On Page SEO Mistakes To Avoid
SEO Mistakes You Should Avoid Making
Hi Folks
At least a couple of times a day I'm asked to give my opinion on a new members website.
I'm a very straight talking person and tell it how it is so I usually tell them exactly what I think of it. Some of the sites are good, and one or two are very good for a first time effort. Unfortunately even the very good ones have quite a few common mistakes.
This is mainly due to the new members having very little or no understanding of the importance of search engine visibility, which leads to traffic volume. They seem to place more importance on producing a 'Pretty' website. This is not a bad thing, but it really is secondary to the site's listing in the SERPS.
Hopefully, the following common mistakes made by quite a few website owners will help them generate more targeted traffic to their site...after all, isn't that what they want?
- Not using keywords effectively
This is probably one of the most critical areas of site design. Choose the right keywords and potential customers will find your site. Use the wrong ones and your site will see very little, if any, traffic.
- Repeating keywords
When you use the same keywords over and over again (keyword stacking) the search engines will most probably downgrade the page or site.
- Using unrelated keywords
Many unethical website owners try to gain search engine visibility by using keywords that have nothing to do with their website. They place unrelated keywords in a page such as the name of a known celebrity, or the hot search topic of the day inside a meta tag for a page. The keyword doesn't have anything to do with the page topic. However, since the keyword is popular, they think this will boost their visibility. This technique is considered spam by the search engines.
- Keyword stuffing
Somewhat like keyword stacking listed above, this means to assign multiple keywords to the description of a graphic that appears on your website by using the "alt=" HTML parameter. If the search engines find that this text does not really describe the graphic it will be considered spam.
- Stealing from other websites
How many times have you heard or read that "this is the Internet and it's ok" to steal images and text from websites to use on your site. Don't do it. Its one thing to learn from others, and another to blatantly copy their work. The search engines are very smart and will detect page duplication. They may even prevent you from ever being listed by them.
- Hidden text
You might think that if you can't see it, it doesn't hurt. Wrong.... Don't try to hide your keywords or keyword phrases by making them invisible. An example would be to have the keywords the same colour as the background of the page.
- Using very small fonts
This is another version of the item above (hidden text). Don't try to hide your keywords or keyword phrases by making them tiny. Setting the text size of the keywords so small that it can barely be seen does this.
- All search engines are not the same
Many people assume that each search engine plays by the same rules. This is not so. Each has their own rules and is subject to change anytime they want to. Make it a point to learn what each major search engine requires for high visibility.
- Forgetting to check for missing web page elements
There are some more things you should check as well as the above graphic shows, so make sure to check every page in your website for such as, missing links, graphics, etc.
This is just a few of the methods and techniques that you should avoid. Don't give in to the temptation that these methods will work for you. They will do your website harm than good.
Not only will you have weeks of wasted effort, your site could be banned from the search engines forever. Take a little time to learn the proper techniques for increasing search engine visibility and your traffic numbers will increase.
Ok folks there you have my opinion on having a great site that is search engine friendly.
Anyone with any other tips and advice can of course leave them via a comment below.
Have a great day and be successful.
Robert Allan
Recent Comments
146
Sneaky wasn't the reason I was laughing. Ignorance about coding was the part that made me laugh.
Thank you for dropping by Eric.
Did you learn anything though?
Hope your Saturday is going well.
Robert
I am trying to think if I am making a lot of these mistakes or not. I was reading your response to mmussehl and realize that I have rarely ever changed my permalinks to be free from stop words.
It wont do a bit of harm to go over your site and check.
In fact it could be time well spent.
I change my Permalink quite a lot just so that I can get my title keywords in the title without compromising my ranking chances.
Of course as I told Michelle you do this before You publish.
Robert
Then it's good news, I still have over 400 unpublished articles ready. Just starting to make videos for all of them now.
I have turned a lot of my old posts into longer ones but I put them into ebooks without a plan what to do with them once I had them edited.
Just a matter of finding the best keywords for the longer content.
I have lots of unpublished articles as well and I try to go over them all once a week just to fine tune them.
I also had the idea to create an eBook series of all the blogs I've published within WA.
Can't find anyone to do it yet although I have a Canadian friend who says she will give it some serious consideration.
Maybe you should do the same.
Robert
I just made a 12 video series on one of mine. But the youtube channel is brand new so I am in the beginning stages of trial and error with it.
I spent the last 2 weeks putting the same category blogs into organized google docs. But I am still trying to figure out how they will work to solve individual problems.
Hi Robert
I think that many of the members first starting out spend WAY TOO MUCH attention to the website’s looks and not adding content I am always suggesting to the newer members to add content, add content, and add even more content. It is what will get them ranked and making money faster in the long run. Then after the blog has 50 to 70 posts go back and make it look nice if you want to.
