Optimising a website is an essential element of any content marketing strategy. It is essential to focus on attracting leads and, from there, achieve positive results through conversions. One of the best ways to achieve this is precisely through optimisation, using SEO – Search Engine Optimisation techniques. For this, it is important to know the basics of SEO.
SEO techniques are constantly changing, which is a challenge for many professionals. This originates not only from successive developments in search engines but also from changes in users’ perspectives and behaviours. However, investing in SEO is crucial to good online business performance. According to a study by Ignite Visibility, the first organic result of the Google results page – SERP, attracts 20.5% of traffic, while the second and third results show a percentage of about 13%. This means that approximately 50% of users who do a Google search give preference to one of the top three organic results.
This way, being penalised by Google and fall in the ranking of the results page should not be part of any digital strategy. However, there are factors that undermine SEO strategies and that many companies have not yet eliminated their practices.
MindSEO has selected 4 elements that undermine an SEO strategy. Avoid making these mistakes so your website presents the results you want and is well-positioned in the search engines.
1. Inappropriate keyword selection
A key element for a good optimisation is the correct keyword selection. In this sense, it is a mistake to neglect the preference of search engines and users. Working correctly on keywords in an SEO strategy makes the website more visible to search engines and, consequently, to the target audience.
It is important to realise which terms users would use to look for what a business offers, be it a product, service or even an informative article. The chosen terms are not always the correct ones. Sometimes what we think is appropriate turns out to be too generic or does not exactly match the content offered. This means optimisation is being done for the wrong keywords, which do not meet consumer expectations. In turn, it can lead to unwanted behaviours such as leaving the website.
The best solution is to do keyword research. To do so, there are some tools, such as MindSEO S.O.N.A.R., which offers insight about keyword trends to optimise content marketing and SEO strategy.
2. Not having a mobile-friendly website
Currently, the number of searches done through mobile devices is increasing. Google already classifies web pages based on their mobile version. According to Google’s latest algorithm, websites that are not properly prepared for mobile devices will feel a drop in their position on the search results page.
Make sure you have a mobile-friendly website because otherwise, it will harm your SEO strategy and consequently lose potential customers. According to Google, at least 85% of the websites present in search results are mobile-friendly.
Having a responsive or mobile-friendly website allows it to perfectly fit the user’s screen size, regardless of the device being used. In this way, not only Google will appreciate the compatibility with the mobile device but will also provide a user experience with more quality and added value.
3. Low loading speed
Loading speed is directly related to the SEO strategy. The first organic results of search engines belong to pages that offer relevance, but also good user experience. Can loading time affect the user experience?
Users expect a website to load as quickly as possible. According to data from Gomez, a web performance company, the vast majority expect the loading time to be up to 2 seconds. If a website takes more than 3 seconds to load, up to 40% of users will eventually leave the page.
Test the speed of your website to check the current loading time. You should also follow all recommendations to improve this element and thus avoid the frustration and removal of users. Follow all the recommendations to improve this element and thus avoid frustration and distance from users.
4. Lack of backlinks and bad redirects
Building backlinks is essential to direct traffic and contribute to improve the website position on the search engine results page. However, it should be noted that in the same way that they help the SEO strategy, they can harm it if the work is not well executed.
A backlink is a clickable link inserted into a website that refers to another website. To get the best of optimisation, the factor that weighs the most is not the number of links, but the quality. So when it comes to a reliable external source relevant to the content, according to Google’s algorithms, the authority of the website increases and the positive effects on the SERP ranking begin to surface.
It is crucial to ensure the selection of relevant links, with a solid reputation, in order to make the most of the good redirects.
With S.O.N.A.R., a SAAS web application – Software As A Service, we intend to support and assist organisations in optimising their digital presence and performance. If you want to increase the visibility of your business in search engines efficiently and maximise online results, ask for an SEO consultancy.
