10 Common Small Business SEO Mistakes You Must Avoid at All Costs
This post was originally published on PixoLabo
You Need to Stay on The Good Side of Google!
In 2020 search engine optimization needs to be part of an overall diversified digital marketing strategy. SEO will push your website toward the top of organic search results. If done correctly, it can have your website ranking at or near the top. But you need to avoid making common small business SEO mistakes along the way!
Let's take a look at why SEO is so crucial for small business marketing. According to Search Engine Journal:
- 75% of all online users never scroll past the first page
- 70% of all links clicked on by visitors are organic, not paid
- The top 3 search results get 61% of all search clicks
- SEO generated leads have an average close rate of 6%
As you can see, SEO is an effective digital marketing strategy. But it is also a somewhat complicated process involving several steps. To get the best possible results, you must avoid making common small business SEO mistakes!
10 Small Business SEO Mistakes
1 – Keyword Stuffing
Keywords are essential to your overall SEO success. But recent Google algorithm changes make them less important than before. And using too many keywords will attract Google's attention, and potentially get you de-indexed!
Solution: Use One focus keyword and One Related Keyword or phrase per page.
2 – Broken Links
A broken link is a hyperlink that is not pointing to the intended page or location. Having broken links will earn you a bad reputation on Google and other search engines.
Solution: Regularly check for and repair broken links using a Broken Link Checker. Even better, WordPress users can simply use this Broken Link Checker Plugin.
3 – Copying Content
Stealing ANY content from a competitor or any other website is not only not the right thing to do; it is ILLEGAL! Yes, Google and humans may not notice right away. But Google will eventually notice and penalize your site accordingly.
Solution: Take the time and create your own unique and engaging content.
4 – Duplicate Content
I am not sure why you would want to do this, but never duplicate a page on your business website. Google and other search engines most often only index one page. Plus, you want unique content on each page to provide the best overall user experience.
Solution: Write your copy and create exclusive content for each page on your site. Unique text content will increase user engagement and time spent on site.
5 – Poor Quality Content
Only great content is king. Poor quality content hastily created for the sake of creating content will not do well. The same goes for content created by amateurs instead of professionals.
Solution: Create a solid content strategy before creating any content. Identify relevant topics of interest to your audience. Write informative and engaging content, and be sure to proofread it!
6 – Duplicate Title Tags
Don’t be lazy! Avoid using the same page titles on different pages. Be aware that some CMS systems, including WordPress and Drupal, may auto-generate titles for you. Be sure to use the actual page or post title instead.
Solution: Create unique page titles that allow search engines to index your site correctly. Page titles need to make sense to end-users and tell crawlers about your relevant content.
7 – Duplicate Meta Descriptions
Once again, don't be lazy! Don't forget that your page Meta description shows up in the search engine results page (SERP) snippet as well. Make sure you make it as descriptive as you can to stand out from your competitors.
Solution: Create a persuasive and descriptive Meta description within the 156-character limit.
8 – Non-Credible Links
Creating backlinks is still a relevant SEO strategy. But only if you use high-quality links! Linking to pages that have a low or non-existent page rank has no value or credibility.
Solution: Think quality rather than quantity! Focus on high PR sites and authoritative industry blogs.
9 – Not Using Analytics
Not using website analytics like Google Analytics makes absolutely no sense to me. How can you measure the impact your SEO is having on your overall digital marketing strategy without some form of measurement and performance tracking?
Solution: Install and configure Google Analytics and Webmaster Tools for your website.
10 – Optimizing the Wrong Keywords
Don't waste time optimizing for keywords that do not relate to your business or the expectations of your audience.
Solution: Use only keywords and phrases that fit the search queries of your target audience. Keyword Research can provide significant rewards.
Avoiding Small Business SEO Mistakes
If you are lucky, you did not make any of our common small business SEO mistakes. Good for you, you may go home now! But those of you who did make one or more small business SEO mistakes better think about fixing them. The longer you wait, the further ahead your competitors will be.
Fixing many of our small business SEO mistakes is pretty straightforward. If you already do some or all of your small business digital marketing, you should have no problem fixing them. In some cases, you may need the help of your web designer, a search engine expert, and possibly a good copywriter.
If you need some more help avoiding small business SEO mistakes and increase your search rankings, check out these posts on our blog:
· 13 Tips for Creating SEO-Friendly Images and Improve Your UX
· 42 Essential SEO Tools to Put in Your SEO Toolbox in 2020
· 9 Essential SEO Upgrades to Help You Rank Higher in 2020
· 21 Essential WordPress SEO Tips for Your Small Business Website
Fixing existing small business SEO mistakes is only the beginning. To keep your business website ranking high, you need to avoid these common small business SEO mistakes in the future as well. For many of you, this will become second nature. But if you are already uncomfortable with SEO, you may be better off engaging professional help. If you have any further questions or concerns, I am here to help.
Gregor is Co-Founder of PixoLabo, a multilingual WordPress web design studio based in Japan, and has over 25 years of experience in web, UX and information design. Gregor consults and mentors startups in Asia and the US, and is an adjunct professor of design and user experience, as well as a foreign language editor at the Tohoku University School of Medicine. He lives with his wife, an award-winning Japanese designer, and photographer, in Sendai, Japan. When he is not working, he enjoys writing, traveling, gardening, and sampling new street food. You can connect with Gregor on LinkedIn or Twitter