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6 Common SEO Mistakes Keeping You from Ranking #1

Having trouble ranking #1 in Google search results? You may be making one of these common mistakes in your SEO. Check out this overview of 6 common SEO issues small businesses often run into and how to fix them:

1) Site Speed Can Slow Your Roll

Did you know the faster your website is the more Google will favor it? That’s because Google recognizes that User Experience is important when offering search results to their visitors so, site speeds need to be top notch.

Google offers a nifty little tool to check your site speed called Google PageSpeed Insights that will give you a rundown of ways to boost your site speed. But here are a couple other suggestions to follow:

  • Optimize your images.
  • Enable browser caching.
  • Enable gzip compression.
  • Evaluate your plugins.

2) Using Generic Keywords

One of the biggest flubs site owners make is using too generic keywords. You should try to come up with something specific to your business which sets you apart so you’re not competing with everyone else for the same keywords. At the very least, make sure you use location keywords to whittle your competition down to your local area.

Other keyword best practices include:

  • Use long-tail keywords.
  • Make sure your keywords match the content on the ads or pages you assign them to.

3) Your Metadata Isn’t Optimized

Metadata appears in Search Engine Result Pages (SERPs) for certain queries and includes page titles and meta descriptions. This is one of the most important ranking factors for Google and your main way of encouraging click-throughs. This is also one of the most overlooked website SEO steps. Don’t make that mistake!

Follow these tips for better website metadata:

  • Add relevant keywords to your page titles.
  • Make sure your page titles aren’t too long.
  • Optimize your meta descriptions with clear and attractive information about your pages and include your keywords.
  • Use your meta description to give short answers or clues to pain points your site visitors may be trying to solve.

4) Poorly Written Content

A popular phrase you’ve probably heard a lot lately is, “Content is King.” But frankly, it’s more than just a marketing catchphrase. If you want Google to rank you as an expert in your field, you have to write about it and give Google algorithms some substance to bite into. Insufficient information or content which is too difficult to digest will cut down your rank as Google decides your site isn’t the best answer for your target audience.

Here are some quality page content tips:

  • Write at least 300 words.
  • Google isn’t your audience. Write for your visitors in a conversational tone and make your content organized and easy to read. Don’t use too many big words or techy language.
  • Write original content.
  • Don’t overload your text with keywords because this decreases the readability and flow.

5) Missing Call-to-Actions

You should have a goal to keep visitors on your website and clicking through your pages, not bouncing right back to Google once they’ve seen your first page. This is where Call-to-Actions (CTA) come into play.

Look at these simple CTA ideas:

  • Every page should have only one CTA so the goal of your page is clear.
  • Make sure your CTA stands out from your design.
  • CTAs are best located above the fold so visitors don’t have to scroll to find them.
  • Try animating your CTAs or using bold colors to make them pop out to your visitors.

6) Poor Presentation on Mobile

In 2018 Google switched to mobile-first indexing (looking at the mobile version of your site to decide how high you should rank). If your mobile website isn’t responsive and optimized, your rank is going to be drastically affected.

Google has a Mobile-Friendly Test you can use to see if your site is up to par. But you’ll also want to browse your own site on mobile to test the experience and do so often, checking for the following:

  • Click on every button, image, and link to make sure they’re working correctly.
  • Can you make purchases through mobile?
  • How easy is it to contact your business through mobile? Are there chat or click-to-call options?
  • Are all pages displaying correctly and visually appealing?
  • Do your page navigations and menus present well and work properly?

Focusing on these 6 areas in your website SEO strategy is a simple way to create measurable improvements in your ranking. But if you ever find it’s a little too much to keep up with, you can let us know. We’ll manage your marketing so you can manage your business. Just contact us @ (402) 810-6971 or reach out here to see how we can help your business.