SEO is one of the fundamental parts of digital marketing strategy. It is essential to gain organic traffic, increase sales, and boost conversions.
SEO is so much more than just using keywords. And sometimes, it might not be as easy as one thinks. A great strategy requires a comprehensive approach, research, and elimination of common mistakes. If you are new to the SEO game, this might sound overwhelming. A lot of students start their own online businesses or blogs but fail to use SEO to their best advantage.
Often the case, it has to do with the lack of time to research and learn all about the best practices. Students are usually already overloaded with college work and endless assignments. And it might be hard to devote a couple of days to figure out Google Analytics or Semrush when you are stuck on an essay.
However, there is a way out. Students in need can always count on professional academic writing help. If you found yourself wondering, “Could I ask professionals to write my paper for me on WritePaper this time?” The answer is yes. Experienced writers are ready to assist with writing, editing, and proofreading any type of college assignment. And they can do it on the shortest notice. So students can rest assured their papers are top-notch while enjoying more free time.
To make things even easier for fresh SEO specialists, this article covers the most common SEO mistakes one needs to avoid.
Major Mistakes in SEO
Not Knowing Target Audience
This seems like a no-brainer, yet a lot of beginners do not go deep enough when analyzing and defining the target audience.
Without it, any other tools will not be as efficient. After all, if you do not know where you aim at, you cannot hit the target.
Use Google Analytics and similar tools to research the market and competitors. Look at their audience. Evaluate what demographics you are aiming at. Create a profile with as much detail as you can find, including:
- Age;
- Gender;
- Location;
- Financial status;
- Employment status;
- Marital status;
- Interests;
- Hobbies, etc.
Based on that, you will have a clear understanding of what these demographics are looking for, what pain points they might have, and what type of content they are interested in. This will shape the next steps in SEO strategy.
Using Wrong Keywords
Keywords are great when done right. One of the major mistakes a lot of beginners make is choosing generic ones. The more generic keyword is, the harder it becomes to rank high. Because there is much more competition there. For instance, look at how many results you get on Google with “sustainability tips” (759 million results) and “sustainable practices for college students” (124 million results).
Before choosing the keywords, research them and look at how high the competition is. Some of the useful tools for that are:
- Semrush;
- Ubersuggest;
- Ahrefs;
- Answer the Public.
Another tip to avoid this mistake is to use long-tail keywords. These are more specific phrases that are much easier to rank high for and boost your product. There is a line between the expression and something no one is interested in. It will take time to figure things out, but the result is worth it. Aim at something from your audience’s interests.
Crafting Non-Specific Title and Meta Description
Some might not know that the search engine prioritizes titles and headings more than paragraphs when it comes to keywords. So the title and meta description are crucial.
They need to be short, unique, and rich with the right keywords. A good idea is to include the name of the brand or blog in it.
Disregard Technical SEO
This is particularly relevant for fresh specialists. They often focus more on content and keywords rather than page and site performance. Yet technical SEO is as important. You need to run regular analyses to figure out the performance metrics and optimize them.
This includes:
- Loading speed;
- Multimedia optimization;
- Performance on the mobile interface;
- Crawlability and internal linking structure;
- Dead links;
- Duplicate content;
- Security (no https certificate in particular);
- XML sitemap;
- Data structure.
All of these factors impact how the search engine views and analyzes the page. Based on that, your site might rank high or low.
Using Black Hat SEO
There might be a temptation to use shortcuts and shady practices. Those are called black hat SEO. They are unethical and will lead to penalties and serious issues. They might offer some results immediately, but in the long run, it is better to stay out of them.
Once a website is compromised, it is incredibly difficult to get on the right track. It is not worth the risk of losing all your progress and content.
Some of the black hat practices are:
- Keywords overstuffing;
- Cloaking;
- Shady redirects;
- Poorly-written or plagiarized content;
- Paid links;
- Link farms;
- Comment spamming;
- Hidden keywords;
- Content copy, etc.
If you want to become a professional and master SEO, none of these will help. It is better to follow the best practices and guidelines, particularly when it comes to building high-quality, white hat links. White hat link-building techniques involve creating valuable, relevant, and legitimate backlinks to your website, which can significantly improve your site’s search engine rankings. To learn more about effective white hat link-building strategies and how they can boost your SEO efforts, continue reading the latest industry resources and expert insights.
Writing Content Without Value
Creating content for the sake of content is the wrong path. Any content needs to be unique, valuable, high-quality, and interesting. If you give nothing of value to the audience, it has no reason to come back.
It is better to focus on quality rather than quantity to promote your website. Offer a solution to a common problem, share personal experiences, or give a new perspective. But keep a posting schedule regular. At first, it might be one article a week. But if it is an in-depth guide with a lot of value, it is better than 3 generic texts without any authenticity.
In Summary
Mastering SEO takes a lot of time, practice, and learning. New trends appear constantly, and one needs to always keep up with the industry. But with the right approach and motivation, it is not so overwhelming.
Start with essentials like understanding your target audience, optimizing the technical factors, and offering high-quality content. Also, avoid black hat practices and pay more attention to finding the right keywords.