“Just put the keywords in the title and multiple times in the blog, right?”
For business owners and inexperienced marketers alike, search engine optimization (SEO) might seem like a simple, effortless task. At first glance, SEO is a simple solution that would allow their website to reach their target markets. What they don’t realize, however, is that it’s just another tool - one that they could possibly misuse, and just as easily waste their time and resources on. Here are a few things you need to take out of your SEO strategy.
Having outdated knowledge about crawlers and search engine algorithms
Web crawlers are programs that are designed to scan and index the entire web. Why? To make it easier for Google and other search engines to give you what you’re searching for, rank the results for relevance with their algorithms, and tell you where in the internet you could find them. For instance, if your website isn’t mobile-friendly right now, you’re already behind by 2 to 3 o’s down the "Gooooooogle" search results pages. Digital marketers should always be knowledgeable about the ranking systems that search engines use. Miss a beat and you’re dead in the water.
Not analyzing or monitoring your optimization programs
SEO needs tending. You can’t just put the keywords and and not monitor how they are performing. Analyzing and monitoring your search engine optimization programs can help you fight future searchability battles. Is a keyword not performing? Replace it. Set conversion goals and track your progress. Don’t expect instant results.
Not producing quality content
Pro tip: Content is still king. It doesn’t matter if your entire article has 500 copies of your keyword, your content’s quality will still be a major factor in how your site/blog performs. Great content get backlinks from other authoritative/credible sites. Quality backlinks will help you rank higher on search engines. If you’re just overloading on keywords, web crawlers and your audience tend to see your content as fluff (or worse, spam) and are therefore less likely to share them - or to ever visit your blog/site again.
Using Black Hat practices
While using Black Hat techniques to instantly rank high on search engines may seem tempting, it’s not effective in the long run. Thanks to the constant updates on search algorithms, links produced and shared by bots don’t count as much as high-quality links from authoritative sources. Don’t give in to the temptations of Black Hat. Instead, develop your website/blog patiently using legit SEO practices.
Not capitalizing on social media
While SEO is primarily centered on getting found through search engines, social media is also a big factor in SEO strategies. By getting social proof and capitalizing on content sharing through social media, a blog could develop a steady audience which can help it get more traffic and become a more authoritative source. Thanks to the algorithms, authoritative sources and websites that have strong social media presence rank higher on search rankings. Instead of separating your strategies for different aspects of digital marketing, an integrated digital marketing system made up of elements that complement each other is better for your company.
With the continuous improvement of search engines, SEO trends and tips are short-lived and temporary. Instead, focus on sound fundamentals and keep up with algorithm changes to ensure your website’s visibility. Do that, plus add in patience and perseverance, and you’re pretty much on your slow but steady way up the search engine ranks.
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