It cannot be denied that Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is vitally important for any successful blogging campaign. However, this success relies on recognising and implementing different tactics and strategies as per Google’s search algorithms. With this in mind, now would be the time to ask yourself some questions: ”Am I using the right strategy?” ”Am I doing anything wrong?” and ”What mistakes can I avoid?” With so many SEO do’s and don’ts out there plus a multitude of myths, tips and tricks, rethinking your strategy can become quite an overwhelming task. But fear not! Zool can help, so let us focus on a few myths, unfair practices and mistakes that bloggers should definitely avoid in their strategies.
SEO Keyword Stuffing
Now this one of the classic SEO mistakes. Some bloggers like to stuff as many keywords as they can into one single page, thinking it will improve their ranking. For example, if the search terms I wanted to use for a blog were ‘SEO Services UK’ and ‘SEO Company Stockport’, I might include both SEO Services UK and SEO Company Stockport in the title (e.g.H1) and the body text as many times as possible to add emphasis, regardless of whether this actually makes any sense to the reader. The aim is to try and make sure that the Google bots index my page because of that particular term. In the past, this was a successful technique which was adopted by many, but that ship has well and truly sailed. The practice of keyword stuffing is now recognised as having a negative SEO effect. It’s much better to create a separate page for each keyword and optimise it using fair practices. Focus your efforts to create a single useful page per keyword full of relevant and valuable content.
Purchasing Links
Paid links can indeed bring a short-term boost to SEO, and you might be thinking, ”Any boost is a good boost, right?” Wrong, the keyword here is short term, and irregular linking activity may not pay in the long term. We should always be mindful that Google’s bots search for questionable linking patterns every day. This is why it is always better to follow traditional organic methods of ‘comment linking’ to ensure your blog grows at a steady pace. Remember all good successful strategies focus on the long-term results, not just a short-term fix.
Duplicate Content
There are many bloggers out there who will target the same topic, but this means they may well copy and duplicate content with a slight variation. This can cause significant problems with SEO as search engines will not show duplicate pieces of content and will instead try and present what it thinks is the original content. Duplicate content does not add value to your site, and you run the risk of receiving a slap on the wrist from Google with a search engine penalty. To avoid these hassles, always remember to focus on one source of original content, including relevant keywords to strengthen the post.
Chasing PageRank
A website’s success depends upon its Page Rank, and it is a fact, the higher you rank on search engines, the more traffic you will receive. However, many bloggers attempt to achieve a higher page rank without pondering over the fact that PageRank is actually just one out of around 200 indicators that Google use to rank a website. Bloggers should concentrate not only on PageRank but also analytics, return on investment and relevancy to help boost your ‘page’s organic search rankings.
Traditional Design of Blog
While you may be writing interesting and informative content, it’s always important to remember that nobody will stay and read this content if your blog looks dull and boring! Your blog should attract your visitors, but remember this doesn’t mean drowning it in content, e.g. as many graphics and videos as possible. This way, you run the risk of overcrowding the page and causing it to load slowly. Choose an appealing design and remember to break up text content with a few images and videos from time to time.
When you’re a blogger, always take time to evaluate your SEO strategy, decide what is and what ‘isn’t working for you. Remember, fair and organic practices will always bring in the desired long-term results and returns, so do your best to avoid these mistakes!
Find out how Zool can help you transform your business, using SEO and content marketing such as blogs. Speak to one of the Zool team today by calling 0161 408 7001. We offer a complete digital marketing solution, based in Stockport, Cheshire. Our services include SEO, PPC and Content Marketing alongside Web Design and Video Testimonials.
The 5 Biggest SEO Mistakes Bloggers Make
Digital Content Writing & Blogs / May 21, 2014
It cannot be denied that Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is vitally important for any successful blogging campaign. However, this success relies on recognising and implementing different tactics and strategies as per Google’s search algorithms. With this in mind, now would be the time to ask yourself some questions: ”Am I using the right strategy?” ”Am I doing anything wrong?” and ”What mistakes can I avoid?” With so many SEO do’s and don’ts out there plus a multitude of myths, tips and tricks, rethinking your strategy can become quite an overwhelming task. But fear not! Zool can help, so let us focus on a few myths, unfair practices and mistakes that bloggers should definitely avoid in their strategies.
SEO Keyword Stuffing
Now this one of the classic SEO mistakes. Some bloggers like to stuff as many keywords as they can into one single page, thinking it will improve their ranking. For example, if the search terms I wanted to use for a blog were ‘SEO Services UK’ and ‘SEO Company Stockport’, I might include both SEO Services UK and SEO Company Stockport in the title (e.g.H1) and the body text as many times as possible to add emphasis, regardless of whether this actually makes any sense to the reader. The aim is to try and make sure that the Google bots index my page because of that particular term. In the past, this was a successful technique which was adopted by many, but that ship has well and truly sailed. The practice of keyword stuffing is now recognised as having a negative SEO effect. It’s much better to create a separate page for each keyword and optimise it using fair practices. Focus your efforts to create a single useful page per keyword full of relevant and valuable content.
Purchasing Links
Paid links can indeed bring a short-term boost to SEO, and you might be thinking, ”Any boost is a good boost, right?” Wrong, the keyword here is short term, and irregular linking activity may not pay in the long term. We should always be mindful that Google’s bots search for questionable linking patterns every day. This is why it is always better to follow traditional organic methods of ‘comment linking’ to ensure your blog grows at a steady pace. Remember all good successful strategies focus on the long-term results, not just a short-term fix.
Duplicate Content
There are many bloggers out there who will target the same topic, but this means they may well copy and duplicate content with a slight variation. This can cause significant problems with SEO as search engines will not show duplicate pieces of content and will instead try and present what it thinks is the original content. Duplicate content does not add value to your site, and you run the risk of receiving a slap on the wrist from Google with a search engine penalty. To avoid these hassles, always remember to focus on one source of original content, including relevant keywords to strengthen the post.
Chasing PageRank
A website’s success depends upon its Page Rank, and it is a fact, the higher you rank on search engines, the more traffic you will receive. However, many bloggers attempt to achieve a higher page rank without pondering over the fact that PageRank is actually just one out of around 200 indicators that Google use to rank a website. Bloggers should concentrate not only on PageRank but also analytics, return on investment and relevancy to help boost your ‘page’s organic search rankings.
Traditional Design of Blog
While you may be writing interesting and informative content, it’s always important to remember that nobody will stay and read this content if your blog looks dull and boring! Your blog should attract your visitors, but remember this doesn’t mean drowning it in content, e.g. as many graphics and videos as possible. This way, you run the risk of overcrowding the page and causing it to load slowly. Choose an appealing design and remember to break up text content with a few images and videos from time to time.
When you’re a blogger, always take time to evaluate your SEO strategy, decide what is and what ‘isn’t working for you. Remember, fair and organic practices will always bring in the desired long-term results and returns, so do your best to avoid these mistakes!
Find out how Zool can help you transform your business, using SEO and content marketing such as blogs. Speak to one of the Zool team today by calling 0161 408 7001. We offer a complete digital marketing solution, based in Stockport, Cheshire. Our services include SEO, PPC and Content Marketing alongside Web Design and Video Testimonials.
