Common SEO Mistakes you have to fix right now

9 SEO Mistakes You Have to Take Care of Right Now!

Nowadays, there is no such thing as a business that does not exist on the internet. Whether you are performing an Organic Search Engine Optimization or a Paid one, you are making the most of the power of the internet daily, in order to reach costumers and broaden the purchasing power on your website. No matter which method you choose for promoting your website, or to which retail field your website belongs, there are some mistakes that you have most likely been making along the way and are never too late to fix.

What are the Search Engine Optimization Mistakes that you have to look out for, and how can you fix the ones that you have already made?
Read the following guide and save yourselves valuable time and a headache.

Choosing the Wrong Keywords

Search Engine Optimization begins and ends with your chosen keywords, which are the foundation by which we are taking action, and are also what will ultimately help us lead the relevant users into our website. One of the main recurring issues is our tendency to ignore longer keywords (long-tail). Our intent is to try and understand what exactly the user is about to search.

Try to avoid keywords that might be too generic
Do not overuse a keyword within your content- being too repetitive and unnatural might be harmful
Articles on unrelated topics- which is, in fact, the complete opposite of the previous clause
High quality content that readers will really want to read is your secret weapon

Avoid Duplicated Content – Copying is Bad

Ever since we were just young kids in elementary school, we have come to learn that whoever copies their work gets punished. The same rule applies when it comes to copying content from around the web. While this situation is not a Copyrights Violation par excellence, Google will still make sure you are punished if you are found to be copying texts from others (and it will, eventually, find out).

If you have been reading other articles on our website or have been researching the field of SEO, you probably already learnt that content is the Ruler. Not only must you create high quality content on a regular basis, but you need to constantly keep alert that your website promoter is not just copying content from other websites.

Check the content on your website- there are special designated websites for this purpose
If you find that there is duplicated content on your website, there are ways to fix it- which you can read about here

Do NOT Link just Anyone to your Website!

Much have been said on the importance of building your Link Profile in order to promote your site in a high quality way. Google takes this matter in just as much seriousness as it does the content of your website. However, while in the past the goal was getting as many links as possible, nowadays the emphasis is not on quantity, but rather on quality.

Check the quality of a website before you create a link to it (for example, by using Majestic)
Do not forget to create internal links within your own website
If a trashy website with poor ratings is directing users to your site, you will inevitably be affected
Do not buy links, and most certainly not too many! It is unthinkable that a brand new website that was created yesterday will have 200 links within one day
If you create a link exchange, try and avoid a mutual one. Instead of having site A directing to site B and vice versa, make sure to do so through a third-party website
Do not link to sites that are irrelevant to your own trade. Google is looking for credibility and will strengthen you if you direct to relevant sites of similar interests (Needless to say, Google knows just as much as we do that Nike and Adidas are not going to direct users to each other’s websites, but it is still worth staying within your own field, even if not by linking to direct competitors).

Website Speed and Adjustments to all Types of Browsers and Devices

The future is already here. No matter whether your website was created at the internet’s Stone Age, or if it is brand new from the package, you have to make sure that it does not “run” like a turtle in a race, and that it is suitable to as many browsers and devices as possible.

Make sure your mobile version is working properly- these days, Google scan this version first due to the shift in users’ internet habits.
One of the highest key factors for good ratings is the speed. If your site is slow and takes time to upload, Google will punish you, because no one enjoys waiting (and not just Google, users will probably give up as well and move to a different website).

Do not Neglect your Social Media Activity

Social Media Platforms have become the foundation for the existence of any company, business, and even individual people. If you are not on one of the main leading platforms, you are seriously missing out. Nowadays, more and more people make their purchases directly through Instagram, have their most personal conversations on Snapchat, and anyone looking into any kind of online guide will not fail to look on YouTube. If you want to be up to date, you have to be part of it all.

Try to upload new posts or content frequently and on a regular basis
Adjust the platform to your own market (some will be better suited on Facebook, some might work better on Instagram, and some could benefit of both)
Respond to your customers
To have a better spread, create campaigns which combine all available channels and platforms
If you are not already using Pixel or Conversion Tracking- now is the time!
Look for Influencers willing to embrace your brand, in order to create a better exposure

Coordinate your Expectations with Yourselves and with Others.

The task of Search Engine Optimization is complicated and takes time. There are no magical solutions and it might be a while before you start seeing the results. This is very important to understand, otherwise you might find yourselves disappointed if you expect to be ranked first on all your keywords within a month.

Have a talk with your Website Promoter to understand what they are capable of and on what time frame
Create a game plan with reasonable time expectations
If your website is obsolete, not mobile friendly, or simply not very good… You cannot expect SEO to take you on impossible heights

You are Treating Optimization as a One-Time Deal

Too many people that I had the chance of discussing this with, mentioned that they had optimization done on their website, but then stopped working with a promoter once they were completed. When I investigate the site, I always find that while it might have been in a good place before they stopped the optimization, with time, further issues naturally arose and needed to be fixed.

Have you added a new product? A new post? You need to continue with the optimization process
Every now and so, Google updates its algorithms, and that will affect your website
Perhaps you performed a magnificent technical optimization, but have you made sure to check the users’ reaction to these changes?
Much like the SEO market that is in a constant change, so does your optimization tactic need to be changed accordingly
Every once in a while, run a test on your website and be alert to any changes

No Call to Action

Assuming you already got the users on your website, and they even found an interesting article and read it all the way through- now how will they know what to do next? How can you lead them towards the desired outcome of making a purchase, or becoming a member (for example, by adding their email address and subscribing to your mailing list)? You need to encourage the users to act and take action on your website.

Leading users to act needs to be as simple and clear as possible
Aim to have every article (and publication) end with a Call to Action
Do not overuse your Call to Action, try to be original and make the users really want to engage
Most users are naturally lazy, so it is up to you to encourage them to be active
Read this article and learn more about this topic

Forgetting the Basics

You wrote phenomenal content, published it, and even added a Call to Action that really makes people want to follow it. But you forgot to write a description and a headline, forgot to write an alternative text to an image, and lost all the buzz that you could have gained.

Descriptions and Tags are the bread and butter of every page on your site. Without it, the user won’t know what he can find on it
Image Search is not the future, it is already present-day and just as important to the rating of your site
The Future will be Voice Search (according to the rumours and estimations)
When it comes to descriptions and headlines, remember Clause 2 again (copied and duplicated content)

Did you enjoy this guide? Go on our website to find an entire world of high quality guides to help you understand the world of Search Engine Optimization professionally.

If you are looking for someone to provide a unique and personal treatment, someone that comes with many years of experience with SEO, works for an international market, and can offer the newest innovations and hottest trends - alongside useful methods and tricks that really work- we at Alt_ will be happy to be at your service and offer you our unique boutique method which revolves around personal relations, personalized strategy for each client, and of course- short term contracts so that you won’t feel trapped in the relationship.

Asaf Shimoni | CEO
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