7 Mistakes SEO Experts are Still Doing in 2019

Mastering SEO is one of the most effective ways of excelling in the online world. Not only can it help push your website to the top of the rankings, but it can also help boost website traffic, conversions, and ultimate revenue. While SEO is not a new marketing strategy, SEO techniques have been continuously changing over the years in line with Google’s constantly evolving search ranking algorithms. Many  SEO experts are still using procedures that are considered ineffective in 2019, so it’s important to know what to avoid doing with SEO.

This article will break down the most common mistakes that SEO experts are still making in 2019.2.1

Keyword Stuffing

Keywords have been a potent factor of SEO for a long, long time, and it does even have an impact on your SEO rankings. In recent years, however, the emphasis has moved away from keyword-focused strategies and instead focusing on more relevant ranking factors. One of the old SEO tactics was to use ‘keyword stuffing’ which is where you fill your content with arbitrary keywords that will help them rank higher for that keyword. Spamming your content with keywords may have worked in the past; however Google’s algorithm has adapted to notice this and heavily penalise a website for keyword stuffing – therefore, it should be avoided at all costs. Keep your keyword density reasonable and don’t
stuff your content with keywords.

Focusing on the wrong keywords

Keyword research can be a time consuming and lengthy process; however, it’s crucial that you adequately research your keywords before designing your content around them. Properly studying your keywords will help you understand exactly what your audience is searching for so that you can pick the best keywords to focus on. Failing to conduct keyword research properly can result in choosing
irrelevant or non-converting keywords for your website to rank for. This will, in turn, lower your website’s quality score and ranking position. Keep your keywords relevant, and maximised for conversions.

Ignoring technical onsite SEO

A significant facet of Search Engine Optimization is the on-site SEO process. It’s very common to run into a few bumps and issues when developing a website, but after you’ve developed your website, it’s essential to review and adapt your technical SEO. If your website is not effectively optimised, then it will severely hamper any off-site efforts you make with your SEO. Some common mistakes that you should never avoid include:

• l Broken links
• l  404 errors
• l Duplicate content
• l Title tag issues
• l Low word count

Not focusing on quality content

One of the most important deciding factors in Google’s search algorithm is now the quality of your website’s content. You may have heard the phrase ‘Content is King’, and while you may be tired of hearing it, it’s a very valid point. Google’s primary objective is to provide the best information to their users. Therefore, it stands to reason that Google penalises low-quality content while boosting high quality
Content. Not only will your website rank better with high quality, but long-form content – it will also increase trust in your brand, and help you build your marketing prominence.

Not following SEO trends

SEO is a fast moving industry, and every year new trends are emerging in digital marketing. To have the best chance of ranking and to keep ahead of your competitors, it’s vital that you stay informed and keep up-to-date on the new SEO techniques and trends. Strategies such as video
marketing, influencer marketing, and affiliate marketing were not significant factors a few years ago – however, now, these areas can make a huge difference in your SEO efforts. Don’t let yourself be outranked by the competition, keep on top of SEO trends and keep your strategy updated.

Ignoring local SEO

One of the more recent additions to Google’s search algorithm is the inclusion of local SEO. Local SEO allows companies to provide location information and geotargeting information to Google, which helps increase the relevance of the website you’re ranking for. Google will just place your website close to the top of the results page if you have a properly setup Google my business page, while it will overlook your website if you have no useful local SEO information available. This feature can also help you tap into the local market, so it’s important to never ignore local SEO especially in 2019.

Overlooking user experience

User experience is something that is often considered a factor of the design process and is often overlooked when it comes to the impact on SEO. User friendliness is, however, an increasingly important factor that Google uses to rank your website. You should be considering how user-friendly your website is, how easy to use the layout is, how the organisation looks, where the call to
actions are.

Creating a smooth flow between pages and helping your users easily navigate your website will make a big difference in your search rankings. If you design a website that is hard to navigate, difficult to use and turns visitors away quickly – this will increase your bounce rate and show Google that your web site’s visitors are leaving the website soon. Make sure to make your website user-friendly, mobile friendly, and most importantly – optimised for conversions!