Common SEO mistakes business owners make

Business owners are usually aware of how competitive local markets can be, especially when you run a small business. This is what makes improving brand visibility and getting more leads so important. Whether you’re only starting to test the SEO waters, or you have been unsuccessfully trying to get results for a while now – there are some common SEO mistakes all business owners must try to avoid making. Search engine optimization done right brings long-term results; moreover, it improves your reach and increases sales without any (or with very little) direct investments. Digital Dot points out some of the most common issues and helps you discover how to improve SEO efforts.

Expecting results to be achieved overnight

There are many marketing strategies out there that allow almost immediate results. But unlike various other options, such as paid ads – SEO simply doesn’t provide overnight results. It takes time for Google algorithms to make the final judgment about the relevance, but also the quality of your website. Once Google detects new content, it doesn’t immediately have a lot to work with. A freshly published page or post needs time to build a reputation on Google. Avoid checking your SEO results daily – this is a major mistake. Check your stats on tools such as Google Search Console or Google Analytics, but give content several weeks to show some changes.

You might be looking into competition and then try to mimic their SEO actions in order to get faster results. This is also an action you should avoid. When it doubt about a company’s SEO strategy, business owners should turn to SEO specialists. Take this step into consideration if you are unsure about where and how to begin working on improving your brand’s visibility on Google.

Neglecting to do tailored research on keywords 

SEO has been changing over the years – and so did the way search engine optimization experts use keywords. However, keywords have kept on being the foundation of every effective SEO strategy. It’s simple: keywords are what the crawlers use to determine what the website is about. And this fact alone makes keyword research one of the first and most important steps in creating an SEO plan for your company.

This is where SEO professionals come into play. Well-done keyword research will help you determine which keywords are relevant and bring conversions. Moreover, they point out which keywords are most competitive in your region. This is especially important for small and local businesses.  On one hand, you want to rank for relevant and high-in-demand keywords; on the other hand – the more popular the keyword, the greater the competition your business will be against on Google. Finding the right balance is of utmost importance here. Here’s how to avoid the most common SEO mistakes business owners make when it comes to keywords:

• Choose longtail keywords. They are more focused and easier to rank for.
• Optimize for the right niche. Opt for location-specific keywords, thus attracting the users who are likely to use your products or services.
• Avoid keyword stuffing. It has a detrimental effect on content relevance and a negative impact on SEO.

Not including backlinks in your content

Optimizing the content for the right keywords is not enough – even when those are used the right way. Every website needs a link network of its own. Neglecting to build an effective and sensible linking strategy will definitely show negative results on your SEO efforts. Additionally, internal linking lowers bounce rates, encouraging visitors to stay on the website and find out more about the business and what it offers.

Do not forget about off-page SEO as well. A well-thought-out link-building strategy could have a major impact on SEO, especially if an effort is made to follow Google guidelines when it comes to backlinks and how they are to be used.

Website speed issues

One of the commonly neglected SEO mistakes businesses make is failing to optimize the speed of their websites. The loading speed of a website is something search engines take into consideration when making a decision on the ranking. And if there’s one thing online users definitely dislike doing – it’s waiting. If a certain page or a website takes too long to fully display in a browser, prospective clients are likely to leave and turn to your competition. Professional web developers can be of great assistance with these sorts of issues, but other site development issues that affect SEO:

• Optimizing website for mobile users.
• Improving the UX.
• Fixing minor issues that do not affect the speed and user experience, but are relevant when it comes to SEO (duplicate content, images that aren’t search-friendly, improper redirects, messy URLs, etc.)

Not perceiving SEO as a long-term effort

Search engine optimization is not an action. It is a process. It takes time and commitment to achieve meaningful results – but the results are just as long-term. Since Google constantly changes and evolves, so does its stance on SEO. This means that every business that seeks to be present in the online world needs to develop and evolve in order to keep up. But the needs of those who perform searches alter over time, as well. And as their needs change, so should an SEO strategy of a certain brand or business.

In order to avoid making one of the biggest SEO mistakes business owners make, you need to keep working on your website’s optimization. Adapt to the changing needs of both Google and your potential clients. Stay informed about Google updates and changes in its ranking policy and update the site regularly and accordingly. This will improve your rankings – or help them remain high in the long run.

• Coming up with an effective and bullet-proof SEO strategy is a complex endeavor. By getting in touch with digital marketing professionals, you will be giving your business a better chance to gain and keep better rankings.