SEO can seem incredibly complicated for those new to this essential but nonetheless confusing aspect of digital marketing. Are you making any of these key SEO mistakes in your own digital marketing strategy?
- Optimising the Wrong Keywords
Keyword optimisation might not be everything when it comes to modern SEO, but it’s certainly still a vital part of any successful SEO strategy. However, the words you choose as keywords will make or break this aspect of your search engine optimisation plan. Picking keywords is all about targeting and resonance with your audience. It is no use optimising words which get you hits but don’t encourage your visitors to engage with your company in meaningful ways. There are methods you can use to improve your chances when it comes to SEO optimisation. Avoiding broad search terms helps you to avoid some of the competition and instead focus on being as specific as possible. Think like a customer, considering what you’d type into a search engine when seeking a company like yours. Your Google Analytics report will help with the initial research but you can also use a keyword research tool and Google Trends to stay on top of changing search patterns.
- Forgetting the Value of Link Quality
Are you focusing on link quantity rather than link quality? This is one of the most dominant mistakes among even seemingly competent SEO services, and is often pigeonholed under the term black hat SEO. Google and other top search engines are cracking down on link farming, and penalising websites which take part in this practice – so be careful you keep your site safe from incurring penalties! Focus instead on links which are truly relevant to your industry, and avoid having too many outbound links. Remember that good quality links take time to accrue but, it’s far better to have three good quality links in three months than 300 irrelevant ones from poor quality sites that have no connection to your industry or your target market.
- Trying to Ignore Mobile
Mobile search is now the default setting on Google, meaning all websites are judged by the mobile version of their site rather than desktop. If your site hasn’t yet optimised for mobile, now would be the time. A mobile-friendly layout will help you streamline your content into something altogether more SEO-friendly. In doubt as to how to make the transition to mobile? Contact our SEO services specialists for a helping hand.
- Forgetting About Analytics
You want to build an SEO strategy which converts – that means you must monitor and measure your results. Not only does this provide you with true insights into your progress, but it also helps you set benchmarks to reach and targets to meet. Keep track of your analytics to give your SEO efforts a boost and empower you to quickly identify what is and isn’t working.
