SEO is a growing field of Digital Marketing, and will continue to grow as an important marketing tactic for successful businesses.

According to a 2020 report of “The Business Research Company”

“Businesses spent about $47.5 billion on SEO and related products and services in 2020, even during the COVID-19 outbreak.”

SEO has grown tremendously, raising market value and increasing revenues in the process.

And at a CAGR of 10% starting in 2021 to 2023, the Business Research Company reports that while recovering from this pandemic outbreak is still slow, the SEO market is expected to grow.

And according to another research by giiresearch, it is estimated that

“Global Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Software Market to Reach $1.6 Billion by 2027”

When considering the information from these reports and understanding the unique nature of SEO, it is unavoidable that you would use search engine optimization techniques to rank for keywords on search engine results pages. Failing to do so could mean lower traffic and visibility.

If you are not versed in SEO, then using an AI writer is a low-risk option. You’d still want to check with a human editor before publishing anything, but there would be no chance of errors due to ignorance or negligence.

But don’t worry!

This blog post will discuss some of the most commonly-made SEO mistakes which are easy to fix, and then will give instruction on how to remedy them.

Let’s get started. 

Common SEO Mistakes That You Must Avoid

Your customers are the ones who are directed to your website, and as search engines are user-oriented, they require that your website’s content, products, and services be relevant to the customer’s query.

So, that it can ranked on SERP.

If you have put SEO efforts on your website but it has not been rewarded with a ranking on SERP, the reason could be that you haven’t considered your target audience persona when creating content or didn’t make sure to pursue what they are interested in.

Google may have been blocked from finding your content because it was deemed to be irrelevant, despite your presentation being good. Alternatively, you might not be reaching new customers because you are not making your business visible on the internet.

And that’s why you should focus on who your target audience is when doing SEO. Your business will try to attract them when it does SEO, so profiling them in a Buyer Persona is important.

When it comes to SEO, content providers often forget about targeting the user. In fact, knowing your audience is the first step in SEO: understanding who you’re writing for (their living situation, occupation or authority of choice). A lot of companies take the time to segment their audience and find a good approach.

It’s a pity you can’t fully comprehend your customers to know where exactly they fell short. Not only would this generate valuable feedback and reviews but also enhance your brand by providing great testimonials that will help influence others to buy from you as well.

“More consumers are reading online reviews than ever before. In 2021, 77% ‘always’ or ‘regularly’ read them when browsing for local businesses (up from 60% in 2020).”

The reviews you receive on Google Maps and other platforms can positively impact your business’s traffic.

According to the bar graph below, customers who are satisfied with their experience are more likely to return. This tells us that customer experience should be a major component of our strategy. Product and pricing evidently come before any other factor at 34% and 21% respectively.

Studies have shown that a better customer experience leads to increased brand awareness on the web. To provide a great experience for your customers, it is important to know your target audience. Only then can you create content, products and services that will satisfy their needs. If you fail to take action and optimize your site, your website may never rank on search engine results pages (SERPs). If this happens, your business will remain invisible to online traffic.

Traditional SEO Techniques

Google has introduced different algorithms since 2014, and they include metrics that analyze how the website is performing. Google crawls the site to see information and then ranks it in SERPs on this basis. Ignoring your SEO strategies for modern best practices is the mistake that could cost you ranking on Google.

You can’t rely on the same content marketing strategies for ever. If you don’t keep upping your game, then Google will start to find your content irrelevant and outdated.

Some other techniques are exact match, keyword stuffing, and anchor text. When you do guest blogging, it’s important to keep your content on-topic and use your target keywords without overdoing it.

The problem is that traditional SEO isn’t specific

For example, if you are directing your URL from two different platforms, this could cause plagiarism of your content. Additionally, search engines may find it difficult to crawl the web site and place it accordingly.

These days, traditional SEOs can’t keep up with Google’s rapid and constant changes to its algorithm. For example,

• A. Mobile phones generate many more search queries than desktop computers. This has led to a rise in SEO for mobile friendly sites.

