SEO optimisation is an essential part of your business’ marketing strategy. Search Engine Optimisation is the process of increasing and improving the quantity and quality of website traffic by making sure the website is visible to users of a search engine. You need to optimise your website and pages to ensure you are getting your fair share of appropriate traffic.

SEO is always changing because search engines are always changing their algorithms based on their users’ intent. However, there are tried and tested ways that are always effective and some that are always harmful. Here is a list of the SEO mistakes you should avoid and/or fix.

Common SEO Mistakes to Avoid

1. Ignoring local search optimisation. If you are a local business, perhaps you have heard about local search. If you are not optimising for local search, you are missing out big time.
2. Choosing the wrong keywords. SEO is all about the keywords you wish to rank for. Choosing the right ones is crucial. Most people make the mistake of optimising for global keywords, generic keywords, keywords that do not convert, and broad keywords.
3. Failing to use analytics. The main goal of SEO optimisation is not just to gain traffic, but to convert. Failing to track which keywords convert is not efficient. Sometimes you focus on keywords that bring in traffic and fail to recognise those that actually convert.
4. Having low quality content. Focusing on the quantity rather than the quality of your content is one of the biggest SEO mistakes you can make. Users know whether or not a website’s content is relevant and unique. If they deem your content to be untrustworthy or poor, you will lose their trust and they will abandon your site.
5. Overlooking title tags and meta descriptions. It is such a commonsense practice. These title tags have several purposes beyond SEO. They are also used for sharing your page on social media, for when someone bookmarks the page, and more importantly, to tell your users what the page is about. Meta Descriptions are also as important because it’s your sales pitch.
6. Misusing anchor text for internal links. A call to action must be specific and seamless through an anchor text, an important SEO Linking to a different page in your website must feel seamless to your users. Additionally, using the same anchor text for each of the link in a blog post is also a mistake. Users do not like it; therefore, search engines do not like it, either.
7. Stuffing your content with links. Focusing on the number of links rather than the quality of links is a big no no. It is better to have one high quality link than several low-quality ones. High quality links come from blogs that have gained popularity or websites by experts of a certain field. They are trusted by search engines and will do wonders for your website ranking.
8. Not being fast or mobile-friendly. Website quality, especially loading speeds and a mobile ready experience, is crucial. In fact, experts in SEO in Sydney say mobile experience is the number one consideration of users today. If your site is not mobile-ready or does not load fast enough, you may be losing valuable traffic.

How to Fix these SEO Mistakes

1. Include region-specific keywords in the page titles and meta descriptions. Then, add your complete and accurate business address, contact information on your pages. It also would not hurt to list your business on Yelp, FourSquare, Google Places, etc.
2. Be specific with your keywords as possible. Choose more competitive long-tail keywords. Use tools like Google Trends, Moz Keyword Explorer, or SEMrush to find out which keywords are adequate or appropriate.
3. Use an analytics package to compare and contrast keywords and phrases to see which ones are yielding the highest conversion. This information will help you prioritise your optimization efforts.
4. Invest on content generators – writers, photographers, and others – who can produce original and valuable articles, images, and other content that your users will find interesting and relevant.
5. Each one of your pages should have unique title tags and meta descriptions.
6. Instead of generic texts like “click here” or “learn more”; say “click here to learn about our services” or “shop our latest looks.” Use variations on your anchor texts.
7. Focus on links that are relevant to your brand. Do not link to sites related to adult content, gambling, or pharmaceuticals, etc.
8. Invest in web development and design. Make sure that your pages load fast and that you give your users a mobile experience that wows.

It’s no secret that investing in search engine optimisation is necessary for any business to succeed in today’s market. Pay attention to these common SEO mistakes so you can avoid and/or fix them; and you can ensure that your SEO strategy yields the best outcome.