Growing your online presence and reaching your target audience can be an exciting process, but in a world where algorithms change every day, it’s more often a frustrating one. Digital strategists are faced with more and more competition, while being told they have more tools than ever to succeed. Both can be true, but it can be disheartening not to get the results you planned for, especially after working for months or even years.
What are the top 10 SEO mistakes you must avoid in 2023? Let’s start talking about what you should avoid doing and get you focused on the right optimizations.
1. Ignoring Mobile Optimization
Mobile optimization is no longer an option—it’s a necessity. With more and more users accessing the internet on their mobile devices, Google has long made mobile-friendliness a key ranking factor that helps decide where your website appears. In 2023, this requirement is enforced by millions of bots, constantly scouring the internet for more optimized websites. Make sure your website is optimized for mobile devices, including responsive design, fast load times, and easy navigation in order to remain ranked and relevant.
- Optimize your images for file size.
- Create a mobile-friendly UI that matches your desktop version in style.
- Include a linked phone number that allows visitors to call you directly.
2. Neglecting Local SEO
If you’re a local business, neglecting local SEO is a big mistake. Local SEO involves optimizing your website and online presence for location-specific keywords and phrases. This includes claiming your Google My Business listing, optimizing your website for local keywords, and building local citations.
Ranking high via various keywords without a local designation might be near impossible for some small to mid-sized businesses. However, when you factor in location and Google’s disposition to auto-locate its users, you have a much better chance of ranking for your chosen search terms. For example, “tire manufacturer” is harder to rank for than “tire manufacturer in Ohio.”
3. Keyword Stuffing
Need a refresher on keywords? Check out our recent piece on the basics of keywords and phrases here.
Keyword stuffing is the practice of overusing keywords on your website in an attempt to manipulate search engine rankings. This not only looks spammy to users, but it can also result in penalties from Google. Instead, focus on creating high-quality, informative content that naturally incorporates relevant keywords. Finding a perfect keyword range of about 2-4% will allow you to rank, while keeping your content fresh and engaging to readers. You don’t want to hear the same words over and over again do you? Neither do your readers!
4. Not Optimizing for Voice Search
With the rise of smart assistants like Siri and Alexa, optimizing for voice search is becoming increasingly important. Voice search queries tend to be more conversational and long-tail, so focus on natural language and answering questions in your content. When building chatbots, make sure that you train the bot to speak as naturally as possible to encourage frequent and worry-free use for your customers.
In just a few years, most major websites will have advanced chat features for customer support and even sales, all utilizing natural language processing and voice capabilities. There are some solutions for small to medium-sized businesses, but you should start learning about these things now, rather than later.
5. Slow Page Speed
Page speed is a crucial ranking factor for Google, and slow-loading pages can result in a poor user experience and high bounce rates. Make sure your website is optimized for fast load times by compressing images, minimizing code, and leveraging browser caching.
If you’re using WordPress or another common CMS, there are dozens of plugins available to help optimize your page speed—check reviews and test free ones to see which works best with your site’s code.
6. Duplicate Content
Duplicate content can hurt your SEO efforts by confusing search engines and diluting your ranking potential. Make sure your content is unique and valuable, and avoid copying content from other sources.
When you’re writing about a subject that relies heavily on information from the competition, look for outside sources like surveys, industry reports, and trade publications. Most have content available online and would love a backlink!
7. Neglecting On-Page Optimization
On-page optimization includes elements such as title tags, meta descriptions, and header tags. Neglecting on-page optimization can hurt your SEO efforts by making it difficult for search engines to understand what your website is about. Make sure your website is optimized for on-page elements, including clear and concise titles and descriptions.
Unsure of how to tackle your landing page? Does your SEO experience not match up to your industry knowledge? It can be confusing, but you don’t need to do it alone. Schedule a call with one of our SEO specialists and get a rundown of how to start improving your website’s performance.
8. Not Investing in Link Building
Link building is an essential part of SEO, as it helps establish your website’s authority and relevance. This includes building high-quality, relevant backlinks from reputable websites in your industry.
9. Only Focusing on Google
While Google is the dominant search engine, neglecting other search engines like Bing and Yahoo can mean missing out on potential traffic and customers. Make sure your website is optimized for all search engines, including alternative search engines in your industry.
10. Neglecting Analytics and Tracking
Analytics and tracking are essential for understanding the success of your SEO efforts and making data-driven decisions. Make sure you’re tracking your website’s traffic, rankings, and conversions, and using that data to improve your SEO strategy over time.
Curious how you stack up against competitors? Our FREE SEO report reveals critical insights and risks that could be effecting your website traffic growth.
At Costello Creative Group, we specialize in helping businesses of all sizes achieve their SEO goals. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you avoid these common SEO mistakes and achieve success online that outlasts the competition.
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