There is a lot about algorithms that isn’t known, but luckily Google has provided hints about what they look for and what’s important when it comes to ranking for keywords. Quality, unsurprisingly, is at the top of the list. It’s important to Google that the needs of searchers are fulfilled.
Google is the most popular search engine for this reason. They want their users to have the best experience possible when searching for what they need. As a website owner, you also want your websites to rank as high as possible. If you’re interested in improving your ranking, make sure that you aren’t making any of these SEO mistakes on your website:
Mistake #1: Posting low-quality content
When posting content on your website, aim for quality over quantity. As time goes on, you will have more content on your website, but don’t rush the process by putting out bad content. It is quality content that will attract the attention of the search engines. When good content is posted, people want to share it and this grabs the attention of search engines. You also want to do keyword research in order to include competitive keywords in your content. Quality content is one of the best things you can do for your website’s SEO.
Mistake #2: Implementing obvious ads
What are obvious ads? Obvious ads are the ads that pop up when a user is on a website while they are trying to read content. Ads like this force the visitor to either click out of the ad, scroll down to the content they want, or take another type of action such as signing up for a newsletter.
Not only are these types of ads intrusive and annoying, but they can also slow down the speed of a website, which can hurt SEO. Don’t think that all advertising is bad though. Hidden ads are more discreet. These are ads that are placed in the middle of content and are affiliate links rather than sponsored links.
Mistake #3: Your website’s usability is poor
Usability issues will affect your website’s SEO. Websites should be as easy as possible for users to navigate. Visitors are unlikely to return if they have trouble finding what they are looking for. Another issue to consider is slow loading websites. Visitors don’t want to wait around for slow pages to load.
You can have the best SEO working for you and the most appealing content, but none of that will matter if your website isn’t user-friendly. Google won’t give a website with poor navigation and slow page loading prominence as they want searchers to have the best experience possible.
Mistake #4: Keyword Stuffing
While using a lot of relevant keywords on your website might seem like a great idea for ranking, this can actually backfire on you. Keyword stuffing is frowned upon. In fact, keyword stuffing can have you penalized and lower your ranking altogether. Yes, using keywords is important, but use them naturally. Don’t force them where they don’t belong or overuse them. By doing keyword research, you can learn which ones will benefit your website the most and focus on those.
Most website mistakes that can impact SEO are easily dealt with. Improving these areas can greatly improve SEO and therefore increase your ranking. With better ranking, your website will be seen and visited more often, leading to more conversions and revenues, which is probably one of your biggest goals as a website owner.
