Google is known for frequently changing its algorithms, which means website owners have to keep up to date to maintain a successful SEO strategy. There are a number of core mistakes that website owners often make which could jeopardise their search rankings. Considering the battle is always ongoing to secure that top spot, and considering that any penalties delivered by Google can take up to nine months to be reversed, it’s important to have a suitable strategy in place.
One common problem is link misuse. Too many links unrelated to your website, paid links and low quality links will result in you being punished by Google and sent straight down the rankings. Though you may receive a temporary boost in traffic, Google will be quick to punish it. Don’t send your visitors to different websites, don’t spam too many links and never pay for your links – it’s a waste of money and will result in punishment anyway. Make sure to remove broken links and other spam that will harm your overall rating.
Another common mistake is keyword misuse and general poor quality content. Far too many people pepper their text with keywords without bothering to actually create original, quality content. All this does is harm your overall reputation and rating. All in all, you want high quality content with good grammar and spelling, balanced with keywords. Though poorly written content won’t necessarily harm your SEO, well written text compliments an SEO campaign creates a professional image for your website. Make sure there’s no duplicate content on your website. As a final tip, ensure that you do not practice deception: items such as automatic redirects and hidden text will result in punishment.
Design is just as important as content. With growing mobile traffic, Google will favour sites which are optimised for mobile devices. If the website is not responsive, then you can expect it to be lower on the rankings. An XML sitemap should also be included to ensure that all of your pages are indexed and up to date in the eyes of the search engine.
Google will deliver manual and algorithmic penalties if you make these mistakes. This will result in a poorer rating for your website, sending you further away from that prestigious top spot. With our experience of search engine optimisation, we can help to increase your website traffic and optimise your chances of securing a good position in the rankings.