28 SEO Mistakes and How to Fix Them

Some time back, when I heard or read about SEO mistakes, I was sure that these were some complex mistakes that needed a trip to the moon and back to solve.

Only through handling clients’ work have I realized how most of these are easy to correct and how these corrections directly impact your ranking.

I’ve also had the challenge of explaining to business and site owners on the importance of ranking high.

SEO is like free advertising, on the platform that search engines provide. Whereas these platforms have paid versions of the advertisements, we as humans are wired to skip adverts.

That said, here are the top 27 SEO mistakes that I have either encountered or noted while working as a freelance SEO copywriter.

I have grouped them based on the type of SEO they fall into:

On-page SEO Mistakes

On-page SEO is all about web content. If you get it wrong at this stage, you cannot be redeemed.

Here are the mistakes that people commit when writing their content:

1.      Ignoring keyword research

This means not taking the time to understand what words and phrases people use when searching for information online.

When you skip keyword research, it’s like trying to find a book in a library without knowing its title or author.

To fix this, conduct thorough keyword research to identify the terms your target audience is using, and then incorporate those keywords strategically into your website content.

2.      Neglecting on-page optimization

On-page optimization involves optimizing individual web pages to rank higher and earn more relevant traffic in search engines.

Neglecting this aspect means failing to properly structure your website content, including title tags, meta descriptions, and headers, to make it easier for search engines to understand and index.

Think of it as having a great product but not labeling it correctly on the shelf.

To fix this, ensure each page of your website is optimized with relevant keywords, descriptive titles, and informative meta descriptions.

3.      Poor quality content

This refers to content that lacks value, relevance, or originality, and fails to engage or inform the audience.

Poor quality content can harm your website’s reputation and credibility, as well as its search engine rankings.

To remedy this, focus on creating high-quality, valuable content that addresses the needs and interests of your target audience.

Invest time and effort into research, writing, and editing to ensure your content is informative, engaging, and well-presented.

4.      Overlooking mobile optimization

With an increasing number of users accessing the internet via mobile devices, neglecting mobile optimization can severely impact user experience and search engine rankings.

To fix this, ensure your website is responsive and mobile-friendly, with easy navigation, fast loading times, and optimized content layout for various screen sizes.

Test your website on different devices to ensure a seamless experience for mobile users.

5.      Skipping internal linking

Internal linking is essential for guiding users and search engines through your website’s content and establishing a hierarchy of information.

When you skip internal linking, your content becomes confusing and disorienting.

To address this, incorporate relevant internal links within your content to connect related pages and help users discover more content on your website.

Use descriptive anchor text to provide context and improve navigation.

6.      Not optimizing images

Images play a crucial role in enhancing the visual appeal and engagement of your website content.

However, neglecting to optimize images for search engines can impact your site’s visibility and performance.

Optimize your images by using descriptive file names, alt text, and captions that accurately describe the image content and incorporate relevant keywords.

Additionally, optimize image file sizes to ensure fast loading times and improved user experience.

7.      Overusing keywords

Keyword stuffing, or overusing keywords in an attempt to manipulate search engine rankings, can result in poor user experience and penalties from search engines.

To avoid this, focus on creating high-quality, valuable content that naturally incorporates relevant keywords in context.

Write for your audience, not for search engines, and use keywords sparingly and strategically to maintain readability and user engagement.

8.      Not optimizing for voice search

With the increasing popularity of voice-activated devices and virtual assistants, optimizing for voice search is becoming essential for maintaining visibility in search results.

Not optimizing for voice search means missing out on opportunities to capture voice-based search queries and reach a growing segment of users.

To address this, optimize your content for natural language and long-tail keywords that align with how people speak and ask questions aloud.

Provide direct and concise answers to common queries to increase the likelihood of appearing in voice search results.

9.      Not optimizing for featured snippets

Featured snippets are the concise answers displayed at the top of search engine results pages, providing immediate answers to users’ queries.

Not optimizing for featured snippets means missing out on prime visibility and traffic opportunities

You should structure your content in a way that directly addresses common questions or search queries, and provide clear and concise answers that are likely to be featured as snippets in search results.

10.  Neglecting video SEO

Video content has become increasingly popular and can significantly enhance your website’s visibility and engagement.

