As any business owner knows, having a strong online presence is essential for success. To draw in more customers and grow your business, you must appear on the first page of Google results. Unfortunately, many websites are full of mistakes and careless decisions that can penalize them in the Google rankings. To begin climbing Google's ladder, remove these 8 things from your website immediately if you want to rank on Google.
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Slow Load Times: Nothing is more frustrating than waiting for a website to load. Google knows this and factors loading speed into its ranking algorithm. For a more optimized website and higher page rank, consider compressing images, optimizing scripts and leveraging browser caching.
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Unreadable Content: Google's bots crawl websites looking for content that is interesting, relevant and easy to read. If most of your content is written for search engine bots, it can hurt your ranking. Write content that speaks directly to your audience and is well-articulated.
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Duplicate Content: Duplicate content, or content that is plagiarized, copied or similar to existing webpages, is a crime in Google’s eyes. Duplicate content can be interpreted as an attempt to trick the search engine, so make sure to create original and uniquely formatted content.
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Poor Internal Linking: Your website should have intuitive navigation that provides users with clear direction. This includes relevant internal links that invite users to explore deeper into the website. Include relevant keyword phrases to help bolster your website’s ranking.
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Broken URLs: Broken URL’s are an eyesore, but they also hurt your website in the ranking. Regularly test each URL and ensure that links are up to date.
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Poor 404 Pages: When crawling your site, Google bots will inevitably land on pages that have been deleted or have moved locations. Make sure that your 404 pages redirect visitors back to the homepage or onto relevant other pages.
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Not Mobile Optimized: Over 53% of all website traffic is mobile, so it makes sense that a mobile-friendly website is crucial for SEO. Optimize your website to work on mobile and tablet devices to ensure a fast and convenient user experience.
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Too Much Ads: Ads can be lucrative, however, more ads can mean more distractions and longer loading times. In addition, Google's series of algorithms, most notably Panda, penalize websites that are excessive in ads and low in relevant content. Balance monetization with an attractive and consistent content-to-ad ratio.
An optimized website with no mistakes and poor decisions is crucial for success in the digital world. Remove these 8 things from your website immediately if you want to rank on Google. Your business will thank you!