• B. With the ‘voice search’ tool, more people are able to purchase products related to voice assistants. This has led to an increase in website traffic and its use on most industry websites such as the Chatbots.

Both of these innovations improved the user experience on search engines for individual searchers, which in turn led to websites being optimized to provide easy navigation and access.

More and more chatbots are taking over the digital market and we have been using them to our advantage with a key example being in the financial sector where we have saved $8 billion.

With this statistic in mind and the heavy use of software across the internet these days, it is important to stay up-to-date with SEO techniques because if you don’t apply the latest guidelines from Google, you may be penalized or rank lower.

No Sitemaps Or Planned Data Structure

Submit your website’s sitemap and data to Google so they can easily crawl it.

In order to let your website be indexed by crawlers, you need a clear pathway and language. Usually, it is possible to achieve this by creating XML files and HTML pages.

Although many don’t realize it, one of the biggest SEO mistakes is making sure that words on your site link to one another and that the language you use is optimized for each part of your website.

With complex and lengthy content, for example raw research or medical text, it’s also important to visually break your website up into smaller sections with wider margins at the top and side in order to make scanning easier for users. Creating content to fill your website can be confusing and daunting. Think of it like a maze with your target visitors at the exit.

One of the common SEO mistakes people make is by redirecting or canonicalizing their URL without thinking it through. If a web page has the same content as the homepage and some other page, to reduce duplicate URLs, you should first redirect each individual copy of that content to your homepage. You can also employ a technique called “canonicalization” which will route all:

i. Your web page authority to become distributed

ii. Your customers experience slow page speed 

iii. Your page ranking declines due to distributed authority

This is the reason why formulating an SEO plan and roadmap should be done beforehand and the timeframe for implementation.

Focusing On Single SEO Techniques

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is one of the most dynamic techniques that include On-Page, Off-Page, and Technical SEO.

So, when you put all your focus on one SEO technique, the others go underdeveloped and the search engine never finds a way to index your website.

This is a common SEO mistake that requires extra attention or else, your website and its contents will be invisible to search engines and won’t get the visibility needed.

Your website should have three functional directions – On-Page, Off-Page, and Technical SEO. By following these guidelines, you will be able to rank higher in the Search Engines (EAT guidelines). This is important since it increases the Expertise Authority and Trust (EAT) of your site.

When you’re working toward getting indexed and ranked online, it’s important to maintain the same level of focus on all the SEO Techniques in your arsenal. It’s especially easy to fall into this trap where you’re able to see some quick results from just one and focus all your attention on that technique. But this will take a toll in the long run as Google changes its algorithms

Imagine if you were focused on building your website’s authority by optimizing for SEO techniques or doing guest posting. But you ignore the technical side of optimization that makes your site safe, navigable, and easy to explore.

The On-Page optimization will also lead to people being more engaged with your content, as well as attracting more traffic. It’s a win-win for everybody!

That is why it’s important not to rely on just one ranking factor. Focusing too closely on one technique can actually cost you your organic traffic and Google rankings. This is much more likely to happen when you don’t work with an SEO professional.

Intent Not Clear

The intent of your visitor determines the knowledge they endeavor to acquire by visiting your website. This could be your website’s resources, content or sales (if this last one requires work, then check out our resource below). But if all these elements do not follow what your target customers want. Then, what’s the point?

A better user experience is the key to a successful business!! If your site gets more traffic, it results in increased revenue.

According to PwC reports,

86% of buyers are  willing to pay more for a great customer experience.

Without search intent, your content would lack an audience and therefore lose its effect. This would do the opposite of what you want: from making your online visibility decline to prohibiting you from earning enough traffic and increasing your web rankings.

Your searchers are using different terms and tacts to find their solutions. If you haven’t applied these elements – long-tailed keywords, latency of keywords, voice search, video content – your website lacks the most important SEO technique User Intent. The thing is that one of the biggest on-site SEO mistakes you’ve been making has involved unclear intent, which causes a drop in traffic and rankings.

