Are You Making This SEO Mistake? with James Schramko

I was interviewed by James Schramko and we talked about SEO mistakes. You could listen to the podcast here!

Typical SEO Mistakes That Will Hurt Your Ranking and Ways To Fix Them

What do you think are the most common SEO mistakes? 

There are many mistakes that SEO specialists make. If you want to be successful at your job, you must know what not to do so that you're not making any of these common mistakes.

It would help if you were on your toes when it comes to what you're doing. You need to be aware of the new changes in the industry. Or else you could make some mistakes that cause irreparable losses.

Let's go to some of the most common SEO mistakes and how they affect your website rankings on Google. Stay ahead in the SEO game!

What Is Search Engine Optimization or SEO?

You may think you know what SEO means, but do you? The truth is that many people make mistakes when trying to optimize their site for the search engine.

SEO is one of those tactics that you can put in place in a matter of weeks. But mastering it requires time to compete for high-traffic terms and phrases. You're still learning, and with a few tweaks, you should be able to rank on the first page.

The technique of increasing unpaid or organic traffic to a website is using some SEO best practices. That's why you should also know what needs to be done correctly and the difference between using mistakes.

White Hat SEO vs. Black Hat SEO

Many of these strategies can be effective. That is, determining which is the best is subjective. There is one to be aware of SEO white hat vs. black hat.

These are different from a right and wrong approach to do SEO than equal categorizations. So, better know what works for your website and trick search engine algorithms for better search results.

White hat SEO

White hat SEO uses approaches geared for a human audience rather than a search engine. It follows the regulations and, in the long run, benefits your website and business.

You'll get the best results if you get your attention from attaining higher rankings in search results. And also toward developing connections with your readers. Users of this strategy should expect to invest long-term in their website because the results are long-lasting.

White hat SEO strategy includes the following:

  • Use of keyword analysis
  • Optimized titles and meta descriptions
  • Conducting research
  • Altering meta tags to make them more relevant
  • Backlinking and internal links
  • Producing content for human readers

Black hat SEO

The direct opposite of white hat SEO is black hat SEO. 

Black hat SEO refers to practices that violate search engine rules to achieve higher search ranks. It wants a quick return on investment in the website rather than a long-term commitment.

As a result of utilizing unethical practices, black hat SEO might make your site banned from search engines and de-indexed. These are against Google's rules and are mentioned as activities you should avoid.

10 Common SEO Mistakes To Avoid

Let's start by looking at some typical SEO mistakes or difficulties and how to correct them. 

Focusing on keyword density instead of relevance

So you put in the effort to create a long-form piece of content or blog post, but it isn't bringing in a lot of traffic. Keyword stuffing is a significant issue.

If you use more keywords than your competitor, the chances are that Google will penalize you. And even ban your site for this mistake.

If you're successful, focusing on generic keywords could bring you a lot of traffic. It's best to opt for more relevant terms for faster ranks and higher-quality visitors.

Ways to avoid stuffing of keywords

  • Use the findings of your keyword research. Using the results is also another approach to avoid this mistake in your article. Keyword research tools can also help you come up with a list of relevant keywords.
  • You're on the right track if you're already using long-tail keywords. These are longer and precise phrases related to your business.
  • Write for real people. Another strategy to prevent this SEO mistake is to develop content first for real people.
  • Keep an eye on your usage in less obvious places as well. Your main keywords should be in titles and meta descriptions as well. These can also be found in URLs, picture descriptions, and subheaders.
  • It's all about reaching that "sweet spot" with density for SEO keyword usage. Another way to meet this goal is to look at what your competitors are doing.
  • Synonyms can be your best friend. Replacing repeated phrases with synonyms is a simple method to avoid this.

Duplicate content

Content like or identical to other content on your site is referred to as duplicate content.

And though it does not result in a penalty from Google, it is very likely to affect search engine rankings. Because search engines rarely display the same version of two pieces of content in the SERPs, the one that appears to be more relevant to readers is chosen. 

So, how to fix it?

Content is king on any website. So, having relevant content that allows visitors to find everything can help you establish yourself as a reliable player in the game. To rank in search engines, ensure that any content you publish on your website is not duplicated elsewhere.

Analytics aren't being used to see what converts

SEO isn't only about getting a lot of free visitors. It's also a matter of conversion.

You can easily track and see what makes your site rank better. However, it's good if you also analyze and find out what converts. 

Lower-traffic terms sometimes convert better since they're more specialized. And achieving first-page rankings can result in many purchases for a handful of them.

The only way to learn is to follow it. Set up conversion tracking. Then compare them to determine which gives the best results in search engines.

Local search isn't optimized

If your business caters to a certain city or region, you should learn more about local search. Most search engines, including Google, treat it differently than more general keywords. 

You should also include an address and local phone numbers on your pages. This includes in the footer and header so that you can be found in local searches. Finally, you'll want to list yourself on local-based sites and review networks.

Site speed is slow

When users try to open content on your page, a slow page load speed can put them off. This mistake will inevitably cost you valuable SEO traffic. It's pointless to spend time and effort driving traffic from the SERPs if the website takes too long to load. 

Fixes that might work:

Run your webpage to see how it performs in search engines and learn more about your site's speed. Also, use photo editing tools to reduce image bandwidth usage by setting the image size. Lastly, while certain redirects are unavoidable, eliminating them will speed up serving.

Skipping title tags & meta description

Search Engine Optimization relies heavily on meta descriptions and title tags. Neglecting this aspect of SEO will result in a negative impact on your website's ranking.

These optimizing ways are considered by search engines when analyzing your site. So, if done correctly, they can improve your content's performance.

Not only should each page have its title, but it should also be distinctive for SEO purposes. They must be descriptive and unique.

Ignoring to have a mobile-friendly website

You could be losing money and effort if your website will not function on mobile devices. Or if your mobile search isn't part of your SEO strategy.

Today, most traffic comes from mobile users. And that's why Google tends to favor having this strategy in digital marketing.

If you truly want to enhance your organic website traffic, don't overlook mobile SEO. Make sure you allow desktop and mobile functionality on your site.

Broken links

When site visitors go through your site on search engines and are greeted with a 404 error, it negatively impacts you. How often Google bots will crawl your page will be affected by broken links on your website.

When search bots find a large number of broken links, they will go on to another website. This left some of your most crucial pages unindexed. So, make sure you run your site to detect errors on tools.

Missing alternative texts and broken images

Alternative tags, often known as alt tags, are HTML characteristics that help convey the content of images. It must be addressed when it comes to on-page SEO strategy.

On ranking on search engines, the image's alt tag will convey the image's content and function on the page. It also helps crawlers grasp the information on the page. Then, reinforcing the intended term.

Not keeping your content fresh

Lastly, these most common SEO mistakes would be why your site will not rank on various search engines. Keep in mind that having fresh content is beneficial not only for you but also for your readers.

It's ideal if you can be as descriptive as you can. And make it what people would look and ask for. Have link-worthy content instead.

Get ready for your site optimization!

I'm sure you've seen the mistakes. They're everywhere. 

When ranking on search engines, always concentrate on producing high-quality content. Thus, you need to provide a great user experience.

While some SEO mistakes can be viewed as human errors, having a site audit will help you know your website is in good health. Avoid the above-listed typical mistakes and give your site a leg up in search results!

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