Jul 3 2010

SEO Mistakes That Will Cost Your Business

Some people make SEO mistakes because they don’t know any better, and others try to game the search engines which is really futile in the end. Even though you can succeed with SEO, it is something you always have to change with because algorithms eventually change. It’s a fact that if you want to keep up with the search engines, and SEO, then you’ll always need to keep learning and updating your knowledge so you don’t make a mistake in the future. We would like to discuss some SEO mistakes we’ve seen quite often, and if you’re new to SEO then you’ll want to pay attention.

Perhaps the number one most seen problem with people new to SEO is they do improper keyword research and use the wrong ones. Now, as we all know, keywords are really important for your search engine optimization efforts to be successful. The very basic explanation is that surfers looking in search engines use keywords to find what they’re looking for. Your site has to be optimized correctly so what people search for and find on your site is what they’re looking for. You can still get traffic to your site, but it really won’t do you much good because your conversions will be very low. It’s imperative that you optimize your websites, and blogs, with the terms that are in use by people searching the engines for information. So be sure to do the right kind of keyword research. Use the right keyword for the page, if the page is about a reading sunglasses use any of the many available keyword tools to help you find the right phrase people are searching for. Yet another often-seen SEO blunder, and this is a huge one, concerns the improper use of page title tags, and it’s either not using them at all, or putting the wrong information in them. If anyone thinks it does not have an impact, well they are flat-out incorrect about that. Your rankings depend on them, and the search engines use them to know exactly what your pages are about. The title is one of the few places where it is critical to place your keywords and phrases. The more competitive your market, the more important it becomes to have optimized page title tags. Not only that, but people do notice such things and it won’t help the image of your site. Overall, if will just create a negative impression. Page title tags that are optimized for your page keywords and phrases is critically important. And never engage in keyword stuffing in your title tags, or anywhere else for that matter. If you do that, you’ll regret it because all of your work will be wasted. So it’s really very simple, and all you do is write a short title tag containing the keywords/phrases that particular page is supposed to rank for in the serps.

It’s a mistake to not know your target market. If you intent to optimize any site to appeal to search engines, you first need to understand what keywords the people within your target market will be searching for. This can play a vital role in any successful SEO campaign. Once you know what they’re likely to search for, it’s easier to create content to appeal to them. Knowing these things about your visitors will be the best chance of success for your SEO efforts. A solid and effective search engine campaign in beneficial to all businesses, take for example a page that explains polarized clip on sunglasses, to a site for a local small business.

Search engine optimization is powerful, but not everyone has the mettle for it. It’s really a question of how badly do you want it, and if you’re willing to do what needs to be done so you can succeed.