Driving traffic to a website can be done through using SEO as your primary strategy. This means that traffic is brought to the website for free by researching keywords and finding out what brings in the most traffic, then using them on the website. This may work, but often it takes time and might be slower than one would expect to bring about positive changes; also, it still may not bring the site to the first page of search results.
SEO strategies can be implemented in a short amount of time, but it might take a while to master them. Many times there are just a few mistakes to correct to start achieving positive results.
1. Forgoing Analytics to See What is Converting
SEO is about more than just getting traffic. It is about converting the traffic into leads. Keeping track of the phrases that bring in the traffic is important, but the downfall is when these keywords don’t bump the website up to the first page. Try to remember that often times, the lower-traffic phrases are better at converting because they are more specific, and having these bring the site to the first page of results can contribute to quite a few sales.
2. Optimizing for the Wrong Geographic Area
When a business is focused on customers that reside in a certain geographic area, it is vital to learn about local search. The keywords used should be specific to the region, such as those in the meta descriptions and page titles. An address and phone number should be available on the pages on the header or footer, allowing for the site to show up on results pages with local businesses. Also, listing the business on places such as Yelp, FourSquare, Google Places, and Merchant Circle will bring the website to the forefront.
3. Optimizing with the Wrong Keywords
Generic keywords will bring in a lot of traffic, but specific keywords will bring the right kind of traffic. Global keywords won’t bring in a significant amount of local traffic; generic keywords bring in those with little interest, keywords that indicate free information and not a product, and broad keywords will bring a lot of competition.
4. Not Using the Right Title Tags and Meta Descriptions
This is likely one of the easiest SEO mistakes to overlook: each page on the website should have a unique title, as these will show up in tweets and are used in the title when someone bookmarks the website. The titles can contain specific services that are popular search terms. Meta descriptions should be unique and persuasive in only 160 characters. This serves somewhat as a sales pitch that will bring people to the site, and should also include any relevant keywords.
5. Not Utilizing Anchor Text When Linking Internally
This is a vital part of the website text and should not only be used for a call to action, but internal links as well. This can be linked to an e-commerce services page or the like. The anchor text should also not be the same for every link. Using “This page” or “click here” too many times can hurt the site when it comes to search engines, so mix it up and don’t be afraid to include the keywords.
6. Not Creating Unique and Valuable Content
The content should not only be well written, but also link worthy. Readers will know when content is not unique and not valuable, and when this happens, the trust is lost. If outsourcing writers, the content should be original, well-articulated, and something to be proud of. To complement this, the content should also be relevant, making it valuable. Infographics, text or video tutorials, and top lists are all great options.
Winning the SEO game is about more than just pumping out content. The information should be relevant, well written, and focused on the right audience. These strategies don’t take much to implement and can bump up your success when utilized properly.
