SEO is about boosting aspects of a business’ website so that the website can rank highly on Google and other search engines. Achieving a high ranking is critical since most people only use the first page when searching for information online. However, many companies have sites that don’t rank well due to a lack of caring or not knowing what to do. To avoid this issue yourself, here’s a list of the biggest SEO mistakes businesses make that you should try to avoid.
Search engines identify relevant content using keywords. Certain ones will perform better than others depending on a site’s niche and other factors, such as business objectives, location, competition, etc. Companies can identify the best keywords via thorough keyword research, but you shouldn’t overuse those.
What’s more, you should try to place keywords strategically in the content. For instance, you need to distribute them evenly throughout the page—put them in the first paragraph, middle paragraphs, headers, and last paragraph. Keyword strategies can be challenging to craft, which is why most businesses struggle with this.
Mobile friendliness is another critical ranking factor today. However, some businesses fail to have sites that respond correctly to mobile devices. Considering most internet users today access search engines via mobile devices, a business website that doesn’t function perfectly on one won’t effectively turn visitors into customers.
Many businesses also fail to think about quality content and effective strategies. For instance, most searchers online are interested in answers, yet many business-related sites don’t answer critical questions affecting their niche. Content must be helpful and understandable since Google uses readability as a ranking factor. Content length also matters, with Google favoring content that is 300+ words long.
Search engines like Google also consider current content as an essential ranking factor. Old, rarely updated websites don’t rank well. Since most site pages with information, like services and products offered, don’t need regular updates, that’s where blogs come in handy. A blog with regular posts will rank a business site better than one where the owner rarely updates. Since blog posts are great SEO tools, not having one is one of the biggest SEO mistakes businesses make. Fortunately, writing an SEO-focused blog is easy as long as you follow the correct steps.