SEO Slip-Ups: How to Dodge Common Mistakes and Boost Your Rankings 

Search engine optimizing a brand website can be an unforgiving task. With so much market competition, websites need to have near-perfect SEO to reach the top of search results and become lead-generation engines.

Even the best SEO experts sometimes make these common mistakes. But you don’t have to. Read more to learn the errors you could be making in your SEO.

1. Forgetting On-Page SEO

On-page SEO is about optimizing each page of your website for better rankings. But sometimes, people forget about key elements like meta titles, meta descriptions, header tags, and image alt text.

The Fix: Make sure each page has a unique and descriptive title tag and meta description with your main keyword. Use header tags (H1, H2, H3) to organize your content and add keywords where they make sense. Don’t forget to add descriptive alt text to your images – it helps search engines and people who use screen readers understand what’s in the picture.

2. Ignoring Mobile Users

Most people use their phones to browse the web, so if your website isn’t mobile-friendly, you’re missing out! In the last quarter of 2023, mobile devices (excluding tablets) generated 58.67 percent of global website traffic (statista). So a site that’s hard to use on a phone can lead to frustrated visitors and lower rankings. 

The Fix: Use a responsive design that automatically adjusts your website to fit different screen sizes. You can even use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test to see how your site performs on mobile.

3. Slow Site Speed

Nobody likes a slow website. If your pages take forever to load, people might leave before they even see your content. Whilst this is the most significant consequence of slow page speed, it can also hurt your rankings. Google does penalize slow sites and this can affect your rankings. 

The Fix: Speed things up by compressing images, using browser caching, and minimizing JavaScript and CSS. Google PageSpeed Insights can help you pinpoint areas for improvement.

4. Low-Quality Content

If your content is unoriginal, poorly written, or doesn’t offer anything useful, people won’t stick around – and search engines won’t rank you high. This is particularly important now, when generative AI produces tonnes of low-quality content for brands. Google now ranks unique content better than AI-generated content, so make sure to put some heart and soul into your content. 

The Fix: Create high-quality, informative, and engaging content that your readers will find valuable. Do your research, answer common questions, and solve problems. Keep your content fresh by updating it regularly. Don’t overrely on generative AI, but feel free to use it to create article structures or to proof your content. 

5. Forgetting Backlinks

Backlinks are like votes of confidence from other websites. They’re still a major factor in SEO rankings. But some businesses either don’t try to build backlinks or resort to shady tactics that can get them penalized. 

The Fix: Build a strong backlink strategy by earning links from reputable websites. Create shareable content, consider guest blogging, or partner with influencers to get your name out there.

6. Sticking to Outdated SEO Techniques

SEO is always changing. If you’re still using the same techniques from years ago, you’re likely missing out on opportunities.

The Fix: Stay up-to-date on SEO news and best practices. Follow industry blogs, attend webinars, and network with other professionals. We run a community for B2B technology marketers, so if you fit the bill be sure to apply for free and keep up to date with marketing news and trends. 

By avoiding these common SEO mistakes, you can give your website a major boost in the search rankings. Focus on keyword research, quality content, technical optimization, and ongoing monitoring.