SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the internet’s foremost marketing solution. It is employed by more or less all of the world’s leading businesses. It is highly technical, however, which makes it challenging to learn. If you own a business and want to increase your site’s ranking with SEO, then you need to learn as much about SEO and its principles as you can.
Rather than exploring SEO, this post will tell you what mistakes you must avoid. Knowing what mistakes to avoid will help you to make better decisions.
Here are six commonly made SEO mistakes:
1. Website Design
One of the worst things you can do if you want your site optimized for SEO is to design it yourself. The vast majority of people have absolutely no idea how to code or build websites. According to one Webflow development agency, making your website look good is only half the battle. Even if you are able to learn the skills necessary to create an aesthetically pleasing site, there is no way you’ll be able to ensure that it is conversion optimized. It can take months, sometimes even years, to learn how to code and build an SEO-ready website. When looking for an agency to work with make sure that you shop around and read reviews. An agency’s reviews should give you a glimpse into what it’s like working with them. Most web design agencies offer affordable pricing plans, so you can stagger payments.
2. Mobile Optimization
Another big mistake you need to avoid making is not optimizing your website for mobile use. A large percentage of internet users browse the web on their mobile phones. It’s not hard to see why this is when you consider that mobile phones can perform just as well as tablets and laptops. If you do not optimize your website for mobile use then you will alienate your site’s visitors. One thing you need to bear in mind is that there is no shortage of businesses online. If you do not allow mobile users to use your site, another website will. It also needs to be noted that Google does not rank websites that are not optimized for mobile use. Therefore, not only will not optimizing your site ruin your chances of ranking highly in Google’s search results, but it will push potential customers into the arms of your competitors.
3. Content Production
One of the most effective ways of increasing your site’s authority is to post regular content. However, you need to make sure that your site’s quality is produced to a high standard. If you are unable to do this yourself, hire a content writer. In your content, there must be keywords relevant to your niche. There are ranking sites you can use to find the current most searched keywords. You need to ensure the keywords you use are popular search terms, otherwise, they won’t have any impact on your site’s SEO.
4. Duplicating Content
Another big mistake you need to avoid making is duplicating content. Unfortunately, many website owners just steal other people’s content. If you are unable to write your own content, stealing somebody else’s is a bad idea. Duplicating content can have a negative effect on your site’s SEO. Again, if you are not able to write your own content, hire an SEO-trained content writer. Such content writers are available to hire all over the internet. The vast majority of them charge very reasonable rates. Always ask for a writer’s portfolio before you work with them, so you can see get an idea of how experienced they are.
5. Proper Headings
Each page on your website needs to have proper headings. A lot of website owners overlook the importance of this. Not having proper headings on your website can be a detriment to its searchability. The different types of headings, in HTML code, are h1, h2, and h3. The purpose of these headings is to establish the order of a piece of content, organizing each section by priority. You need to learn to use headings properly because improper use can have just as much of a negative effect as not using them can.
6. Dead Links
On your website, you need to regularly remove dead pages and sold-out products. Google takes dead links very seriously. If you do not remove them, your site will not rank highly. Your site’s search engine visibility will decrease if you have dead links on your website. If you do not remove them quickly, you will end up right at the bottom of the search listings. If you do not know how to design and create your own website but try to anyway, your site will probably have lots of dead links. This is another reason why it’s important to work with a professional web developer.
Your site’s ranking will determine its success. The higher it appears in the search listings, the easier it’ll be for people to find your product or service. However, unless your site is optimized for SEO, you’ll never rank highly. Avoid making these mistakes if you want a site with high domain authority.
