Paul, 25 March 2024

Search engine optimisation (SEO): 10 biggest mistakes to avoid

Search engine optimisation (SEO) is a great way to improve website rankings and authority for your organisation.

 

It’s vital you develop a strategy that works and keep up with any changes in the way search engines operate. You’ll need to try out different tactics and see which work best.

 

There are also a lot of easy mistakes that people often make with SEO. Steer clear of common SEO strategy errors by using our tips below.

 

1. Ignoring backlink quality

When it comes to backlinks (links from other sites to your site), quality is more important than quantity.

 

What does this mean for your business?

 

Well, for a start you should focus on backlinks from respectable, relevant sites. You can check a website’s authority by using a free tool such as Ahref.

 

Getting low-quality links from spam-infested sites can cause search engines to punish yours with a penalty. This will damage your own site’s authority.

 

Also, aim for a variety of sources and link types. Relying on a single type of backlink (for example, guest posts or press release links) limits the range of your backlink profile. This can affect your search engine ranking.

 

2. Repeating anchor text

Search engines don’t like it when you use the same anchor text (highlighted links in text) over and over again for backlinks.

 

Spice up your anchor text to make it more varied. This will help your website’s visibility.

 

For example, imagine you want to backlink to a post about “backlinks”. Instead of just repeating this phrase as your anchor text every time, you can use detailed variants, such as:

  • ‘why backlinks are important for your website’s visibility’
  • ‘how to use backlinks to drive engagement’
  • ‘developing a backlink strategy that works’

3. Failing to monitor brand mentions

Monitor when and where your brand is mentioned on other sites.

 

Otherwise, you’ll miss opportunities to:

  • do link building
  • address bad publicity

One way to monitor brand mentions is by using Google Alerts. However, while this is free to use, it’s limited to Google searches.

 

Another option is to use a media monitoring tool such as Prowly or Hootsuite. These can track brand mentions across multiple platforms and give you regular email alerts. That way you can be sure to respond to any (good or bad) publicity in a flash.

 

4. Failing to engage with social media

You need to have a presence on social media platforms. Sharing content on social media will help you get your brand out there and create valuable backlinks.

 

5. Duplicating or creating low-quality content

Avoid duplicating content across different pages. This can confuse search engines and lead to lower page rankings.

 

Also, don’t share low-quality content on external sites as it will harm your site’s reputation. Low quality content is anything that is produced in a rush or offers little value to the reader.

 

Make sure all your content is:

  • original
  • well-researched
  • well-written
  • full of expert insights

It’ll make a massive difference to your SEO strategy.

 

6. Not adapting to algorithm changes

Search engine algorithms are always evolving. A failure to keep up with the latest changes can lead to a slide in ranking.

 

Keep up with any changes. Then you can adapt your off-page SEO strategies.

 

Find out how to measure the success of your SEO tactics.

 

7. Using “black hat” tactics

Avoid using manipulative “black hat” tactics such as:

  • buying links
  • “cloaking” (showing search engines a different piece of text or URL than the one on your site)
  • “keyword-stuffing” (using the same keyword too many times in one piece of text)

Violating search engine guidelines can result in severe penalties which will tarnish the image and visibility of your organisation.

 

8. Not having a mobile-friendly site

Design your site to be mobile-first. According to Statcounter, mobile and tablets account for over 54% of internet use in the UK.

 

If you don’t think about mobile accessibility then your user experience will go down the pan. As a result, you’ll risk lower search engine rankings.

 

On this last point …

 

9. Neglecting user experience (UX)

Always design with UX in mind.

 

Visitors won’t stay on your website if they experience UX issues such as:

Find out how to create a business case for using user experience (UX) design.

 

10. Not being patient and consistent about your SEO progress

SEO takes time to get results. It can be several months before you see any change in search engine rankings. Inconsistency or impatience with strategies can slow your progress.

 

Adjust your efforts according to the results you get over time. Track how your strategy is working with analytics tools. Make necessary adjustments to keep meeting the needs of changes in user behaviour.

 

Get advice on choosing great tools for tracking performance.

 

You can improve your website’s authority and visibility over time by:

  • avoiding the common mistakes I’ve talked about in this blogpost
  • focusing on building strong on-page and off-page SEO

Get SEO strategy help from us

Understanding SEO is vital for your organisation’s online visibility and reputation. At Llibertat we understand the nitty gritty of SEO, as well as the technical side.

 

Get in touch to find out how we can help with your SEO tactics and content strategy.