Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of optimizing a website so it performs well in search engines online, it’s one of the most important factors to help connect you with your target audience. However, it can be hard to create an effective SEO strategy as there are regular updates to Google’s SEO ranking system and there’s a lot of incorrect information on the internet. These are 7 common SEO mistakes that you might be making and are worth changing in order to improve your search rankings and visibility.
Non-responsive website
Google recently has started to penalize websites for not being mobile friendly which can affect your ranking, therefore if your website isn’t responsive then it could have quite a big impact. Another reason to make your website responsive is that you will have a faster page speed which is a known ranking factor and makes a more pleasant user experience, so there are lots of benefits of responsive websites.
Keyword stuffing
Some people don’t quite understand how keyword density works and believe that ‘the number of words on a page divided by the number of instances of a given keyword’ is what’s used by search engines for ranking and relevance, however this isn’t true and is ineffective. If you’re not careful keyword stuffing can be flagged as spam by Google, it’s much better to use your keywords around 3-4 times in an article with keyword variations in comparison to using it as many times as possible.
Using the wrong keywords
If you are using the wrong keywords then you’re not going to rank in the search engines effectively. If you’re unsure check your bounce rate and organic visibility as these will give you an indication on how well they’re working. Also when choosing keywords make sure they aren’t too competitive, generic and that they’re being searched.
Creating unoriginal content – In order to rank highly content needs to be unique as search engines filter out what they class as duplicate content. Google has been specific on how they feel about unoriginal content and has specified that duplicate low quality content in one area of your website can actually harm you across your whole site.
Broken links
There are three main reasons why broken links can occur; the website might no longer be available, it has moved without a redirect being added, or the structure of the URL was changed.It’s important to remove or fix broken links as links to both your website and within your website can affect where it ranks in search results as links are seen to search engines as a vote for a websites’ quality. Not only will removing and fixing broken links help your website rank better, but it will also improve user experience and make it easier for visitors to discover content.
Internal links not relevant
Internal links are when one page on a domain links to a different page on the same domain, it’s important that they’re linking to relevant content as it spreads link equity and establishes site architecture.
Your website doesn’t have a sitemap
Sitemaps are often overlooked and underestimated, however they’re very important when it comes to SEO. Sitemaps are a map of your site (i.e. one single page to show the structure of the site, sections, Iinks) and makes it easier for google to find sites pages. It’s not only easier for navigation but also for visibility in search engines.
In order to rank highly in search engines it’s important to have an effect SEO strategy plan, however these are a few tips to help you from making the most common mistakes and become more searchable.
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