No Updates Are Available

No updates to your website can lead Google bots to believe that the site has become out of date. This could limit your access for your target audience who are seeking current, relevant information.

You should update your website with the latest, regularly updated content and communications. Make sure your website is running smoothly, checking for anything broken or wrong links as well as increased mobile-friendliness.

Now, understand that if any of these updates are not followed within your website, it would

i. Face downfall in ranking

ii. Avoided by Users as they are unsecured (decline of traffic)

Iii. Won’t operate on certain new platforms 

Google (the world’s largest search engine) provides updates to their guidelines, rules and algorithms on a regular basis, such as the 2020 core update given below.

You wouldn’t believe how many marketers may let these slip by, only to understand when their traffic declines or their rankings.

So, instead of making the biggest SEO mistakes of not updating your website’s blogs, work on URLs, Metadata, Headlines and other such elements!

Using Text As The Only Content Formats

Content is an extremely powerful way to engage customers. When SEO is done incorrectly, your website can suffer. Content also has a huge effect on conversion rates.

You must ask why it is the deadliest?

It might sound cliché, but you need to be yourself and make sure your customers can recognize the values you provide them.

Not at all!!

There are many Content Marketing techniques other than just textual Content, such as Videos, Images, Podcasts, and e-Books that can be used for optimizing your website and marketing your business digitally (check out this list of other possible content varieties to find what best suits you).

Content creation requires a lot of time and effort. Not providing your customers with new content will mean they go to your competitors who offer new and exciting content.

That’s why using a variety of content targeted to your target users can be the most important SEO strategy you have. I believe it’s also the biggest one yet.

Branding Is Absent

Brands are the most important part of Google’s algorithm. Why? It gets them higher rankings and more followers which create more authority and brand recognition for the search engine.

We know that today, Google is about more than just ranks. That is why we take our three EAT guidelines of Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness that are promoted through our advertising partners and extend them to create a community and bring in genuine traffic. Switching to HTTPS is a good first step in creating a secure website and providing trust. You need to do much more than that to create a strong brand. You have to build your brand from scratch!!

With SEO becoming more brand-centric every day, there is no other way than to follow all the methods of optimization and sway your company story online. And in media formats as well, they can help you win potential customers over with what they associate your brand to be. Or you would just be waiting for ranking.

One helpful tip in branding your website is including specific keywords, as well as implementing SEO that targets your local customers. In order to rank in search engine results pages (SERPs), you need authority, which you can gain by earning real traffic and engagement. And only then would they find your content relevant to the searcher’s query, and you’re on your way to reaching a very sustainable well-known market.

No Regular Site Audits & Improvements

Website audits are a simple way to take care of your website on a regular basis. This can help keep it running smoothly and ensure that any issues are dealt with quickly. An important part of your technical optimization process, A/B testing should be done at least once a month so that it can identify details of which elements need improving.

And you won’t believe how much this SEO element is ignored!! Customers might be more agreeable to the idea if it’s framed in a way that’s simpler and more natural-sounding. Site audits are an important part of technical SEO and help to improve your rank by finding any errors that might be causing a decline in rank.

If one of your website’s web pages is loading slowly, the Site Audit tool will let you know right away and offer recommendations to fix it. There are certain tools that can help you identify the right keywords to target, improve your chances of ranking on SERPs, and get the organic traffic you need. These tools can also help you avoid any common SEO mistakes, like not monitoring your site at all.

Take Away

Your website is akin to your child and needs just as much care to ensure its growth and development. You need to work on the visuals (technical SEO), the quality of websites (On-page SEO) and their authority in life (Off-page SEO).

Maintaining an SEO strategy on your website without losing track of updates and auditing helps you to improve the performance of your site. It’s not always possible – but it is possible – to undo mistakes with SEO, which can help you make some money. Evaluate your site’s functionality, analyze data from diagnostics and site audits in order to improve them, and use the proper tools.

I offer free 30 minute strategy sessions to help you out with your marketing, including how to use content marketing, email campaigns and more. Just schedule a call with me and see the many techniques I use first hand.