So many blogs or articles about SEO focus on what you should do, but we decided to turn the tables a bit and look at what you should not do.
10 SEO Mistakes
It’s time to check your ego at the door and be ready to admit your guilt of one or more of these things. It’s ok, really. We won’t even make you say any Hail Mary’s. We’ll just hope you mend your ways. Are you ready?
1. Broken Links
There really is no excuse for such sloppiness. It’s easy to add a browser extension that checks for these in a flash. Solid links are like low-hanging fruit in the world of SEO.
2. Bad Links
It’s hard to know which is worse for you—broken links or bad links—so we’re just going to stay with the fact that they are both bad.
3. Poorly Named Pages and Image
Your page and image tags should clearly describe the content to avoid people clicking through to the wrong thing.
4. Cumbersome Site Structure
Your visitors do not want to spend their time figuring out how to navigate your site. Make it easy and intuitive and you will be rewarded.
5. Hiding from Crawlers
Every element on every one of your pages must be crawlable by search engines. Think twice before using Flash or other elements that cannot be detected.
6. Slow Page Loading
Keep your visitors happy—and moving. Use tools to help you identify slow pages and make whatever changes needed to boost that speed.
7. Bad Content
Ok, you knew we had to put something about content in here. The quality of your material and the appropriateness to your audience matters. A lot.
8. Duplicate Content
If you even so much as think about copying content from one place and publishing it on your site, you’re toast. For ecommerce companies that have multiple products that are virtually identical, avoiding duplicate content can be tough but is still a must. Get creative.
9. Considering SEO a One-Time Thing
SEO is an ongoing activity. If you optimize one time and then do nothing else, you may as well not even do anything in the first place.
10. Ignoring the SEO Industry Experts
Make it a point to follow at least a few SEO industry experts to be sure you are on top of the ever-changing SEO game.
Ok, be honest—at least with yourself. If you or your site can fall victim to any of the above, own up and make a plan for how to move forward. Looking at one’s mistakes need not be a lesson in flagellation but an opportunity for improvement. As mother always said, learning what not to do can be just as valuable as learning what to do…
That was our list of the 10 of most overlooked SEO mistakes. What are you doing to do differently in the future? What would you add to the list? Comment below.
