Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is an essential skill for any website owner or manager, as it helps to boost your website’s visibility in search engine rankings. Unfortunately, many website owners make simple SEO mistakes that can significantly hinder their website’s potential. Here are 10 common SEO mistakes to avoid:
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Not Optimizing Image Tags – When uploading images to your website, make sure to include key words in the image tags, as this will help search engines understand what the image is about.
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Unfriendly URLs – URLs should be short, easy to read and easy to remember. Be sure to include relevant keywords in the URL to boost your SEO.
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Ignoring Site Performance – Site performance plays an important role in SEO. Make sure your website is loading quickly and its pages are easily accessible.
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Overstuffing Keywords – While keywords should be included in your website content, resist the urge to stuff your pages with keywords. This often results in keyword stuffing, which can result in penalties from search engines.
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Improper Use of Canonical Tags – Canonical tags help search engine bots understand the source of content and avoid duplicate content penalties.
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Ignoring Metadata – Title tags, meta descriptions and HTML headings (H1s, H2s, and more) can help to boost SEO, so make sure your website content includes these.
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Not a Mobile-Friendly Website – Most people are now using mobile devices to access the web, so it’s important to have a website that is optimized for mobile usage.
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Blocking JavaScript and CSS – Make sure your website isn’t blocking access to JavaScript, CSS or other elements that can affect your website’s reputation. Search engines cannot crawl or index websites with blocked elements.
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Poor Interlinking – Make sure to include a few relevant links within your website’s content. This will help crawlers find more content on your website and boost your search rankings.
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Not Monitoring Your Search Engine Rankings – It’s important to keep track of your website’s search engine rankings. Regularly monitoring your rankings will help you spot any mistakes and make the necessary improvements.
These are just a few of the simple SEO mistakes that many website owners make and can cause a dramatic decrease in their website’s visibility. By avoiding these errors, you can help your website reach its full potential.