7 Mistakes with SEO to Avoid for Small Businesses

1 Jun ‘20

In: Search Engine Optimization (SEO), / By: Ripe Media

With 85 percent of customers using the internet to find local businesses, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that small business owners are investing in digital marketing more than ever. But what is surprising is the number of preventable mistakes small business owners make when using SEO.

Marketers use SEO tactics, or search engine optimization, to increase website rankings in a search engine. The higher a page ranks, the more clicks it receives.

If your business is creating an SEO campaign, do it right. Here are seven common mistakes small business owners make when using SEO that you can easily avoid.

Mistake #1: Improper SEO Headings

To enjoy the benefits of SEO, you must adhere to its rules. Proper formatting is crucial, especially when it comes to headings.

Headers give marketers a way to organize content. They guide readers through an article and keep them engaged.

When you correctly format headings, they enhance your SEO. Header tags make it easy for bots and crawlers to identify relevant keywords when someone performs a Google search.

H1, or the title heading, is the most important text for SEO. It should contain your keyword. SEO bots look at H1 headings when determining what content to show.

SEO newbies may try to incorporate multiple H1 tags, but this will only confuse the reader and bots. Your content should consist of one prominent H1 tag. Use H2, H3, and H4 tags to organize the rest of your article.

SEO tactics aside, headings make your content user-friendly. Readers are much more likely to engage in a blog that’s separated into parts as opposed to reading one giant block of text.

Mistake #2: Choosing the Wrong Keywords

Words are powerful, especially in marketing. Choosing the right keywords is a crucial part of a successful SEO campaign.

Keywords are ideas and topics that define what your content is about. Bots and web crawlers use keywords to direct people to the pages they are looking for.

Pick keywords that are relevant to what people are searching for. The better the match, the more clicks your content will receive.

Professional content marketers and SEO experts choose target phrases through keyword research. This practice allows marketers to search for words that yield the highest search results.

Keyword research also explores variations of a topic, which writers can use while curating content.

Regular blog posts mean nothing if you don’t utilize the correct keywords. Take the time to explore the best phrases to use in online content. Doing so will boost your search engine rank and help people find your site.

Mistake #3: High Readability Scores

Google and other search engines prioritize easy-to-read content. Maintaining the correct reliability ratings increases SEO and makes your blogs more appealing to viewers.

Business owners are experts in their industries, which often leads to complicated writing. Avoid this common SEO mistake by ensuring your content is appropriate for readers of all backgrounds.

Keep articles concise and to the point. Short paragraphs are ideal. Add images to explain complicated topics or how-to demonstrations.

The longer and more complex your sentences, the higher your readability score will be. Pages with high readability ratings do not find themselves on the first page of a Google search.

Mistake #4: Forgetting the Purpose of Your Content

Similar to writing essays in school, make sure your content sticks to its point. Don’t fill your article with unnecessary facts or tidbits. As Michael Scott would say, “Keep It Simple, Stupid!”

Before you construct your content, identify your target audience and keywords. These elements allow you to stay focused and ensure your article relays relevant information for your readers.

If your article exceeds 2,000 words, it’s too long. The ideal length of a blog post if 1,600 words or less, or seven minutes of reading.

If you have a lot to discuss, break your topic into parts. Blogs and articles that answer specific questions are helpful and receive high web traffic.

Mistake #5: Ignoring Off-Page SEO Techniques

Make sure your business’s digital campaign incorporates traditional SEO techniques as well as off-page SEO strategies.

Off-page, or off-site, SEO actions take outside of your business’s website to increase search engine rank. Off-site SEO increases site popularity, relevance, authority, and trustworthiness.

Off-site tactics include working with influencers or an SEO company to create quality links to your site or composing a guest post on their website to reach a new audience.

Social media posts, posting links in forums, and adding an RSS Feed Subscription Box into your blog are other ways to enhance off-page SEO.

Mistake #6: Neglecting Your Website

Google and other search engines don’t send users to poor websites. If you want your business’s SEO strategy to succeed, keep up with optimal website maintenance.

An effective business website features:

• Easy navigation
• Internal links
• Relevant content
• Fast performance and speed
• Up-to-date security settings

Most importantly, your website must be accessible on all devices. Website responsiveness allows pages to adapt to whatever technology the user is visiting your website on.

Since 72.6 percent of internet users solely access the web through smartphones, it’s no surprise website responsiveness plays a major role in SEO.

Mistake #7: Expecting Immediate SEO Results

SEO is an effective digital marketing strategy. But business owners must recognize SEO is a marathon, not a sprint.

Paid promotions may guarantee fast results, but SEO delivers customers to your business organically. While SEO strategies take longer, they often yield a higher ROI.

Small business owners doubt the power of a solid SEO campaign because it requires patience. SEO strategies take at least four to six months before customers start to notice results. As time passes and the SEO grows, businesses experience more and more benefits.

Don’t be the company that abandoned a good thing because you didn’t see the results you expected immediately. While you may notice results after four months, allow your SEO campaign one full-year before you decide it’s not worthwhile.

Don’t Make These Mistakes Small Business Owners Make When Using SEO

Mistakes with SEO are costly but easy to avoid. Lucky for you, there are well-qualified SEO experts ready to guide you through a successful digital campaign.

Contact our team to learn more about our top-of-the-line SEO strategies and how we can kickstart your digital marketing efforts.

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