Search engine optimization (SEO) goes a long way when running a business in the digital world. As long as you can keep your website visible at the top of search engine results pages (especially Google and Bing), your chances of getting hits and bringing in customers will stay high.
However, knowing what not to do is just as important as knowing what you should do, and that especially applies to SEO. Several factors need to be considered when providing content that keeps people coming to your site. This guide aims to explain the biggest SEO mistakes that you need to avoid.
Irrelevant links
Whether you’re including links to your website on other pages or providing links to related content on your pages, give something extra for your viewers to read, because this increases the chances that they will continue to come back. As long as you have links to content that relates to your products and services, people will have a solid understanding of what you have to offer.
Not having relevant links is a major blow to your site’s link building campaign, as it can confuse your readers on what you want them to know (which could be advice for different situations or how to buy your offerings). This could lead to them venturing off elsewhere to find answers to their questions, as well as search engines lowering your SEO ranking.
Non-specific content
Having a specific focus for your website is not only beneficial from standing out from the competition, but also making it easier for consumers to figure out if your offerings are right for them. That’s why the content on your web pages need to relate to your products and services, so search engines can make it easier for people to find your business.
Common mistakes that are made in this area include not replacing older pieces, whether they’re informational articles or changes to contact information, and not providing data such as prices and release dates for new additions to your offerings. Not conveying your messages in a clear manner through your writing also makes it tough to increase viewership.
Ignoring offsite SEO
Focusing on your website to market your services is one of the main tactics you need to apply if you want your name recognized. While you can do much of this on your own, assistance from other people always helps, and ignoring the value of links to your company on other websites is a huge mistake.
You need to put aside the fear that people will pay more attention to the other site than your links, as there is always the chance that they will check in on that link again and eventually decide to see what else your site has to offer. Using the wrong keywords in these links can also lead to confusion among viewers once they get to your site, as they may feel cheated on what was advertised to them and continue their search somewhere else.
Not monitoring site speed
The loading time of your pages also plays a huge role in how often people come to your website after their first visit. The longer it takes for your pages to appear on-screen after someone clicked on the link to them, the less likely the viewer will feel like reading once the page pops up. This can be an even bigger problem if the viewer is looking for immediate help with a problem they encountered with your product.
This is a factor that you need to monitor on a regular basis, as ignoring site speeds for even one day could lead to a drop in viewership, as well as search engines reconsidering how high your site is ranked. Checking how long it takes for competitors’ sites to load could help you determine how long your pages should take to load.
Leaving out mobile users
It’s hard to think of anything we don’t use smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices for. The most successful businesses can make their websites viewable on these gadgets as easily as they can on laptops and similarly-sized equipment. While you might be able to scroll through less to get the complete view of a page on a computer, today’s technology is catching up.
Not taking advantage of mobile users will lose you a great deal of viewership, as people could be checking out your site while they’re away from home. The more gadgets you make your site available for, the more likely that your site will appear at the top of searches.