I know some bloggers that took the basic black and white color scheme, the original theme, and ran with it. They are currently making over 1k a month and never did anything cosmetically to their websites, the only aspect (as far as the website was concerned) they worked on was the navigation of the website and that’s it!!
Great and informative post thanks for continually guiding us in improving ourselves.
Calvin
Indeed they do tend to spend more time making a pretty site rather than fill it with quality content.
Then they ask me - What Am I Doing Wrong?"
Back in the day when I first started building sites they were all black and white and never had any trouble getting decent ranks with them. Less was more in those days.
Thank you for reading the blog and for your input.
Have a good one.
Robert
Hi Robert, thank you for such a great post on SEO mistakes. I stick to all the rules you've mentioned, but unsure what you mean by article marketing? I don't do this, but do you mean submitting to directories like ezinearticles or using hubpages. The latter I was considering recently until I read it's lost favour with Google. My objective with that was adsense! Best wishes :)
Yes I meant Article Directories.
Although its not going to help your rank much its still a great way to get exposure as those ezine sites and directories have a lot of visitors.
Every little helps, Right?
Have a great Saturday Kathy.
Robert
Hi Robert,
Great article. You mentioned not allowing links in comments. I have followed the training and have placed product links in the comments where it is natural, as well as linked to other relevant articles. Is this a bad thing??
Hello Jenny.
No its not a bad thing to insert links to further information (I do it all the time).
However if you already have product links within your article then its surely overkill having them again in your reply to comments.
This is what the search engines wont like and could affect your ranking.
Also I always delete any links that are in comments left on my site.
I certainly don't want to help the competition, do I?
Enjoy your day.
Robert
Thank you for taking timeout to read my blog llana.
Its always appreciated when the newer members read my blogs becaiuse I know there is information in them that will help them as they progress through the training.
Enjoy your day.
Robert
I find it challenging not to keyword stuff on long-form content. I try to balance the use of the keyword and pronouns. Readers may be challenged in what "it" or "this" is referencing if I use it as a reference to the keyword. So I will use the keyword frequently if it makes the content flow better.
Hi Glen,
I could not agree with you more it is hard to produce a 4,000-word blog without repeating the keyword unintentionally many times over and over again. Thankfully the search engines have introduced artificial intelligence into their algorithms programs.
By simply using synonyms (the best solution I know for this problem); I will write my blog then use a word content editor to find out which words I used the most then go back and edit the repeated words out and replace them with the synonyms.
In other word say I write a blog that I use the term “Bright Red Cars” within it 20 times I will go and change at least 15 of them to other synonyms.
That is why I love thesaurus, it can literary save a blogger and their writing from being accused of keyword stuffing from the search engines.
An example of this would be if:
“Bright Red Cars” is my keyword
Alternatives for Red could be any shade in the red color spectrum:
Crimson
Scarlet
Ruby
Burgundy
Cherry
Rosy
Or descriptive words like:
Bloodshot
Enflamed
Flushed
Healthy
And then for car, you could use words like:
Vehicle
Auto
Automobile
Conveyance
Motorcar
Junker
Gas guzzler
Wheels
Four wheels
Go cart
Then you can also again use descriptive words like:
Sedan
Coupe
Truck
Hardtop
Convertible
Van
Compact
SUV
Hope this helps those that often face this same common writing problem as well!
Calvin
Thanks, Calvin. This is a good reminder about AI and using LSI keywords.
😀 My first thought was what about the Stanford Cardinal teams.
It would be difficult to use synonyms in the event of writing about the Stanford Cardinal and Louisville Cardinals football teams.
A writer cannot use crimson in place of cardinal since they are specific colors. And then there is the Crimson Tide. I don't think Alabama fans would appreciate being called the Red Tide.
I imagine Google could sort it all out.
Hello Glen and thank you for reading the blog and for your input.
In your opinion does using your keyword frequently harm your ranking in the SERPs?
I can't see any harm in using a one word keyword often throughout your article but frequent use of a keyword phrase of say 4/5 words would surely harm your rank.
Hope your Saturday has been a good one so far.
Robert
I agree with your scenario. Frequently using a 4/5 keyword could be considered as stacking as it is difficult to work in long tail keywords like that. If it reads naturally, the ok. But I think it would be difficult to use it often and still have the content read naturally.
I would not say frequently as most of the time my content is built around long-tail keywords. But I add one or two-word keywords in the content.
