In this article, I’ll discuss 7 of the worst SEO mistakes you need to avoid.
SEO is simple:
But at the same time, it’s not easy.
So if you want to save yourself a lot of time and avoid the mistakes that I made initially with SEO, this guide is going to help you.
Let’s jump in…
Table of Contents
Common SEO Mistakes You Need To Avoid
Mistake #1: Inconsistency
The biggest mistake I see when it comes to SEO is not being consistent.
You have to understand that it takes time for SEO to work.
This is a game of patience.
It can be months before you see results…
And that’s why you need to be consistent in terms of:
- Building links
- Producing content
- Optimising your on-page SEO
- And overall, actively improving your website
Why is consistency SO important?
A lot of people give up on SEO way too early.
They might be worried about getting FAST results.
And eventually, they become inconsistent and abandon their website.
But it’s important to keep going:
Whether your website is performing well or it’s performing poorly…
Consistency is the right mindset.
So make sure that producing content and building links is a consistent habit of yours.
Because if you’ve picked your niche properly, Google is eventually going to reward you.
Mistake #2: Doing The Minimum Amount Necessary
Content is your business:
If you’re trying to scrape by, doing the absolute minimum, you won’t succeed.
e.g. Writing a 300 word article these days isn’t going to cut it.
You have to focus on writing the best content possible for your audience.
If you don’t make your content the best it can be, then your competitors will.
…And eventually, they’ll outrank you.
What does this mean for you?
One of the most important ranking factors is search intent.
So when you create your content, ask yourself:
- Is this what the user is looking for?
- Is it solving their problem?
- Have you answered every question they have about the topic?
If not, why not?
Your content needs to be laser targeted to your audience’s search intent.
Plus, think about how you can improve your content. Can you…
- make it more engaging?
- make it more detailed?
- be more specific? or straight to the point?
- make it more actionable?
It’s really important to nail your content if you want to rank high on Google and generate more traffic!
Mistake #3: Ignoring The Value Of Link Building
Are you building links to your website?
This is the most important ranking factor for your site:
If you just publish and pray, without building links, you’ll never rank.
It’s virtually impossible!
Don’t know what link building is?
It’s essentially where you build links from other websites to yours.
What are the best types of backlinks to build?
Focus on quality and relevance:
Think of it like a voting system.
Every link you get is like a vote from other websites to say that your content is good.
Link building will make or break your site.
Google have even stated this is a top 3 ranking factor.
It doesn’t matter how much content you produce.
Why?
Because if you’re not building links to it, there’s a high chance you won’t rank.
There’s over 200 ranking factors in Google’s algorithm:
And link building is easily in the top three (if not the #1 ranking factor).
In fact, 91% of websites get ZERO traffic.
And the biggest reason why is because they have NO backlinks.
Useful: Best Link Building Strategies To Get Backlinks Fast!
Mistake #4: No Keyword Strategy
Most websites lack a keyword strategy:
They have no idea which search terms they’re trying to rank for!
How can you get started?
- Selectively go through your niche
- Find relevant keywords people are already searching for
- Pick out the keywords that are the most profitable for your website
Why is this so important?
For some keywords, you’ll never rank #1 – they’re just a total waste of time.
So make sure you target the right keywords for your site.
If you don’t have a keyword strategy in place, you need to get one.
It will save you months of frustration.
I hate to break it to you:
You may have great content, but if you pick the wrong keywords, you’ll never rank.
Luckily, there are keyword tools like Ahrefs that will save you months of frustration.
You’ll get a breakdown of:
- Keyword difficulty
- How easy it is to rank for that keyword
- Who’s ranking for it already
- How many people are searching for that keyword each month
Look:
When you search for keywords, think about the business value of that keyword.
How can you make money from it?
Because ranking for a keyword doesn’t pay the bills unless:
- It generates sales or leads
- You can direct that traffic towards a relevant sales page/sales funnel
Be very selective about which keywords you go after.
Failing to plan your keywords means you’re planning to fail.
Mistake #5: Lack Of Patience
SEO is a game of patience…
Let’s say you have a brand new website with a completely brand new URL:
For the first 6 months, you’ll be waiting in a sandbox period for Google to rank your site.
What this means is that you’re not trustworthy in the eyes of Google.
Therefore Google will not rank your website highly (at least at first).
Be realistic with your expectations of SEO:
Realize that it may be a long time before you get any results from Google.
SEO is a game of patience – you have to be disciplined and consistent.
Even if you’re not ranked for 6-12 months:
That doesn’t mean your site is dead!
I’ve seen some sites that took 3 years to rank.
SEO requires a lot of hard work and preparation in terms of:
- Creating content
- Targeting the right keywords
- Optimizing your content
- Building links to your site
Prepare early if you want results later down the line.
It’s one thing to be consistent, but you also need to be patient.
The longer your site is up, the more authority you’ll build.
…Especially if you’re doing all the right things in terms of content, keywords, and backlinks.
Mistake #6: Taking Shortcuts
This leads me onto my next point…
Avoid taking shortcuts.
(Also known as black hat SEO.)
Why?
Google doesn’t like it when you try to manipulate their algorithm.
So don’t rely on shortcuts e.g. PBNs
Good SEO doesn’t happen overnight!
And Black hat SEO techniques are only going to hurt you in the long run.
Avoid doing anything that’s going to get you penalized by Google.
So avoid black hat SEO, no matter how tempting it is.
If not, you’re building your website on a foundation of sand.
And it’s only going to crumble if you start doing black hat SEO.
If you’re caught, then all your hard work will be wiped out overnight.
Instead, stick to ethical, white hat SEO techniques that protect your website long term.
Mistake #7: Choosing A Bad Niche
Avoid the mistake of choosing a bad niche.
What does this mean?
Pick the theme of your website carefully:
- If it’s too competitive, you’ll never rank
- If you can’t make money with your niche, why try to rank for it?
Don’t just jump into a niche when you build a new website.
…That’s a big mistake most beginners make.
Instead, spend a lot of time researching your niche:
- Understand who your competitors are
- What keywords can you genuinely rank for?
- How much money could you make in your niche?
- How much work/time/energy is it going to take to start ranking?
These are all really important factors that could make or break your website.
Niche selection is extremely important:
And you should nail it if you want to be successful in the long run.
I see some website owners pick a niche that’s doomed to failure from the start:
- They spend months writing the content
- Their content never ranks
- But they get so invested into the site, they can’t turn back
…Which all leads to more time wasted and less money made.
So pick a niche that you’re certain will be successful.
Conclusion
There are many more mistakes you could make in SEO:
But these are just some of the top SEO mistakes I’ve experienced.
Being patient and consistent is the key.
And most importantly, avoid black hat SEO.
That’s it for my SEO beginner mistakes…I hope this guide helped you and all the best with your site!
