You’re Using Outdated Techniques
What worked 5 years ago might not be applicable in today’s SEO environment. Google’s search algorithm is getting smarter by the day and the only way to ensure you have a competitive edge is to adapt. There are some common outdated tactics that people are still using and some of them include:
Content machines: Producing large volumes of content at insanely low prices doesn’t cut it anymore. If the content is not addressing the searcher’s query, Google has no business ranking your website on the first page.
Keyword stuffing: This technique has been outdated for quite some time now but you will still find marketers using it.
Poor Quality Links: You can’t just get links from anyplace and expect not to get hammered with a penalty.
Poor User Experience
This could be a reason why you’re not ranking on search engines. SEO is more about what you do on the site compared to the backlinks strategy. For you to be on the good books of Google, customers need to love your website. There is a correlation between site dwell time and a drop in ranking. If the visitors are spending less than 30 seconds on the website, there could be a serious problem. Some of the ways you can improve UX include:
Improving Site Speed: Every second matters in an online environment. Potential customers don’t have the patience to wait for more than 3 seconds for the site to load.
No Tracking
According to one prominant SEO Sydney company, failing to track the progress of search campaigns is one of the most common SEO errors. It will be hard to measure the performance of the website when there is no tracking. Ideally, you should have Google Analytics and Search Console installed. You’re able to see where the visitors are coming from and the pages they’re interacting with. Having a website without tracking installed can be equated to driving a car without the side mirror. It is important that you’re taking advantage of the Google Analytics data so that you can know your visitors better.
Too Much Competition
You might have tried every trick in the book but you’re still stuck on page 3. There is a high chance that you’re in a competitive niche and there is not a lot you can do about such a predicament. That is why doing a keyword research is important before embarking on an SEO campaign. Once you’ve figured out you’re in a competitive space, do you forget about SEO entirely? Not necessarily. You still need to take care of the basics as you never know when Google will be generous.
Focusing Too Much on Keywords
Not so long ago, it used to be possible to write long-form content with super-focused long-tail keywords and ranking was almost immediate. Those days are gone and Google is now focused on matching intent with the user query. Your strategy shouldn’t be focused on the keywords but providing valuable content that is answering the queries that consumers have. One way to look at it is by scraping data on the internet on the top 10 pages across different keywords. You’re likely to notice a pattern with the first pages. For a reliable web scraping solution, you can check out Zenscrape.
Building Wrong Links
Google has become smarter when it comes to link building. You will only be fooling yourself thinking that directory links will move your keywords. Even though they’re not harmful, don’t expect to see any impact. There has been talk in the SEO community about the effectiveness of PBNs. As much as they work, it will not be a long-term solution if you’re looking to build a reputable website. Guest Post marketplace.
Optimizing Anchor Texts
This is one of the main reasons you might not see any improvements with the link building campaigns. Your SEO keywords should not be more than 50% of the anchor texts. Have a variety of anchor texts so that they appear natural in the eyes of search engines.
To sum it up, you need to understand the target audience for SEO campaigns to be effective. Make sure to follow Google’s guidelines to be on the safe side.
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