The SEO struggle is real, folks. Due to the ever-evolving optimization field, it’s not easy to stay on top of the most recent SEO optimization techniques. We get it. There are a ton of moving parts that are involved in search engine optimization and it’s easy to fall into the trap and slip up and make a common (and potentially harmful) mistake.
As a small business owner, we know the blood, sweat, and tears that went into creating your website, but launching and sustaining a successful site is tough work, and you have to acknowledge the complexities that come with promoting your business online. Starting with understanding SEO.
But what exactly is SEO? In short, SEO stands for search engine optimization. Which is the art of ranking high on a search engine. Search Engine Optimization is the process of optimizing your online content so that a search engine likes to show it as a top result for searches of a certain keyword.
By using SEO correctly, you can improve your website’s ranking in search engine results, such as Google. And with 75% of searchers starting their searches on Google, you can see why search engine optimization is so important.
Getting more clicks and seeing massive amounts of traffic, increases conversion rates and improves your bottom line. But using bad SEO efforts can also hurt rather than help your search rankings. So, you want to make sure to avoid critical blunders and not commit these common mistakes.
Not Including H1 Tags
The <H1> HTML tag is the first header tag visible on a page. It is used for the title of a page or post. It’s the most important because it’s the highest level tag that shows what your specific page is about. Search engines generally give this tag more weight over other headings, so it usually improves your search engine ranking.
Poor Navigation
Bad website navigation can render all the content on your site useless for visitors and search engines. Your website should be clean, simple, and easy to navigate. Users are not looking for fluff or crazy imagery, especially when it comes to eCommerce sites. People have a fixed idea on what it should look like, so make it familiar and easy to use.
Not Mobile-Friendly
Most users like to consume content and get information on their mobile devices. Don’t lose out to a competitor because you don't have a mobile optimized site. A mobile optimized site is built for efficiency and prioritizes the mobile version of a website for indexing and ranking. If your site isn’t optimized for mobile, expect it to essentially be invisible to search engines.
Slow Page Load Speed
Internet users are notoriously impatient and inherently intolerant of slow loading sites. Page speed is crucial when it comes to a user's experience. If you want visitors to stay, make sure your website loads in 4 seconds or less. Otherwise, they’ll move on to the next page on the search engine.
Broken Links
Ever clicked on a website link only to get a 404 error? Broken links are not only bad for user experience but can also be harmful towards your SEO efforts because they send negative signals to search engines. Avoid linking out to broken content, and also avoid having pages on your site that are broken.
Do you find SEO daunting? Do you need help navigating the fields of search engine optimization? Small Business SEO Companies like ours can help! We have a team of experts that can help you and your website get noticed. Contact us today!
