Search engine optimization is an industry that has millions of competitors, many of whom are competing for the same exact keywords and rankings. Like any industry, everyone is attempting to do whatever they can to pull ahead of the competition, but not everyone does this in the proper way. Because of this, individuals need to be aware of the many SEO mistakes to avoid in 2020.
Google’s algorithms are becoming stricter than ever, and as a result, those who are not following best practices are going to find their websites falling down search engine results pages. If you are trying to make sure you have a competitive website that ranks highly in search engines, you must be aware of the common mistakes that are made in the digital marketing industry.
Keyword Stuffing
Keyword stuffing is the act of inserting a large number of keywords onto a webpage in hopes of manipulating search engine rankings. In general, keyword stuffing does not involve quality content writing, composing rich content, or incorporating keywords in a natural, organic manner.
In the beginning of SEO, marketers were able to achieve a lot of success through keyword stuffing. Webmasters and developers would simply insert a handful of keywords onto a page, hide them by making the text blend into the webpage’s color, and watch their rankings skyrocket. However, after some time, Google cracked down on this and started crawling webpages a bit closer.
Today, keyword stuffing is strictly a black hat SEO technique. Overusing keywords and inserting them where they don’t belong will not help your pages rank any higher. This is one of the most common causes of Google-given website penalties. If you receive a penalty due to keyword stuffing, your website will undoubtedly plummet in search engine rankings, and in some cases, it may not rank at all.
So, how do you avoid this? The answer lies in quality content writing and creative keyword research. Content is the current king in the world of SEO, and as a result, writing quality material for websites is the best way to ensure you have a fair chance at high rankings. Make sure you’re strategically using keywords and not just aimlessly placing them throughout your content.
Lack of Mobile Optimization
The overwhelming majority of Internet users and searchers are using mobile devices to do their business. As a result, if you don’t have a website that caters to mobile usage, you are doing yourself a huge disservice.
Today’s search engine algorithms are crawling and subsequently ranking websites on a mobile-first basis. As a result, this means that the first thing Google will analyze on your website is its mobile performance. While it’s still important to have a website that performs well on desktops and laptops, you must keep in mind the users who are accessing your landing pages via smartphones and tablets.
Make sure you’re optimizing your website for mobile usage. Your website should include different landing pages for mobile and desktop users. It should also have fast page loading speeds, interactive design, and up-to-date website design.
Lack of Analysis and Adaptation
SEO is not always an exact science. Success in this field requires creativity, problem-solving skills, and critical thinking. As a result, every digital marketing campaign is going to be different, which means that different approaches are necessary if you expect to succeed.
If you are not constantly analyzing your campaign, you are not following best SEO practices. By using tools such as Google Analytics, you can figure out which parts of your campaign are converting, and which need to be tweaked or scrapped altogether.
If your business is seeing improvement, you cannot simply bank on continued growth. You must dive into the analytics to learn more about what is working, and what measures you need to take to ensure you continue to make improvements. On the other hand, if your business is not seeing any improvement after you’ve invested time and money into your SEO, the answer is not blindly investing more resources into PPC advertising or pumping out as much content as possible. To figure out exactly what you need to do differently, you need to closely look at your analytics and adapt to what the data is telling you.
Hiring the Wrong Digital Marketing Agency
If you’re not an expert in digital marketing and SEO, there’s no problem with bringing in an expert to help guide you through the waters of search engine optimization. However, hiring the wrong agency can absolutely sink your business and cost you quite a bit of money in the process.
There are more digital marketing agencies now than ever. And while there are undoubtedly some agencies that know how to conduct good business that helps clients increase their revenues and profits, there are many who simply do not know what they’re doing. To ensure you’re finding the right company to help your business succeed, many experts suggest hiring a very experienced agency. Because there are so many freelancers and entrepreneurs who have started agencies simply because it’s currently seen as a “trendy” industry, there is a chance that these groups don’t have the expertise you need.
If you’re investing in search engine optimization services, you must make sure the business you choose is doing things the right way. Hiring the wrong company can absolutely ruin your digital marketing campaigns, so do your due diligence if you are trying to partner with a company to take your online marketing to the next level.
SERP Matrix | Local SEO
We hope this blog post has helped you learn more about some of the SEO mistakes to avoid. Search engine marketing can be extremely complex, and as this industry becomes more and more complex, it is getting easier and easier to make mistakes that can potentially sink a digital marketing campaign. By being aware of common errors and steering clear of them, you can remain confident in your ability to grow your business through the power of Internet marketing.
Are you trying to learn more about SEO and digital marketing? If you own a business or brand that needs increased exposure, you may be interested in harnessing the power of the Internet to get the word out. If so, SERP Matrix can help you increase your revenue and market your brand. With over 20 years of experience working with brands’ digital marketing, we can help you maximize your marketing through the power of digital marketing, web design, social media, SEO, and much more. Call us today at 713-287-1134 for more information on our services.
