SEO HORROR STORIES: 10 Mistakes to AVOID

Darkness falls across the SEO land; the latest algorithm change is close at hand. Google bots crawl in search of domains – to terrorise your marketing campaigns. 

(Do your best Vincent Price impression with the above for full effect). 

You get the picture; the SEO world can be a scary place. A campaign requires more meticulous planning than a Jigsaw trap, and the competition has more determination than Jason Voorhees. Oh, and an algorithm core update has the potential to change the landscape like a Freddy Krueger dream sequence.  

Okay, okay – that’s enough movie monster analogies for one guide. However, it’s vital to steer clear of the various pitfalls that exist – otherwise, you’ll experience your own horror story. With that in mind, here are ten SEO mistakes to avoid.  

1. Not Performing an SEO Audit 

Any SEO campaign requires a strong foundation. Without the proper research and analysis, your marketing strategy will collapse – and that’s a terrifying prospect. This is why SEO auditing is essential.  

By performing an audit, you can gain knowledge about your website’s strengths and weaknesses. This knowledge can then be used to help improve every aspect of your SEO plan, from competitor analysis to keyword researchKeyword research helps websites unearth the best keywords to drive traffic and visibility. This research is supported by a number of powerful web-based tools, the best of which we’ve listed here..  

Speaking of which… 

2. A Lack of KeywordKeywords are the words and phrases that potential customers might search for to find your business. Research 

Have you ever crafted a piece of content without any thought about keywords? While fine when writing a book or article in a magazine, that’s not the case when it comes to online marketing materials. The searchability of your content requires the same level of focus as its overall quality.  

Keyword research is the literal key to knowing what your audience wants. If keywords are typed into search engines regularly, that means they’re in demand. It also means you know what hot topics to base your content around – assuming you’re doing the right research.  

3. Producing the Wrong Content  

So, you’ve gathered up a healthy collection of relevant, rewarding keywords to target. Yet, one of the biggest SEO mistakes is believing the hard work is done – that you can simply wrap an article around these keywords, press the publish button, and expect a flood of traffic.  

First of all, your content shouldn’t solely be focused on ranking for a specific keyword; the focus needs to be on the actual target topic. Google isn’t there to serve up the content that best works the system – they want to provide their users with relevant, informative articles that meet their needs.  

When your content corresponds with the needs of your audience and it’s produced to a high standard with oodles of research and visuals, you’re on the path towards success.  

4. Failing to Make Backlinks a Priority  

Backlinks are difficult. There’s no getting away from that – but there’s a reason for this: Google places a lot of weight behind websites with a healthy backlink profile. Acquire a nice collection of linksHyperlinks, also known as links, are the connection points on a webpage that take you to other webpages. from sources with high Domain Authority, and your website will quickly climb those search rankings.  

The problem is that many marketers opt to inject their resources into other areas due to the difficulty of gaining backlinks. Don’t go down this route. Backlinks should be a priority, even if they do take time and effort – or you could receive help in this area from experts who eat backlinks for breakfast (wink-wink)…  

5. Not Maximising Internal Links  

On the other hand, internal links are much easier to implement in your SEO strategy. Although, it’s easy to undercook this tactic – and that’s a mistake you must avoid.  

Adding internal links is simple. Say you’ve published a new blog post on your website about horror films. One quick method is to visit Google, do a “site:” search with your site URL, add a relevant keyword from your recent blog post, and hit the “Search” button.  

For example: 

Site: YourWebsite.com/blog “horror films” 

This should then bring up a list of possible internal link-building opportunities.  

6. Forgetting Title Tags and Meta Descriptions 

This is, without a doubt, one of the most common SEO mistakes. We see so many pages that are missing title tags and meta descriptions – and that sends shivers down our spines more than any ghost story could.   

To generate conversions from search results, you need to entice potential visitors to click on your page. That’s where the title tag and meta descriptionWebsite meta descriptions are used to inform web users on search engines about the content of webpages. come in; they’re used for advertising the page in the SERPs. Waste these elements, and it could be the difference between someone clicking on a rival’s website rather than your own – a chilling thought! 

7. Publishing Content That’s Not Original 

Okay, in this day and age, it’s virtually impossible to produce something 100% original. This guide you’re reading right now certainly isn’t the only ‘SEO mistakes’ list you’ll find on the internet, after all. 

Nevertheless, you must avoid simply duplicating content; Google doesn’t like that – at all. When you create content, put an original spin on it while attempting to craft something superior to what’s already out there. 

8. Having a Sluggish Site 

A website that’s as fast as a snail won’t just kill off your SEO efforts – it’ll also see potential customers running away in horror. Heck, even a slight page speed delay can wreak havoc on your website.  

Users expect your site to be fast and responsive. To deliver on this, ensure you perform a speed page test, see what possible issues prevent you from hitting optimum speeds, and fix these ASAP – lest you want your sluggish site to decapitate its own search rankings. 

9. Not Looking at Analytics 

Analytics are critical to understanding whether your SEO objectives are being met. They’re essential for knowing more about what’s working, what requires greater effort, and learning how to tweak your tactics for greater results.  

If you’re not looking at SEO analytics, it’s like trying to cross the Atlantic Ocean without a map and compass; you’ll get lost and suffer an ill fate. 

10. Feeling SEO Is One-and-Done  

SEO isn’t a magazine ad run or leaflet campaign. There is no defined end date. It’s a continual marketing strategy – one that requires ongoing work, revisions, and support for success. It’s important you know the type of commitment needed before boarding the SEO ghost train; otherwise, it’ll be a carriage of spooks on a one-way track to marketing hell.