5 SEO Mistakes You’re Probably Making Right Now

You built a website that you think is pretty impressive, so where are all the visitors? You’ve come up with an SEO strategy, you’re blogging, using keywords, and sharing on social media like your website’s life depends on it, but Google still hasn’t picked you up. What are you doing wrong?
Well, search engine optimization isn’t nearly as simple as it sounds. There are a number of common SEO mistakes you could be making that are actively hurting your rankings. Here are a few to avoid:

1. Keyword Stuffing
   Save the stuffing for your Thanksgiving turkey. Nothing is worse than a poorly written webpage filled with the same spammy words over and over (and over and over) again and again — see how annoying that is? Keyword stuffing is the tacky technique of filling a webpage with keywords and phrases in an attempt to boost the site’s rankings on Google. It sacrifices quality for quantity, and it doesn’t work. When it comes to SEO, as they say, “content is king.” Your SEO strategy must include quality content creation that artfully uses keywords to say something substantial. Research shows that good content marketing can lead to a 40% increase in revenue.
2. Copying Copy
   Plagiarism is a major no-no. It wasn’t acceptable in school and it’s not acceptable on the Internet. For your website to bring in traffic, you need to be creating totally original content that is both compelling and relevant. If Google suspects that you’ve stolen your words and/or ideas from another site, your ranking can plummet.
3. Severed Links
   Any links you post on your website better lead somewhere. Not only are broken links frustrating for your visitors, but they’re also bad for your reputation with Google. Of course, broken links are rarely your fault, and you’re bound to accumulate a few over your website’s lifetime. Unfortunately, Google will penalize you for this, so performing regular site maintenance is a must. Be sure to look for broken internal links as well.
4. Bad-News Backlinks
   When a highly reputable website links to your page, it’s like getting a vote of confidence. Their visitors see that your page is recommended, and not only will this direct more traffic your way, it also tells Google that you’re an authority in your field. On the other hand, a link to your site from a shady website can hurt your reputation. You can tell a lot about a person by the company they keep, and Google makes the same judgement call based on your backlink profile.
5. Kooky Keywords
   Make sure you’re choosing keywords that are relevant to your field and show consumer intent. If you’re populating your pages with the wrong words, you’re not going to get the leads you’re trying to attract. Be as specific as possible and use words that your customers would use in a Google search prior to a purchase.

Still need help getting your website rankings up? There are plenty of search engine optimization companies with the experience and know-how to boost your SEO strategy. If you’re looking for Miami’s leading SEO and website design firm, contact Ibis Studios to get started.