SEO (search engine optimization) can be difficult to master. Everyone is trying to get their website seen or their voice heard. For some competitive keywords, it almost seems impossible to have your site reach the top of Google search rankings with so much competition for the same spot. There are many ways to increase your chances for high search rankings but there are plenty of ways that can hinder you chances as well. Before you figure out what increases your chances of having search-worthy content, find out what you could be doing that’s hindering your success. Here are the top seven SEO mistakes to avoid:
Assuming you know everything you need to know about SEO.
Search Engine Optimization is constantly changing and improving thanks to Google’s ever-changing page rank algorithm. As SEO evolves so should the way you optimize your website copy, blog content and content strategy, social media strategy, and link building strategies. Stay up to date and always be a student of SEO.
Buying links and using link farms.
It appears to be a good idea to buy links that lead directly to your site. It’s almost seems a bit like buying ads right? — WRONG. Google hates when you buy links to manipulate their search algorithm. It’s like you’re cheating the system and Google always punishes the cheater. Overtime, buying links will hinder your search rank. This is a no-no.
Although using link farms might be tempting to use to increase your ranking on Google, it’s not worth it. Google changes their algorithm to keep link farms from even ranking in the tops searches, rendering it useless to websites. It’s a waste of time.
Ignoring social media.
Twitter and Google have a deal in place that gives Google access to Twitter’s pipeline of tweets. Sharing your content on Google+ and connecting it to your website are still must-dos for SEO. These are just two instances of social media having an impact on your page rank and brand awareness. Take your content and share it on social media so that Google can see that you’re active and that people you’re connected with support your content.
Always using your keywords the same way.
While long-tail keywords are often connected, keywords don’t always have to be used together or even in the same sentence. It’s okay to change up the way you use them. If your keywords are restaurant and Atlanta, here’s a good way to change up your keywords: There are many amazing restaurants in the heart of Atlanta. Be creative and work with the keywords to make something that flows and sounds natural.
Being misleading.
Use only keywords that apply to your website. If your company is a culinary arts school, pressure washing shouldn’t be one of your keywords. People who search for pressure washing are looking for businesses that provide that service not for places to get a culinary education. This stinks of a misplaced pay-to-place link and Google hates that. The goal is to gain relevant traffic so you can grow a real consumer base.
Hiding links by using the same color text as your background.
This might seem like you’re killing two birds with one stone. You might think you’re gaining traffic while keeping you site clean. However, you’re actually stoning your site to death. Google filters out websites with hidden text, which will inevitably hurt your search rankings.
Repeating the same keywords throughout web post.
No one likes to be nagged. That is what overusing keywords feels like to readers. I know you want to get the most out of SEO as possible but a little goes a long way. It’s about having great content, which can be achieved by using keywords in moderation.
In short, take the time and do your SEO right. There are no short cuts in achieving high Google rankings. It takes time and hard work to climb the SEO ladder and those who cheat will suffer the algorithm-based consequences. If you follow the rules and don’t give into these tempting seven SEO no-no’s, you’ll be fine!
If you’re curious about putting in place a search engine optimization plan for your company and want it done by the book, Nao Media can help you avoid the seven mistakes. Contact us!
