Search Engine Optimization is the key to a successful online business, blog, or website. There are entire companies dedicated to this craft, providing auditing, optimization, and management for clients. Recently, an expert SEO company, SolarSEO, provided insight into the 5 most common SEO mistakes that affect all SEO rankings and optimization.
Here, digital marketing experts from SolarSEO weigh in on how to avoid the most common mistakes and how to fix them. Ready to learn?
#1 Title Tag Optimization
The home page of a website should draw people in and give them a very quick idea about what type of business, product, or service is being presented to them. A common mistake is a failure to include keywords on the homepage.
For example, “Pups Plus” is a great business name, but if that is all you are showing on the homepage, you are missing a key opportunity. Instead, title tag optimization would say, “Dog Supply & Services Store in London | Pups Plus.” Visitors and Google can now use this title tag to determine what the site is about and rank accordingly.
To fix this, just think about the top priority keyword and the brand name. Rewrite titles on the homepage to reflect these with the brand name at the end of the title tag. Keep the title tag around 50 – 60 characters. If you need help determining important keywords, talk to an expert SEO company!
#2 No Service Pages
It might seem obvious to include a service page for any product or services being offered. However, website audits from SolarSEO show this is often a missing component for sites. Some businesses will clump all the services onto one page. It is actually more effective to list services separately and link to them from a main “Services” landing.
A website audit can show if this is an issue. Simply add the missing pages and use keywords in title tags, headers, meta descriptions, and copy.
For example, Pups Plus should have separate service pages for:
- Grooming
- Dog walking
- Boarding
- Training
- Toys
Placing all of these on one page makes it too dense. Breaking it up creates sub-pages so clients can hone in on the information they need.
#3 Inconsistent Information
When it comes to small business SEO, this is a big one. Google looks for consistency with the following information about each business:
- Name
- Phone number
- Address
Consistency is an indicator of reliability and credibility. If that information is different across Google My Business, Yelp, or Facebook, your business might not be flagged as legitimate.
Addressing this requires an audit to ensure the business name format is the same across all channels. This goes for any address changes or phone number updates as well. Correct these and you have fixed one of the simplest SEO errors!
#4 Missing Contact Information
On that same note, missing information can also be problematic for SEO. People need to be able to locate contact information easily on your site. Missing information is quite common, whether that is a phone number, address, or email. It can translate to lost customers if people think they cannot reach you.
A great website should have a contact page with the following:
- Business name
- Phone number
- Address
- Email
It can also include social media handles or fax numbers. If possible, this should also be on the header or footer of each page. It supplies visitors with the necessary information at every turn to ensure they know how to reach you. Update this as needed, especially as your business grows and more physical locations are added.
#5 Mobile Optimization
A newer mistake is a failure to optimize a website for mobile use. These days, most searches happen online. Google takes this into account when it ranks website results. Plus, the user experience can change drastically if the site is not adaptable to mobile devices.
Google provides resources to test mobile-friendliness, so that is one way to determine how your site is doing. If it is not doing well, you need to create a mobile responsive site. This is a site that is:
- Flexible to screen size
- Can adapt font size
- Loads vertically rather than horizontally
SEO is an ever-growing function and tool that can spell success or disaster for an online presence. Take the time to learn how it works so you can ultimately use it to your advantage.
