Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is an intricate and detailed process used to improve a site’s exposure in search engines to improve traffic. The tactics employed in successful SEO can include processes as varied as studying and altering the underlying code of a site to make it more search engine friendly or optimizing images and text so they can be referenced better by search algorithms. However, there are some common mistakes bloggers make that can actually harm their site’s SEO. Below are just a few things you should check to ensure you’re not already making it harder for your site to appear in search listings.
Ensure your site is responsive and can be viewed on all devices
Google is the undisputed king of search engines, accounting for around 92% of all search-engine-generated traffic, so you can be sure if your site doesn’t meet its exacting standards, you’re going to face problems ahead.
Google first announced its intention to prioritize responsive websites (those that scale to any device) over non-responsive layouts back in 2016, sending web developers rushing to redesign their clients’ sites. However, in March 2020, the company went one step further with its transition to mobile-first indexing and prioritization, meaning any site, anywhere on the web that doesn’t perform equally well across all devices will now be ranked lower than those that do.
If your site isn’t built to a responsive format, you will undoubtedly be losing traffic and placing lower in the platform’s Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs), so you should act now to avoid slipping further down the rankings.
Using outdated SEO practices
In truth, SEO is beyond the scope of most casual website users and should really be undertaken by a specialist firm like clickintelligence.co.uk if you’re to see the best results, and this is because SEO is constantly changing. Google’s search algorithm is the reason for this. It is under constant development, and tricks like keyword stuffing that previously worked to achieve a high ranking are now positively frowned upon and will harm your ranking.
Indeed, the engine Google now uses is so smart that it integrates sophisticated Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning to ‘read and interpret’ content much like a human would – to the point it has even started penalizing poor grammar. In short – it’s vitally important you stay on top of current developments with Google’s engine to avoid being pushed lower down the rankings.
Purchasing dubious backlinks
Google’s original search algorithm was based on the number of quality inward links a site had. While the system has progressed considerably over the years, backlinks still form a significant part of how it processes and priorities sites and site content. Likewise, if Google finds your site is using paid links from dubious sites and services it’s already aware of (and it knows most of them) then the service will penalize for, as it sees it, trying to fool their system. Long and short – don’t pay for backlinks; they’ll only harm your ranking. It’s also worth noting you should check your site for legacy links you might have set up in the past, as these too will harm your ranking position.
About the Author
Corinna Essa is known internationally as the go-to person when it comes to social media marketing.
Corinna owns a social media marketing company helping businesses around the world leverage the power of social media without doing any of the legwork. Her company has been featured in many media outlets including Sky Business news, Working Women magazine, Ymagazine, Tasmanian Times, Channel 7 and 101fm.
Corinna is also the author of 2 bestselling books “Money On Demand – The 16 Fastest Ways to Becoming a Millionaire Online” and “Reach: The SECRETS to converting your social media audience into your network marketing downline fast”
Great post! thanks for sharing it with us, after reading this article I am going to focus on the responsiveness of my blog. I have bookmarked your blog, keep up the good work.