Search Engine Optimisation is a minefield. Mistakes severely impact your site’s visibility and organic traffic.
Has AI made SEO easier? Many assume Artificial Intelligence is the answer to avoiding mistakes. This is seldom the case. As a matter of fact, many digital strategists believe SEO has become even more challenging.
If you operate your own site, avoiding using AI is a good thing. When you are targetting organic traffic, creating personalised content is a much better idea.
In this guide, we investigate seven scary SEO mistakes many site owners make. We also check out the hottest tips and how to avoid costly mistakes.
7 Scary SEO Mistakes
1. Keyword Stuffing
What is keyword stuffing?
Keyword stuffing is when you excessively repeat keywords in your content. Mistakenly, many believe repeating keywords drive more traffic to your site.
Does it work? The answer to that question is no. The tactic is not effective and does more harm than good.
Keyword stuffing is a practice you often come across in AI-generated content. Popular AI tools that generate content use more keywords than needed. This is one of the reasons you should do your best to avoid AI content.
When you lack confidence in creating written content, use a professional service.
How To Avoid Keyword Stuffing
As mentioned, don’t use AI to create your content.
Secondly, use natural language. Aim to produce written content that flows smoothly and reads easily – almost like talking to a friend. Writing for people rather than search engines is a much better idea.
Check your keyword density before you publish. There are online tools that let you do this. A good balance is 2 – 3% of the total content on a page.
Aiming for high-quality text is a better idea than heavily keyworded text. Less is more is a good principle to follow.
2. Mobile Optimisation
Not finding the local information you are searching for is frustrating.
Many smaller business owners including restaurants, often neglect optimising their websites for mobile use.
Most of us have come across this problem. We are out shopping in a different town or city. Suddenly we fancy a bite to eat.
What do we do? Most of us do a quick Internet search hoping to find a local eatery. When you are a restaurant owner, and your site is not easy to use from a phone, you risk losing customers.
Another frustration is PDF menus. Why? Instead, make the menu available on the site and ensure the site is fully mobile-optimised. And yes, don’t forget to add a location in Google Maps.
Joking aside, most of us search for information using mobile devices. Make sure your site is mobile-friendly.
How to Avoid This Problem
Responsive design is the most important tip. Your website should seamlessly adapt to different screen sizes.
Fast loading speed is an integral part of avoiding this problem. You achieve this by optimising images and reducing the code used on each page.
Your site should be easy to navigate and interact with from any mobile device.
3. Ignoring Technical SEO
What is technical SEO? Think of your site as a building. Just like a department store or other large public building, your site should be laid out in a way users find it easy to interact with. In other words, it should be logical – almost like a building.
The site needs to flow so information is easy to find. In particular, this is important when it comes to larger sites. However, the principle is the same for smaller sites.
Good-quality technical SEO also makes a site more search-engine friendly. What is the point of having a site if no one can find it?
How to Avoid This
Create a sitemap which helps search engines understand your site’s structure. This is called an XML map.
Make the site easy to crawl for search engines by using a robots.txt file.
URL structure also matters along with keyword-rich URLs.
Don’t forget optimisation. Large images take a long time to load.
HTTPS (Hypertext transfer protocol secure) helps SEO and website security which is becoming an increasingly important issue.
4. Disregarding User Experience
You have probably encountered the abbreviation UX. It is an abbreviation of User Experience. Don’t think of UX as only a personal experience.
The user experience is important to both human users and search engines. A well-designed site ticks boxes with individuals and search engines – a must to attract more visitors.
How To Avoid a Negative Experience
Fast loading speed is the number one factor. Websites that load slowly only lead to frustration. Many users navigate away from them.
Navigation should be clear with a strong emphasis on mobile-friendly design.
The content should be high-value, engaging and informative.
5. Don’t Forget Local SEO
Local businesses must realise local SEO including street and town names is crucial. If your business relies on local trade, local SEO is a key element. Although general SEO is important, local SEO reigns supreme for local enterprises.
If your small business trades in the local community, pay particular attention to this principle.
What To Do Instead
Never neglect the importance of a Google Business listing! You simply must have one.
Take care to build a presence on local directories and review websites. Paying for a presence offers a return on investment.
Find local phrases and keywords relevant to your business. Use them in the right ratio and you have a goldmine.
6. Ignoring Backlinks
What are backlinks? Confusion still reigns supreme when it comes to backlinks.
If you have a website or even a Facebook page, you ignore them at your peril.
Backlinks are what you get when you or someone else publish information about your site or content on another site and add a link.
Why are they important? For search engines, they are a crucial ranking factor. For both visitors and search engines, they are a good indication of your website’s credibility and authority.
How To Avoid This Mistake
Ensure your backlinks are placed on relevant websites offering reputable, high-quality content.
Natural backlinking is so much better than traffic from spammy sites. In the long term, they harm your site’s rank. Publish relevant content and guest posts on sites that have a common interest. Guest posts on social media are also a good idea.
7. Don’t Forget About Content Marketing
What is content marketing? Your site is not the only place where high-quality content belongs.
Yes, you should place guest posts on other sites.
Distributing your content is as important as creating it. Use any available tools to distribute content.
How to Avoid Making This Mistake
The number one factor is to ensure the best keywords are used. This is done by keyword research.
The content also needs to be compelling to attract visitors. Don’t forget to promote your content by sharing it on social media and relevant platforms.
Final Thoughts On Scary SEO Mistakes
By avoiding these seven SEO mistakes and implementing many of the strategies outlined above, you improve your website’s visibility and attract more visitors.
One of the main benefits is more organic traffic. Of course, this is something you don’t have to pay for. Organic traffic is probably what brings you the most business.
Don’t lose sight of the fact is a continuous process. Continued monitoring and optimisation are two of the most important tools in your toolbox.
