The 3 most common SEO mistakes
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the quality and quantity of website traffic. Usually, when we are asked about SEO, the question is about ranking better on Google.
You are probably wondering, “Why am I not ranking better Google?”
Before you start thinking of how to rank your website, it’s important to understand how Google ranks search results.
Google needs to know who you are and why you are the best source of information on a particular topic.
Google is trying to give the searcher the most relevant information for their query – whether that is “how to bake a cake?” or “best design firm”.
The way that you structure your website needs to be readable to both Google’s robots and your visitors.
SEO is complex and you could spend all your time trying to perfect your website. But spending a little time to create a solid foundation will go a long way.
And before you start laying that foundation, check whether you are making any of these common mistakes.
Are you making these SEO mistakes?
Not enough content on the homepage
Your homepage should have at least 300 words of copy on it. A homepage filled with great visuals might look good but it doesn’t give Google any information about your business. Putting relevant copy on the homepage allows Google to know what to rank you for.
Not optimizing for the right keywords
Before trying to rank for particular keywords, you need to do some keyword research. The important information is how many people are searching for the term and how competitive it is. Google provides a tool to help you do this – Google Keyword Tracker. The trick is to find keywords that have medium to high search volume but are not the most competitive.
Not using analytics to see what converts
Your website is a living part of your business. It needs to be updated. And you need to know what’s happening. Reviewing your website analytics is a great place to start. Things to watch out for are bounce rate and time spent on your website. As well as what pages are the most popular. If you have 2 or 3 blog posts that give you most of your website traffic, those should be updated and optimized.
These 3 tips are the top of the SEO iceberg but it’s important to set your foundation right.