Neglecting video SEO means failing to optimize your video content for search engines, resulting in missed opportunities to attract and retain viewers.

To remedy this, optimize your video titles, descriptions, and tags with relevant keywords, and create engaging and informative content that resonates with your target audience.

Additionally, promote your videos across various platforms and channels to increase visibility and engagement.

11.  Neglecting to update old content

Over time, content can become outdated or irrelevant, leading to decreased visibility and user engagement.

Neglecting to update old content means missing out on opportunities to maintain relevance and authority in your niche.

To fix this, regularly review and update older content to reflect current trends, information, and user needs.

Update statistics, refresh examples, and add new insights to keep your content fresh and valuable to your audience.

12.  Not matching search intent

Search intent refers to the reason behind a user’s search query and the type of information they’re seeking.

Not matching search intent means providing content that doesn’t align with what users are looking for, resulting in poor user experience and lower rankings.

To sort this, first understand the intent behind search queries then create content that directly addresses and fulfills user needs and expectations.

Tailor your content to match the specific intent behind different types of search queries, whether they’re informational, navigational, or transactional.

13.  Obsessing over word count

Focusing too much on the length of your content rather than its quality and relevance can result in bloated, unengaging content that fails to resonate with your audience.

For you to avoid this, prioritize creating content that is clear, concise, and valuable to your audience, regardless of its length.

Focus on delivering valuable insights and information that address the needs and interests of your target audience, rather than simply meeting a word count quota.

Off-page SEO Mistakes

Off-page SEO are the efforts done outside the website to increase the visibility and search engine rankings of the website.

Here are the top off-page SEO mistakes:

14.  Not enough backlinks

Backlinks are links from other websites to yours, and they’re like votes of confidence in the eyes of search engines.

Not having enough backlinks means your website may not be seen as authoritative or trustworthy, which can negatively impact your SEO efforts.

To address this, focus on creating high-quality content that naturally attracts backlinks from reputable sources within your industry.

15.  Buying backlinks

Buying backlinks is a black hat SEO tactic that involves paying for links to your website from other sites.

While it may seem like a quick fix to boost your rankings, it can result in penalties from search engines and harm your website’s reputation.

Instead, focus on building organic backlinks through valuable content and genuine relationships with other website owners.

16.  Neglecting social media (Social signals)

Social media signals, such as likes, shares, and comments, can indirectly impact your SEO by increasing brand visibility, driving traffic to your website, and improving engagement.

Neglecting social media means missing out on opportunities to amplify your content and reach a wider audience.

To remedy this, actively engage with your audience on social media platforms, share your content regularly, and encourage social sharing to increase social signals and enhance your SEO efforts.

17.  Not Monitoring and Disavowing Bad Links

Bad links, such as those from spammy or low-quality websites, can harm your website’s SEO performance.

Not monitoring and disavowing these bad links means allowing them to potentially harm your website’s reputation and rankings.

To fix this, regularly monitor your backlink profile using tools like Google Search Console or third-party SEO tools, and disavow any harmful links that could negatively impact your SEO.

18.  Not Diversifying Anchor Text

Anchor text is the clickable text of a hyperlink, and diversifying anchor text means using a variety of keyword-rich and natural anchor texts in your backlinks.

Not diversifying anchor text can appear unnatural to search engines and may raise red flags for over-optimization.

To address this, vary your anchor text using relevant keywords, branded terms, and generic phrases to create a natural and diverse backlink profile.

19.  Quantity Over Quality

This is a common mistake where website owners prioritize the quantity of backlinks rather than their quality.

However, having a large number of low-quality backlinks can actually harm your SEO efforts.

Instead, focus on acquiring a smaller number of high-quality backlinks from authoritative and relevant websites.

Quality should always take precedence over quantity when it comes to backlinks.

Technical SEO Mistakes

Technical SEO is all about optimizing the technical elements on your website to improve user experience and subsequently search engine rankings.

The major mistakes associated with technical SEO include:

20.  Ignoring technical SEO issues

Ignoring technical SEO issues means neglecting tasks like fixing broken links, resolving crawl errors, and optimizing website speed, which can negatively impact your website’s performance in search results.

