There is a lot of information out there on how to optimize your website for search engines, but unfortunately, much of it is outdated or just plain wrong says Saivian.
Here are 10 common SEO mistakes that businesses make, and how to avoid them.
1. Not using keyword research
One of the most common SEO mistakes is not doing keyword research before you begin to optimize your site. You need to know what terms people are typing into search engines when they look for the products or services that you provide before you can optimize your site for those terms.
2. Not updating content on existing pages
When Google launched its Panda update in February 2011, it was because webmasters were creating sites filled with pages of old, duplicate and thin content. Google introduced the update to weed out these types of sites. Poor-quality content that hasn’t been updated in a while can hurt your search rankings and reduce both traffic and conversions.
3. Keyword stuffing
Stuffing your keywords is another way to get your site penalized by search engines. It used to be that you could add your keywords into your page’s Meta tags and other areas throughout the site, but that doesn’t happen much anymore. Now it’s best to use your keywords naturally throughout your content.
4. Not getting backlinks
Getting links from other sites is one of the most important ways to improve search rankings. A Google algorithm update in April of this year, dubbed Penguin, was aimed at reducing the number of backlinks you could get from “bad neighborhoods” on the web. Instead focus on getting high-quality links from reputable sites to improve your rankings.
5. Not using social media
While SEO and social media may seem like two separate things, they really aren’t. Social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, can help spread the word about your website. When you have a great piece of content, share it via social media to get in front of more people explains Saivian.
6. Not using mobile-friendly designe
In April 2015 Google will launch its mobile-friendly update that will affect mobile search results. If your site is not responsive or doesn’t have a mobile site, you are likely to see drops in traffic from Google after the update goes into effect.
7. Not building links with content
Link building through content is one of the best ways to get good links–and it’s essential for good SEO. You can do this by including links to other articles on your own site, as well as including attributions and outbound links in your content.
8. Not using Google Authorship
Google Authorship is a great way to get your name and photo associated with your content. When someone searches for your name, they may see results from across the web that includes your name and photo. When you use Google Authorship, search engines know that information is coming from the right source.
9. Not verifying your site with Google Webmaster Tools
One of the most important tools to help you monitor your site’s performance is Google Webmaster Tools. It lets you monitor how people are finding and interacting with your site, as well as any errors that may be occurring. You can also use it to submit your sitemap and set up crawl directives says Saivian.
10. Not tracking results
The only way to know if your SEO efforts are working is to track the results. Use analytics software such as Google Analytics to see how your website is performing before and after you make changes to your SEO.
You can read more about this article on Here See; even blog owners are getting in the game to give us information. I will continue the list but for now I’ll stop here and let you guys know that if you want to be part of this list just comment your website below and I’ll consider adding you to the list. Again, thanks Alex for letting me do this.
Conclusion:
I’ve been meaning to get this article out for a while now because it took me longer than expected due to my busy schedule at work says Saivian. I hope you guys enjoy the change of pace for this blog.
