Top 10 SEO Mistakes You Need to Avoid

Did you know there are 63,000 searches on Google every single second?

With so many searches every single day you want to make sure your site is on the radar. Unfortunately, it's easier said than done.

It has become more and more important to get a strong handle on SEO than ever. In this article, we'll break down 8 SEO mistakes that could be hurting your site's optimization.

Let's get started.

1. Not Taking Advantage of Keywords

Unless you don't involve yourself with online marketing, then you know the importance of keywords.

If you've been trying many different types of keywords and they haven't worked out, it could be because you're not using relevant keywords.

You might be using a specific type of keyword, but your visitors could be using a completely different type of keyword. In order to avoid using the wrong keywords, always use a keyword planner.

There are many tools that can help you out such as Google Adwords, Moz Keyword Explorer, Google Trends, or SEMrush. These tools help you plan and decide which keywords will have more hits.

2. Not Using Local Searches

If you're using a website to promote your local business such as a plumber, HVAC, dentist, or other similar ones, you want to attract local customers.

Local businesses depend on local customers, so why not use your site to attract them. Focus on keywords that will show visitors in the area your business.

If you have a dentist's office in San Diego, you want to include that detail in the keyword. For example, the keyword might be "dentist south San Diego area." When a visitor types that, the search results will show your business.

3. Prioritizing Quantity Over Quality

While incorporating links into your pages it's important to your site's optimization, it's easy to get carried away and over do it.

If you add too many links, you might be hurting your SEO in the process. A few quality links will go a long way.

Instead of overcrowding your posts with too many links, do your research and only link to popular sites that relate to your industry.

4. Not Using the Right Title Tags and Meta Descriptions

A big mistake a lot of websites make when trying to optimize is not paying attention to page titles and meta descriptions.

Every page should have a different title and not be named after your business. If you want your website name to appear on every page, you can hyphen it and put it at the end.

Many also neglect meta descriptions. These are 160 characters and sale what your page is all about. If you make a good pitch, you will get more hits.

5. Not Taking Advantage of Analytics

Sites that attract lots of traffic, pay attention to their analytics. The last thing you want is to ignore what the analytics say about your traffic.

Spend some time taking a look at the numbers on your site. You might think that using long-tail popular keywords will bring you some traffic, but sometimes those won't convert as well as you might expect them.

Track closely your analytics to find conversion trends and make the most of your traffic.

6. Lack of Quality Content

Nothing will hurt more your SEO than content that is poorly written. If you want to help your SEO, make sure everything you put on your site engaging and relevant to your industry.

If you're not a good writer, you can always hire a freelance writer to do the work for you. They will be able to produce material that is well researched and original.

Valuable content will keep your visitors on your site.

If you can't afford to pay for a freelance writer, make sure you do your best to make sure your content is well-written and free of grammar errors.

7. Lack of Anchor Text on Internal Links

Think of the last time you read a blog post on a website and there was a call of action that said "click here," or "contact us?" Of course, this text might increase clicks on to other sites but, it might not do a much for your SEO.

If you must include calls to action on your site, then you should at least use relevant anchor text. For example, if you want to direct them to another section of your blog, make sure they include also relevant keywords.

8. Not Mixing Up Anchor Texts

When you use an anchor text in your page, make sure you mix it up. It doesn't look good if every single time. Your visitors will begin to notice if every single time you use the phrase "contact us," "visit our blog," or "read more."

Use other combinations and be as creative as you can. That is not to say it won't make sense to add "contact us" when you see relevant. Just make sure you use it occasionally and not more than 50% of the time.

9. Your Content is Not Link Worthy

You want to link to quality sites and content, but, you also want your content to be link worthy. Whenever you publish something, ask yourself if the content is link worthy.

Stay on top of trends and do your best to apply them into your content. Once your content becomes quality worthy, then other sites will want to link to it.

10. Over Stuffing Keywords

While keywords are great, they can also hurt your SEO efforts if you don't use them responsibly.

Having too many keywords will make your site appear spammy and the search engines will flag your site. You won't be able to get organic traffic if your site is labeled as spam.

Make sure the keywords flow naturally in your content and don't seem forced. There's not an exact rule to how many keywords you should have. Although, some say 2 to 5% keyword density is enough.

Avoid These SEO Mistakes

Now that you know more about these common SEO mistakes, you'll be able to change the way you optimize your site.

Remember not to overstuff keywords, create great content, and take advantage of analytics.

If you want to read 8 tips on the benefits of blogging for SEO, check this article to skyrocket your site rankings.