SEO Mistakes: 5 Things Small Businesses Get Wrong

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a critical component of digital marketing that helps businesses improve their website’s visibility and attract more organic traffic.

However, for new businesses, implementing SEO strategies can be a daunting task, and many end up making common mistakes that can harm their website’s search engine rankings. Here, we take a look at some of the biggest mistakes that new businesses make when implementing SEO.

1. Not conducting thorough keyword research

One of the most common mistakes that new businesses make when implementing SEO is failing to conduct proper or thorough keyword research.

Keyword research is the process of identifying the exact keywords and phrases that potential customers are searching for on search engines when looking for a particular product or service. By identifying these vital keywords, businesses can optimize their website’s content to potentially attract more organic traffic.

It’s simple. Without proper keyword research, you can end up targeting irrelevant or low-traffic keywords, which not only don’t reach the right audience but can negatively impact your website’s ranking. It can also be a big waste of your time and budget, both of which are in short supply for smaller businesses.

2. Overusing or underusing keywords

Another mistake that new businesses make when implementing SEO is either overusing or underusing keywords.

Keyword stuffing, or using too many keywords on a single page, is seen as spammy by search engines and can harm your website’s ranking more than anything else. It used to be a popular sport for marketers in the early noughties but has since been effectively outlawed by more sophisticated algorithms.

On the other hand, underusing keywords can make it difficult for search engines to understand what a website’s content is about and whether it matches what a user is looking. You should aim to use relevant keywords naturally and sparingly throughout their website’s content but it is a bit of Goldilocks conundrum, getting it just right can take a bit of practice.

3.  Technical SEO mistakes

Technical SEO refers to many of the technical aspects of a website that affect its search engine rankings, such as website speed, mobile-friendliness, and website architecture.

New businesses often focus solely on on-page SEO, such as keyword optimization, and ignore technical SEO at their peril. However, this can harm a website’s ranking and prevent it from attracting organic traffic. At the very least you should make sure that your website is mobile ready (that means it looks good on a smartphone) and the pages download quickly.

4. Neglecting website content

One of the most significant factors that affect a website’s ranking is the quality and relevance of its content.

New businesses can again neglect website content and focus solely on keyword optimization. However, search engines prioritize websites that provide high-quality, relevant content to their users.

In short, you should invest in creating high-quality content that provides value to your target audience first and then use keywords naturally within that content. Too often we see service pages on websites that are filled with irrelevant content for the sake of trying to rank higher on search engines – not only does this not work for most businesses but it can make it difficult for users to find out what you do and hire your services or buy your products because there is simply too much information drowning the relevant stuff out.

5. Not tracking SEO performance

New businesses often fail to track their SEO performance and adjust their strategies accordingly. SEO is a continuous process that requires constant monitoring and optimization. You should use tools like Google Analytics to track your website’s traffic, rankings, and other performance metrics. That at least gives you a chance to spot problems and make changes.

Check out our new series on website metrics.

What’s the easiest way to do keyword research?

There are several tools and techniques available to do keyword research, but the easiest way to do keyword research is by using Google’s Keyword Planner tool. Here are the steps to use Google’s Keyword Planner tool for keyword research:

1. Sign into your Google Ads account or create a new account if you don’t have one.
2. Click on the “Tools & Settings” option in the top-right corner and select “Keyword Planner.”
3. Choose “Discover New Keywords” and enter a word or phrase related to your business or industry.
4. Select your target location and language.
5. Click “Get Results.”

The Keyword Planner tool will generate a list of keywords related to your search query along with their search volume, competition level, and suggested bids. You can sort the list by search volume to identify the most popular keywords and consider targeting those with lower competition levels.

It’s important to note that while Google’s Keyword Planner tool is a helpful starting point for keyword research, it may not provide all the relevant keywords for your industry or niche. It’s recommended to also use other tools and techniques such as competitor analysis, social media research, and customer surveys to identify relevant keywords and combinations and then optimize your website’s content accordingly.

How do I use keywords naturally?

Using keywords naturally in your SEO content means incorporating them into your writing in a way that sounds organic and adds value to the reader. Here are some tips for using keywords naturally in your content:

1. Write for your audience, not just to boost SEO. Focus on creating high-quality, valuable content that engages and informs your readers.
2. Use keywords in your headings and subheadings to help structure your content and make it easier for readers to navigate.
3. Incorporate keywords into your opening paragraphs to establish the topic of your content.
4. Use variations of your primary keywords throughout your content, including synonyms and related phrases.
5. Use keywords in your meta descriptions and title tags to provide context for search engines and improve your click-through rate..

