optimization.
It is entirely possible to tackle SEO on your own, but is it feasible? Google’s algorithms and ranking criteria are ever-changing and keeping up with the constant updates requires you to be constantly learning new techniques and evolving the ones you thought you already knew. As a business owner, it may not be in your time budget to run your business and keep on top of SEO best practices. This is where an SEO agency like Smart WSI Marketing comes in for reinforcement, leaving you to focus on the other parts of running your business.
Search engine optimization can be complicated, especially when it’s not your main focus. Rather than worrying about making these mistakes, trust the local SEO experts at Smart WSI Marketing! Reach out for a free digital marketing check up.
Lynne is known for her strategic approach to marketing communications, technologies, and lead generation. She has a passion for education, keeping up with current marketing trends and practices, and helping clients keep ahead of their competition.
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