If you’re unfamiliar with SEO, it stands for Search Engine Optimisation, and it’s the process of optimising a website to rank higher in search engine results. A higher ranking means more traffic, which can lead to more customers and conversions for your business.

SEO can be complex, but there are some basic mistakes that many businesses make that can be easily avoided. This blog post will cover the 10 most common SEO mistakes and how you can avoid them.

1. Not Optimising Title Tags

One of the most common SEO mistakes is not optimising title tags. Title tags are the HTML elements that tell search engines what your page is about. They should be unique and descriptive and include your target keywords.

To optimise your title tags, keep them under 60 characters long and include your target keywords near the beginning.

2. Not Optimising Meta Descriptions

Another common mistake is not optimising meta descriptions. Meta descriptions are the short descriptions that appear under your page title in search results. They should be compelling and persuade people to click through to your website.

To optimise your meta descriptions, keep them under 160 characters long and include a call to action such as “Learn more” or “Shop now”. You should also have your target keywords, but don’t stuff them in – use them naturally.

3. Not Optimising Images

Images are an important part of any website, but many businesses don’t optimise them for SEO. When you upload an image to your website, you should include a keyword-rich file name and alt text. The file name is the name of the image on your computer, and the alt text is the text that appears if the image doesn’t load.

Choose file names and alt text that accurately describe the image to optimise your images and include your target keywords. For example, if you have an image of a red dress, you could name it “red-dress.jpg” and include alt text that says “red dress.”

4. Not Optimising Keywords

Keywords are essential to SEO, but they must be used carefully. If you stuff your content with too many keywords, it will sound unnatural and turn off readers. This practise is called keyword stuffing, and it can actually hurt your SEO because search engines will penalise you for it.

To avoid keyword stuffing, use keywords sparingly and only when they make sense. For example, if you sell red dresses, you could mention the colour in the title tag, meta description, image file name and alt text (as we saw in the previous example), but there’s no need to mention it multiple times in the body of your content. Instead, a few strategically placed keywords will do the trick.

5. Not Optimising URLs

URLs are another critical part of SEO, but they’re often overlooked. Your URLs should be short, descriptive and include your target keywords. For example, if you have a page about red dresses, a good URL would be “example.com/red-dresses.”

To optimise your URLs, keep them short and sweet while still including your target keywords. Avoid using numbers or special characters such as hyphens (-) in your URLs. And always use lowercase letters – uppercase letters can cause problems with some servers.

6. Not Optimising Page Content

The page content is where you really get to show off what you know about your topic – so make sure it’s optimised for SEO! In addition to using keywords throughout your content, you should also use synonyms and related terms. It will help your content sound natural while still being keyword-rich.

To optimise your page content, use a mix of keyword placements (such as in the title, headings, body copy and alt text), synonyms and related terms. And don’t forget to keep things interesting for readers – no one wants to read a wall of text stuffed with keywords!

7. Not Optimising Anchor Text

Anchor text is the clickable text in a hyperlink. It’s important to use keyword-rich anchor text when linking to other pages on your website and when linking to external websites. It helps search engines understand each page and how they’re related.

8. Not Optimising Internal Links

Internal links are links from one page on your website to another page on your website. They help search engines understand the structure of your website and find new pages easily. They also help visitors navigate your website by providing an easy way to move from one page to another related page.

To optimise internal links, use keyword-rich anchor text and link to relevant pages on your website. For example, if you have a page about red dresses, you could link to a page about shoes with anchor text that says “shoes to wear with red dresses.”

9. Not Optimising External Links

External links are links from your website to another website. They help search engines understand what your website is about and can also help improve your website’s ranking.

To optimise external links, link to high-quality websites relevant to your website’s topic. For example, if you have a website about fashion, you could link to a website about makeup or a website about clothing.

10. Not Optimising for Mobile

More and more people are using their mobile devices to access the internet, so it’s important to ensure your website is optimised for mobile. Mobile-friendly websites load quickly and are easy to use on a small screen.

To optimise your website for mobile, make sure it’s responsive (meaning it will adjust to fit any screen size) and that all the content is easily accessible. You should also avoid using pop-ups, which are often difficult to close on a mobile device.

These are the 10 most common SEO mistakes – and how you can avoid them. By following these tips, you can optimise your website for SEO and improve your chances of ranking higher in search engine results. Get your free SEO Website Audit from Orange Media now!