4 Common SEO Mistakes You're Making

There's no getting around it: SEO is an arduous process. Every new site update, piece of content, and social media post you release involve fresh SEO data to consider.

How do you ensure that the effort you're putting into SEO isn't wasted? Well, the first thing you should do is check what's going on behind the scenes. Many SEO mistakes don't cause alarms, but can still affect your search engine rankings.

Not sure where to start? Here are four common SEO development mistakes to avoid.

1. Missing Resources

Noticing that one of your pages went down is much easier if you have a small website. What if you have a more extensive site, though? How often do you check for broken pages, missing external links, and wonky features?

To keep track of these missing resources, arrange frequent sitewide reviews. By using a site crawler, you can check every indexed page for errors of any kind. Use that information to update your pages and keep your reputation intact.

2. Confusing URL Hierarchy

Many website owners never think about URL structures. This is a mistake, as a URL structure can make it clear what the page is trying to accomplish.

Here's an example of a good URL: clothes.com/products/jackets/leather/leather-jacket-3.html. You can see that the page exists in three categories: leather, jacket, and product. Customers and search bots can parse this information in no time.

Now, let's say your URL looks like this: clothes.com/pr/4/lc3.html. Few people would guess that "pr" stands for "products," and "lc" stands for "leather jacket." This lowers the likelihood of them coming back to your site through direct entry.

3. Keyword Stuffing

Keyword optimization is one of the most important SEO techniques out there. This is why so many site owners spend so much time researching the relevant keywords. The issue: there's a thin line between optimization and over-optimization.

If you're stuffing your content with too many keywords, it will come off as unnatural. You won't get a warning from Google, but you will lose ranking power. The best solution is to only add keywords if they provide value or clarity.

4. Lack of Metadata

Do you have an image-heavy website with very little text? If so, you should pay some attention to the alt text metadata. Without it, search bots won't be able to tell what your site contains, which makes it less likely to appear on Google results.

The title of a page is another useful piece of metadata. This field gives you a chance to clearly state what the page is about. Other than helping search bots, this determines the name of the page that appears in SERPs.

Other SEO Mistakes to Avoid

Whether you're an SEO beginner or expert, these four mistakes are easy to miss. Avoiding them comes down to being vigilant and keeping track of the basics. If the foundations of your site are solid, you'll be able to carry out higher-level SEO work.

Want to know more about common SEO mistakes? Interested in SEO tips that can bring organic user traffic to your site? We can help you out -- contact us right here!