If you own a business, chances are you’ve jumped on board with SEO marketing so that you can be found online by your ideal customers. This is a smart move because you can bet your top competitors are utilizing this marketing technique as well. However, just dabbling in the world of optimization isn’t going to get you the leads that you deserve. Here are a few common SEO errors that businesses make that are costing them time and money, and how to correct them.
#1: Not Paying Attention to Search Engine Changes
If you aren’t paying attention to what Google, Bing, and other search engines are doing, then it’s time that you start. You can’t apply the best SEO practices if you don’t know how search engines are changing. For example, if you didn’t know about Google’s mobile-first index and how vital responsive designs are, then you might find yourself behind the learning curve and your competitors will be able to get in front of you.
#2: Lack of an SEO Strategy
If you apply SEO tactics here and there as you learn about them, you’ll get mixed results. You want to have a polished strategy in place that has a way of tracking results so that you can adjust your plan according to real data. Either sit down with an SEO professional and have them help you with a plan, or start brainstorming with your team about what techniques you should be applying consistently and how you’re going to follow through.
#3: Content That Is Weak or Irrelevant
Many businesses will have weak content that they don’t pay attention to because they don’t think anyone is reading it. However, you should take pride in all of your content and make sure that it makes sense for your business. While your blog may not be getting read by tons of people, trust that it is a powerful tool when it comes to driving traffic to your website. Plus, as you have new visitors come to your website, they will see what you have to say and you want to make sure it’s engaging and keeps them on the page.
#4: Not Understanding Backlinks
If the person managing your SEO doesn’t understand backlinks and how important the quality of them is, then they shouldn’t try to apply them. You don’t want to get penalized for linking to spam, and you should make sure that you clean up any odd backlinks on your current site.
#5: Not Hiring an Expert
Whether you simply need a few consultations to help you and your team get back on track, or you aren’t seeing any results with your current plan, don’t hesitate to hire a professional. The only fast track to getting results from SEO is to cut out the amount of time it will take to learn the best practices. When you bring in an expert, they’ll have that knowledge at their fingertips, so they’ll be able to implement the plan right away.