You’ve finally got your website up and running, but you’re not attracting any visitors. This radio silence leads to valid concerns like “was all this for nothing?” or “what am I doing wrong?” In actuality, you might have done everything right regarding the physical construction of your website, but if your site is not “search engine friendly”—and by “search engine,” we mean Google—all of that hard work could be for nothing.
If the content isn’t targeting the audience you are trying to attract, your well-designed website could become an Internet tumbleweed. These tips will help you avoid that.
SEO Mistake #1 Creating content only targeting informational keywords
There are two types of keywords: informational and transactional. Informational keywords are general related searches around tips, ideas and how to’s. People using them are at the top of the funnel in their buyer’s journey. Transactional keywords are keywords or keyword phrases potential customers use to find the services or product they are looking to buy.
If you’re spending all of your efforts creating content around high volume keywords that are at the top of the funnel and not spending any time creating content targeting consumers who are further down the funnel you could miss out on conversions. To find transactional keywords go to Google’s Keyword planner or other sites like ubersuggest and look for keywords with a higher value per click. Then start creating content focused on ranking for these keywords.
SEO Mistake #2 Overlooking the importance of optimizing your Google My Business page
A great deal of web searching is conducted on mobile devices, which make extensive use of location data. If you serve local customers, but are not targeting them with a strong local presence that shows up on Google, you are going to miss out on valuable customers and repeat visitors.
SEO Mistake #3 Slow-loading website equals losing possible clients
In today’s environment of “gotta have it now”, your site can’t take too long to load. Otherwise, people will look elsewhere, period. And in this case, we are talking only a matter of seconds. While a great deal of site-loading speed has to do with the web development side of things, load speed will impact your site’s SEO standing.
Not only do you run the risk of losing potential customers, but Google also tends to frown on sites that load slower, especially when comparing them to your competitors’ sites. Make sure your development team understands and tests for this issue to keep bounce rates low.
SEO Mistake #4 Overusing one keyword
Otherwise known as “keyword stuffing,” padding content where keywords are overused can be viewed as a spam technique and can result in having you removed from Google’s index entirely.
Instead, use synonyms. Using words that are similar to your main keyword allows you to practice smart and safe keyword research without running the risk of being penalized for keyword stuffing.
SEO Mistake #5 Under-utilizing internal linking
Do you have great content related to your different products? Don’t be afraid to let the streams cross. If you’re creating content for a new product, and you have inventory related to said product, don’t be afraid to link between the two. This gives you twice the exposure for one click. It also helps guide the visitor/customer discover more about your site and the services you offer.
Conclusion
While some of these tips may seem commonplace, making sure to avoid the aforementioned issues will only benefit your site, business, and overall brand. If you would like a professional consultation on implementing this list and saving you valuable time, reach out to Digital Blue Beagle and we’ll be happy to help you find a strategy that best fits your company.