Top 5 Simple SEO Mistakes and How to Easily Fix Them

Most Common SEO Mistakes to Avoid

SEO is not always simple. We get it. Search engine algorithms are always changing, and it can be difficult to stay on top of the latest best practices for search engine optimization. Search engine optimization is an incredibly nuanced topic, but some mistakes are easily fixed.

For this article, we put our heads together with the people at Siteimprove to gather the five most common (and simplest) SEO mistakes to fix. The best part is that these mistakes are so simple, you can fix them today, and improve your search engine ranking significantly. Let’s get started.

Mistake #1: Duplicate Page Titles

Do two or more of your pages share the same page title? If your answer is yes, you may be causing the pages to compete against each other. To avoid weakening your search engine optimization, make sure each page on your website has its own focus.

Good page titles provide an accurate description of the page’s content, include important keywords that relate to the content of the page, are between 50 and 60 characters, and are written with both users and search engines in mind.

Mistake #2: Pages Without a Meta Description

Meta descriptions are used to convey information about your page, providing value to both Google and the individuals who are scrolling through the search results. Use the meta description as an opportunity to advertise the content of your page and entice searchers to click it amongst the flood of search engine results.

Make sure you create a unique meta description for each page that accurately describes the content. Good meta descriptions include important keywords that relate to the content of the page, are max 120 characters in mobile search results and about 300 characters in desktop search results, and provide a compelling description of the page.

Mistake #3: Keyword is Not Included in Page Title

Your page title is the most important place to include your keyword. Without a keyword, your page might not show up in the search results you’d like it to.

To help your page rank for a specific keyword or phrase, use it in your page title. Edit each of your page titles so they include the chosen keyword for that page. Note that the page title should provide an accurate description of the page’s content and be written with both users and search engines in mind.

Mistake #4: Focusing on Link Quantity over Link Quality

In the past, you may have put a lot of effort into attaining a high volume of links, but it’s time to shift your focus to quality over quantity. Believe it or not, one link from a popular blog can do more for your search engine rankings than hundreds of lower quality links.

Shift your strategy to begin getting links on pages that are relevant to your website and industry, and that do not have a lot of other outgoing links.

Mistake #5: Page Is Not Included in XML Sitemap

The XML sitemap tells search engines about a website’s pages that are available for crawling. This helps search engines index the website more intelligently. Not including a page in the XML sitemap sends a message to search engines that you do not think the page is worth mentioning.

Take a moment to review whether you would like each page to be included in search engines. To fix it, work with your developer.

So there you have it. Simple mistakes that you can easily fix today. With the right tools, these issues are even easier to identify and rectify. Search engine optimization doesn’t have to be a time-consuming endeavour. The powerful combination of enterprise Drupal CMS and the Siteimprove Platform make SEO effortless. When empowered with the right tools, organizations can handle search engine optimization with ease, making it easier than ever to reach the right audience.