See more comments
When you talk about keyword separation using pipes | versus dashes.... are you referring to the title of your post? Also can you use a keyword for a title without an and/for/the if it ranks lower for QSR in Jaxxy? For example: The keyword “What’s the best electric toothbrush” has a much high QSR than “What’s best electric toothbrush”. In this case, which should I use as the title of my post? I was thinking of adding to the title to make it stand out. Is this where I would use the pipe versus a dash? For example: What’s the best electric toothbrush- help for receding gums
Thanks to anyone who can help
Michelle
Hi Michelle
You might not recall but in one of Kyles first trainings he does tell you about using Pipes and Dashes and there is a way to change how your Title is presented in your Wordpress All-In-One-SEO Title Settings. You can change the settings to show Pipes or Dashes but not both.
Yes its ok to use stop words such as and, the, for your title but it doesn't make a great deal of difference anyway beause your title becomes your permalink and that is a main factor used by the search engines to rank your site.
Therefore you can use the higher QSR Keyword for your Title and edit your permalink.
remember to do this BEFORE you publish.
There is also another way with brackets and I published a blog about it here - A Great Tactic To Boost Organic Traffic Hope this info has helped you.
Enjoy your day.
Robert
Wow - thank you for sharing Robert (Both Blogs are eye openers)
A bit of clarity please.
You say here - A Great Tactic To Boost Organic Traffic "As soon as I read that finding, I asked myself: “Would this also work for title tags?”"
I am trying to understand both of your incredible blogs on Titles and Permalinks (and the terminology Titles = Title tags)
You said
"Yes its ok to use stop words such as and, the, for your title but it doesn't make a great deal of difference anyway because your title becomes your permalink and that is a main factor used by the search engines to rank your site. Therefore you can use the higher QSR Keyword for your Title and edit your permalink.
remember to do this BEFORE you publish."
To me that means in your titles (using Michelle's example)
“What’s the best electric toothbrush” has a much high QSR than “What’s best electric toothbrush”
So Title options here are:
1. What’s the best electric toothbrush (logic, its more natural for UX)
2. What’s the best electric toothbrush (New Guide) (logic, higher CTR as per your other post)
PERMALINK
3. https://example.com/whats-best-electric-toothbrush
(logic, this has lower QSR competition THAN... https://example.com/whats-the-best-electric-toothbrush)
QUESTIONS:
1. Can you please confirm my understanding that in this simple example that the best title is #2 and the best permalink is #3
2. I've never used pipes ("|") in titles
Can you please elaborate on best practice or examples on when to use these OR link to training here re All in one SEO tool
You say
"You might not recall but in one of Kyles first trainings he does tell you about using Pipes and Dashes"
I have definitely forgotten this and where to find it....sorry
3. My current blog draft is:
XXX YYY Review 2019: Can You Really Make Money With XXX?
I admit the sin of having 2 keywords in the one title. But how else can I rank for the most commonly used first part so that's why I added a low QSR 2nd keyword
3.1 What would convert/rank better as above OR
3.2 XXX YYY Review 2019 [Can You Really Make Money With XXX?] and in your experience are round brackets "(..)" better than rectangular brackets "[..]"
3.3 Any other advice about having 2 keywords in one title - you can be hard if you need to... :-)
Thanks for your help :)
Why thank you John! You have clarified every one of my questions. I was having trouble explaining what I was trying to ask but you nailed it. I will await Robert’s response.
All the best!
Michelle
Hello John and thank you for reading and for your input.
First off your Title Tags are what you put into your general Settings in All-In-One-SEO.
Your article title is of course self explanatory.
As for Michelle's keywords
I personally would use whats the best electric toothbrush as a title simple because search engines would not recognize the apostrophe and put in symbols instead. This would not make for a very good Permalink.
Instead if you want to use it as your Title then take the apostrophe out.
So number 2 is not the best Title to use.
However there's nothing stopping you from using the apostrophe in your article Header (H1 Tag).
Without the Stop Word I wouldn't use the keyword - whats best electric toothbrush at all because it has no traffic.
If you are going to add other words in brackets then you cannot have them in your Permalink but they will still show in the title of your article once published.
As for Pipes and Dashes
Kyle did mention them and show what he meant in a very early Getting Started lesson.
This he did within the All-In-One-SEO general Settings, Title Settings where he removed the underscores for dashes.
Then he showed how to split your titles with Pipes as he actually showed you with examples in his own articles.
This being so you could have two keywords in your title split by a pipe, but of course you should only really have one as your permalink and as I said above the full title would still show in your published article.
You can use whatever you want regarding round brackets and parentheses.
I prefer to use the round brackets in my title and the parentheses in my H1 Tag
I hope this info will be of some help to you and please do have a great Sunday
Robert