The 5 Basic SEO Mistakes People Make
Ever wonder why that amazing site of yours isn’t getting the search traffic you wanted? Google created a new Webmaster Help video featuring head of webspam Matt Cutts, who reveals the five biggest SEO mistakes.
1. Your Site Isn’t Crawlable
A huge mistake people make is that either their site cannot be crawled or they don’t have a domain to begin with. Google uses these web crawlers to search and index web pages.
In order to avoid this problem, Cutts suggests surfing around your website and make sure you can reach the pages on your site by clicking regular links. The wrap-up: make sure there are no 404 errors!
2. Using the Wrong Search Keywords
Your website should ideally contain keywords that people search for. If you don’t use words people search for, your website will most likely not be found by anyone. Here’s a quick tip: THINK like the average person searching for your website – what would they say? Talk for human audiences, not computers.
3. Too Much Link Building
If your focus is mainly on building links and not creating creative and compelling content, you should rethink this one closely. Instead of trying to build links for search engine purposes, Cutts stated that you should focus on making something compelling – a reason for people to want to go to your website. Good links will just come from that effort. Note: the latest Penguin update explicitly targets “bad links.”
4. Bad Titles and Descriptions on Your Website
One thing to pay attention to is your titles and descriptions. This applies mainly to your home page or pages that get high traffic. If the title on your page is “Untitled”, this should be a red flag, and is something that you will want to change.
Your description should make people want to click on your website search result by letting people know that your site provides the most accurate and relevant answer to their search.
5. Not Using the Webmaster Resources
Cutts emphasizes using webmaster resources as they provide plenty of resources to help your site stay relevant in the competitive search landscape. Google provides articles, forums, and videos to help you optimize your website.
In the end, make sure your site is crawlable. The site should be compelling along with correct titles and descriptions as well as reading upon the free webmaster resources. Taking these 5 things into consideration can greatly improve the search traffic coming into your website.
