Search Engine Optimization (SEO) offers powerful practices to lift your website’s search visibility to generate quality, free traffic. However, there are many hurdles that will keep your website from the search visibility your business deserves.
1. The site has too little content.
Small Websites struggle to develop natural search visibility. If you want search visibility, plan on developing a website that has substantial content so it earns search visibility.
Populate your website with informative content that your potential customers want to learn about your business. Provide answers to the questions being asked your sales team, customer service, and on social media. Offer thorough information about your products and services so those interested will have the details they want.
Thorough content will give reasons for visitors to stay on your Website. Visitor behavior affects search visibility. Google measures how long a searcher stays on a site or returns to search results. As a result, strong Google search visibility requires your content to attract visitors and to spark their interest so they explore your website.
2. The website is static.
Google does not like a static Website. Active, growing Websites will take search positions away from static Websites. If you do not have search positions, you will not earn new search positions with a static Website. You must grow your Website to earn search visibility.
Develop a plan to grow your website. A content-rich website does not happen quickly. You can launch your website while you continue to add fresh content. Develop a blog with a steady stream of new posts. Share blog writing with those who can provide the information your buyers want. Salespeople, product managers, marketers, and executive leadership can all contribute.
3. The site is not search engine-friendly.
What a web developer calls “search engine-friendly” is not necessarily what Google views as search engine friendly. Keywords in URLs are nice to have, but if multiple URLs point to the same page, then Google will assess penalties because that setup looks like spam to Google’s automated algorithms. If you are having trouble gaining search visibility, your website might have search friendliness issues that need identifying and correcting.
4. No integration between offline and online marketing
Search Engine Optimization is not an island. It is one piece of integrated marketing efforts – both online and offline. SEO should integrate with social media marketing, email marketing, traditional and digital advertising, public relations, etc. Done properly, SEO and your various marketing channels should mutually support each other to make all marketing efforts stronger.
5. Targeting the wrong keywords
Successful SEO is about targeting the most relevant phrases for your website. If you pick keywords that are not absolutely relevant for your content, you will struggle with search visibility. Google is ingenious at selecting the most relevant search results as determined by searchers. You can buy PPC ads for marginally relevant keywords that you want to target, or important phrases that you are not ranking for. But expecting organic search visibility for marginal keywords is like expecting a square peg to fit in a round hole.
6. Not using keywords
Keywords tell search engines what a website and each page are about. Incredibly there are countless examples of supposedly “search-optimized” websites that do not use keywords where they need to be included. Look at the very top of your browser to see the title of a web page. How often does it say “Home” even though the site is not about real estate or a builder? Keywords need to be used in headlines, content, and links.
7. Overusing keywords
Back in 1998 when E-Power Marketing started, effective SEO had to do that. But much has changed since then, such as Google launching. Today overusing keywords will make you invisible on search engines.
8. Give SEO time to work
SEO does not quickly generate search visibility. Well done SEO can take months to show results. Patience is hard, especially when you are putting significant people resources and budget in your website content and SEO efforts. Keep an eye on your analytics to see the changes in search engine referral traffic. If the trend is upwards, your SEO is on the right track. Just give it time and keep adding fresh content to the website.