What technical SEO should I focus on as a small business?

As a small business with a limited budget, it’s important to prioritize the technical SEO aspects that will have the biggest impact on your website’s ranking and visibility:

1. Mobile responsiveness: With more people accessing the internet through smartphones and tablets, having a mobile-responsive website is crucial for SEO. You can use free tools like Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test to check if your website is okay and identify areas for improvement.
2. Website speed: Slow website speeds can negatively impact your website’s SEO and the user experience. Use Google’s PageSpeed Insights to check your website’s speed and identify opportunities to optimize it. Again, this is free.
3. Website security: Having a secure website with an SSL certificate and a HTTPS (rather than HTTP) connection can improve your website’s ranking and promote user trust. Many web hosting services offer affordable SSL certificates as part of their offering.
4. Website architecture: Having a clear and organized website structure can improve your website’s crawlability and indexing by search engines. Use free tools like Google’s Search Console to identify any crawl errors or issues with your website’s architecture and make the necessary changes.
5. Local SEO: As a small business, you may have a local focus, so optimizing your website for local search is crucial. This includes creating a Google Business Profile, optimizing your website’s title tags and meta descriptions with local keywords, and building local citations and backlinks.

By focusing on these technical relatively simple SEO elements, you should improve your website’s visibility and attract more organic traffic without breaking the bank. It’s also important to regularly monitor your website’s SEO performance and adjust your strategies accordingly to stay ahead of the competition. That’s where analytics come in.

What metrics should I use to measure SEO performance on my website?

Measuring SEO on a website involves tracking and analysing various metrics to determine how well your website is performing in search engine rankings and how it can be improved. Here are some of the main metrics for measuring SEO on a website:

1. Organic traffic: Organic traffic refers to the number of visitors that come to your website through search engine results pages (SERPs). Tracking organic traffic can help you understand how well your website is performing in search engine rankings and identify areas for improvement.
2. Keyword rankings: Keyword rankings refer to where your website appears in search engine results pages for specific keywords. Tracking keyword rankings can help you identify which keywords are performing well and which ones need improvement.
3. Click-through rate (CTR): CTR refers to the percentage of users who click on your website’s link in search engine results pages. Tracking CTR can help you optimize your website’s title tags and meta descriptions to improve your website’s visibility and attract more organic traffic.
4. Bounce rate: Bounce rate refers to the percentage of users who leave your website after visiting only one page. Tracking bounce rate can help you identify issues with your website’s content, user experience, or website speed that may be causing users to leave your website.
5. Conversion rate: Conversion rate refers to the percentage of users who take a desired action on your website, such as making a purchase or filling out a contact form. Tracking conversion rate can help you understand how well your website is converting visitors into customers and identify areas for improvement.
6. Backlinks: Backlinks are links from other websites to your website. Tracking backlinks can help you understand your website’s authority and relevance in search engine rankings and identify opportunities to build high-quality backlinks.

By regularly tracking and analysing these metrics, you can measure the effectiveness of your SEO strategy and make data-driven decisions to improve your website’s search engine rankings and attract more organic traffic.

With the right keywords, how long does it take to rank highly on Google?

The time it takes to rank highly on Google for specific keywords varies widely depending on several factors, including the competition level of the keywords, the quality of your website’s content and backlinks, and the age and authority of your website.

In general, highly competitive keywords that are relevant to popular industries and niches may take several months or even years to rank highly for. On the other hand, less competitive long-tail keywords or those that are relevant to niche industries may rank more quickly.

It’s important to note that SEO is a long-term strategy, and it takes time and consistent effort to see results. Even with the right keywords, it can take several months to see a noticeable improvement in your website’s search engine rankings.

To rank highly for specific keywords, you should focus on creating high-quality, original content that targets those keywords and building high-quality backlinks from authoritative websites. It’s also important to regularly monitor your website’s SEO performance and adjust your strategy accordingly to stay ahead of the competition.

While the right keywords are an essential component of an effective SEO strategy, it’s important to have realistic expectations and understand that it can take time to see results. But by consistently optimizing your website’s content and building high-quality backlinks, you can improve your website’s rankings and attract more organic traffic over time. You just need to be patient.