If you’re creating content for a website, you want it to be seen. That’s the whole point, right? As a business owner, you need to bring customers to your site to provide them with valuable information and make sales. When your content doesn’t rank in search engines, it can be incredibly frustrating. It shouldn’t come as a surprise, but nearly 70% of users stick to the first five organic search engine results. If you reflect on your own habits, you’ll understand why this happens. These sites are viewed as more trustworthy, and they meet the needs of the searcher.
If your business isn’t employing SEO tools, you could be missing out on valuable website traffic. Perhaps you are expending plenty of time and energy by using SEO, but you aren’t getting the results you want. It’s likely that your digital marketing strategy needs improvement. There is a lot of competition out there, so it’s essential to hone your skills. With that being said, these things take time. Becoming an SEO expert doesn’t happen overnight, and it’s easy to make mistakes when you’re new to the world of online marketing tools. Here are several common blunders that should be avoided.
1. Low Quality Content
Site visitors can spot poor writing from a mile away. Using “re-wording” AI technology might seem like a quick way to produce content, but in the long run you’ll regret making this choice. Have you ever been on the phone with an automated voice for an hour, trying desperately to speak to a real person? This is what it feels like to read generic, automated content. Help your writers grow and encourage their skill development; make sure they understand that conversions are more likely if the content feels valuable.
Got it? Now that you’ve completed this easy step, you’re ready to start narrowing down your Google Ads campaign goals.
2. Forgetting Anchor Text for Links
Anchor text is a key tool for moving visitors to other areas of your site. However, if you don’t customize it properly, you’ll miss out on a worthwhile opportunity. Terms like “click here” or “check out this page” are vague and nonspecific. The more detailed you are, the better your SEO results will be. If you incorporate relevant keywords into the text, that’s a huge step in the right direction. For instance, try “click here to view our catalogue of promotional products” or “check out this page for more info on digital marketing tools.”
3. Not Creating Links Users Want to Visit
Let’s say you own a business that sells hair dye. What kind of content will get more links in this scenario? You always have to think back to your audience and put yourself in their shoes. It’s not too hard to do: we’ve all been digital consumers at one point or another. More than likely, what you’ll want most are video tutorials on hair dye. What do certain shades look like? How are they meant to be applied? What kinds of tips and tricks can you offer? People love interactive content they can relate to. Dull or uninteresting content won’t keep visitors on your site.
4. Failing to Utilize Analytics
Bringing visitors to your site is absolutely necessary, but the traffic itself isn’t everything. Once people arrive, the idea is to keep them there until they complete a goal. Most of the time, this means converting visitors into buyers. Analytics will help you keep a closer eye on your conversion rates. Consider opting for an analytics-driven package that can assist you with achieving the results you want. A digital media company can also take the burden off your shoulders by performing this analysis for you.
5. Lack of Natural Keyword Targeting
Every page on your site should have strong keywords in place. They should be present in your content, titles, and URLs. Most importantly, they should feel organic rather than crammed in or forced. Keywords should also be tailored to your brand. Generic words and phrases won’t get you anywhere, because a wealth of other businesses use the same ones! Specificity works wonders. In the future, try customizing your keywords by adding important details targeted to your location and audience.
6. Choosing Not to Audit
As a business owner, you should always be performing audits to ensure your website is appealing from a visitor’s perspective. Users should be able to navigate your site easily and without any hiccups. Don’t forget: the mobile version should function just as well as the desktop site. Furthermore, audits will cover SEO, how quickly your pages load, the key areas of your site and the overall quality of your content. From there, you’ll know exactly where and how to improve.
7. Not Keeping It Local
If you represent a local business, you want to attract the local populace. Again, this is where specificity comes into play. Making your presence known on sites such as Yelp and Google Places is a great place to start. However, you should also think of ways to incorporate location-specific text into your keywords. For titles and meta descriptions, for instance, you may want to include details such as your business’ address or contact information. These will help you appear in local results. If you avoid this, the people in your area – who are most likely to buy your products and services – might not be aware your company exists.
8. Not Making Meta Descriptions More Original
Picture yourself auditioning for a role in a play. You have two minutes to recite a monologue and wow your audience. Meta descriptions operate in much the same way; you have 160 characters to sell your brand. This one, small section of text may decide whether or not someone visits your site. How do you proceed? Well, it should stand out! Our actor doesn’t just want to deliver a stellar monologue; they want to rise above the competition. In order to do that for meta descriptions, you have to be unique and succinct. What exact services does your business offer, and why should someone visit your site? These are the questions you should answer to achieve better SEO results.
We Are Here to Help Grow Your Business Online and Through SEO
Working with a professional digital marketing company is the best way to make the most of your website and all that Facebook Pixel, LinkedIn ads, Google Analytics and other digital advertising platforms have to offer. To learn more about the best digital marketing strategies for your company and reach a bigger audience than ever before, work with Gauge Digital Media. For a quote or to schedule a call, contact us at (443) 201-7709.
