Internet marketing is a dynamic field. Things change on a monthly basis and approaches that were popular and working until recently, quickly become obsolete. This is especially true when it comes to search engine optimisation.
Basically, SEO helps you reach the top positions in search engines. It is a process in which you optimise a website so that Google ranks your web pages higher for your most important keywords that drive business to
It is a difficult and time-consuming process even for seasoned SEO veterans. As a result, inefficient practices are commonplace, especially among lower-tier SEO experts and marketers.
Why would you mess up your SEO in the first place?
Now, we’re not implying that you would do so. In the end, there is no point in paying for optimisation if it’s not done right.
Still, inadvertent mistakes are really common when it comes to SEO.
Let’s start with the experts who are performing the service.
Like with any other job, it is easy for SEO experts to become complacent. Website optimisation requires constant improvements, modifications and staying in touch with the latest news and changes. For most people, this is a hard task. Not only do you have to assist your clients on a daily basis, but you also have to read the news and develop new techniques that will yield proper results. So, even if you hire a professional, there is a chance that the job will not be done properly.
There is another common issue with SEO experts.
In order to promote their services, these professionals invest a lot of time and resources in creating and modifying their strategies. Quite often they
But what happens when their expertise can no longer help their clients rank on the first page? It is really expensive for a small company to completely discontinue their service overnight and start offering a different one. So, instead of quitting, most SEO agencies continue providing the same service even if it’s no longer effective until there is no longer any market demand for it.
But wait! It’s getting even worse.
Given that site optimisation is heavily dependent on search engines’ algorithms, we can never be sure if what we’re doing is right. There is always room for a lot of speculations as huge companies like Google and Bing are very tight-lipped when it comes to announcing news and recent updates. That being said, you require a good source of information that will tell you what’s really happening. Unfortunately, most people don’t have access to such information.
Bad practices that you need to avoid
There are several bad SEO practices which are still very popular even though they’re not providing good results. Here are some of the techniques you need to avoid at all costs:
- Building irrelevant links
Google’s algorithms have improved significantly over the past few years. The company is constantly developing new systems that would enhance user experience. That being said, the most popular search engine is much better at spotting low-quality unnatural links. For the longest time, backlinks have been used as a way of determining the importance of a web page. But not every link is a good one. The best links are those coming from authoritative sites with similar content in a natural way. On the other hand, if you get a link from a spammy website that has nothing to do with your industry or topic, this can be a red flag for Google.
- Bad link profile
The link profile is something that is often mentioned within the SEO community but many professionals choose to disregard it. Basically, for a website to be successful, it needs to have a healthy, balanced link profile. Have a look at the top players in their niche. You’ll probably notice that most of their links are coming from authoritative sites and that they have very diverse anchor texts. So before you decide to go on a link building spree and build hundreds of questionable links, think about the consequences first. If Google
- Sacrificing speed for quality
Oftentimes site owners are too preoccupied with the design of their websites instead of focusing on user value. This can be a big problem for search engine optimisation. Google always puts online users first. Their priority has always been to provide fast and safe browsing while showing the best information on the web. While having a beautiful site is awesome, it shouldn’t cause slow loading pages as this is bad user experience. If your visitors choose to leave your site before it loads Google’s alogorthyms will be forced to decrease your organic rankings.
- Accepting low-quality guest posts
Although people have different opinions when it comes to guest posts, the truth is that there is no reason why you shouldn’t have them on your blog. By allowing guest posts, you get fresh content for free. But the issue occurs if these posts are not high-quality. Badly written, factually incorrect or spun content can hurt your site. Not only can they have a bad impact on the audience, but they will also harm your SEO. Publishing irrelevant content or one that contains spammy links can make things even worse. So be sure content is quality-checked beforehand.
- Improper use of keywords
In the last several years, there has been a lot of emphasis on natural writing. The days of keyword stuffing are long gone but nevertheless, there are lots of authors who still use this strategy when writing content. First and foremost, you need to make sure your articles read well. Excessive repetition of the same word or phrase is terrible content and bad both for readers and search engines. Bad grammar and punctuation make things even worse so be sure to
- Duplicate content
Publishing duplicate content is one of the greatest sins in terms of SEO. Although there is a way to circumvent this by telling Google which pages should be indexed and which ones shouldn’t, it is much better if you pay attention to every article that you write. Whenever you create a new article, you need to make sure its unique. Make sure that you have a completely different approach and angle on the topic even if your main keyword is similar to a previously used one.
Remember, SEO can be very tricky. It should be considered an investment and a long-term solution that is mainly focused on building a successful brand.
If you lack experience, we suggest that you don’t do anything by yourself. Instead, it is much better to get in touch with experienced SEO experts who know what your site really needs.
The positive impact of good SEO
As you can see, SEO can be a two-edged sword. If done poorly, it will do more harm than good.
But what if you do SEO properly? What are the benefits? Let’s see.
- Better rankings in Google
Obviously, doing SEO the right way will increase your overall visibility within Google search engine. As a result, you will have more traffic and sales, and your brand will be able to flourish online.
- SEO helps other marketing efforts
People often neglect the fact that SEO is just one of numerous marketing activities your company can perform. While it has a separate function and is focused on one particular goal, it still remains that search engine optimisation is able to boost other marketing efforts and increase the overall visibility of your brand.
- Establishing yourself as an authority
Most people perceive
- Doing what’s best for the customers
Like your customers, Google can be a harsh judge. Through SEO techniques, you’re improving the overall functionality of your site. As a consequence of the whole process, you will have a fast, user-friendly website with useful content and a strong online presence that will yield more profit than any other internet marketing strategy.
Last thoughts
Due to the sensitivity of optimisation for search engines, you need to be careful when choosing an SEO agency.
There are lots of experts who are at the top of their game and that are worth your money. Regardless, make sure to do proper research beforehand as you don’t want to spend a lot of time and money without seeing any positive results.
Although the SEO journey may seem dangerous, the benefits definitely outweigh the risks if you want to create a strong online brand.