To address this, regularly audit your website for technical issues using tools like Google Search Console and fix any issues that may arise to ensure optimal performance.

21.  Blocking Google from crawling

When you block Google from crawling your website, you’re essentially telling search engines not to access and index your content.

This prevents your website from being properly indexed and appearing in search results, which can severely impact your visibility and organic traffic.

To avoid this mistake, ensure that your website’s robots.txt file and meta robots tags are properly configured to allow search engine crawlers to access and index your content.

22.  Blocking Google from indexing your pages

Similar to blocking crawling, blocking Google from indexing your pages means preventing search engines from including your content in their index.

This will result in your website’s pages not showing up in search results, limiting your visibility and organic traffic potential.

To fix this, review your website’s settings and ensure that you’re not inadvertently blocking search engines from indexing your content.

Update your robots.txt file and meta robots tags as needed to allow indexing of your important pages.

Local SEO Mistakes

This is very important for businesses that serve a specific locality. Local SEO ensures that you rank your business high on local search.

23.  Neglecting local SEO

Local SEO involves optimizing your website to rank higher in local search results and attract local customers.

Neglecting local SEO means missing out on potential customers who are searching for products or services in your area.

You should optimize your website with local keywords, create a Google My Business listing, and ensure your NAP (Name, Address, Phone number) information is consistent across all online directories and platforms.

24.  Ignoring local citations

Local citations are online mentions of your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) on other websites, directories, and platforms.

Ignoring local citations means missing out on opportunities to improve your local SEO and credibility.

Actively seek out and build local citations on reputable and relevant websites, directories, and platforms.

Ensure that your NAP information is accurate and consistent across all citations to maximize their effectiveness in improving your local search visibility.

Other SEO-related Mistakes

25.  Ignoring analytics

Ignoring analytics means not tracking or analyzing the performance of your website and SEO efforts.

To avoid this mistake, regularly monitor your website’s analytics data, including traffic, engagement metrics, and conversion rates.

Use this information to identify trends, pinpoint areas for improvement, and make data-driven decisions to optimize your SEO strategy.

26.  Lack of HTTPS security

HTTPS encryption adds a layer of security to your website by encrypting data transmitted between your site and its visitors.

A lack of HTTPS security can compromise user privacy and trust, as well as negatively impact your SEO rankings.

To fix this, install an SSL certificate on your website to enable HTTPS encryption and ensure secure communication between your site and its visitors.

27.  Treating SEO as a one-time thing

SEO is an ongoing process that requires continuous effort and optimization to maintain and improve your website’s search visibility and rankings.

Treating SEO as a one-time thing means neglecting to update and adapt your SEO strategy over time, which can result in stagnation or decline in your website’s performance.

To remedy this, view SEO as a long-term investment and commit to regularly reviewing and updating your SEO strategy.

Stay informed about industry trends and algorithm updates, and continuously optimize your website’s content, technical aspects, and off-page factors to stay competitive in search results.

28.  Scaling low-quality content with AI

Artificial intelligence (AI) can be a powerful tool for content creation, but using it to scale low-quality content can backfire and harm your website’s reputation and SEO performance.

Scaling low-quality content with AI means prioritizing quantity over quality, which can lead to thin, irrelevant, or duplicate content that offers little value to users.

To fix this, focus on creating high-quality, valuable content that resonates with your audience and addresses their needs and interests.

Use AI responsibly as a tool to assist in content creation, but always prioritize quality and relevance over quantity.

Conclusion

In summary, mastering SEO means avoiding common pitfalls and staying focused on what matters most. Here are the key points to remember:

1. Keep an Eye on Performance: Regularly check how your website is doing using tools like Google Analytics. This helps you see what’s working and what needs improvement.
2. Quality Beats Quantity: Focus on making your content and website top-notch rather than just pumping out lots of stuff. Quality content and good practices lead to better long-term results.
3. Put Users First: Make sure your website is easy to use and has helpful information. Think about what your visitors need and want, and cater to that.

As a freelance SEO expert, I’m here to help you with all things SEO, from writing great content to making sure your website is in top shape.

Let’s work together to make your online presence shine and attract more customers.

Feel free to contact me for a free consultation and how my expertise can be of help to you and your business.