We live in a world where social media platforms and search engine rankings have the power to make or break a business. Hence, it is important to give them the due importance. While we understand that search engine optimization (SEO) is a strenuous task and there is always a chance of missing out on something or the other, in this article, we will talk about some common mistakes that you can avoid and save your SEO rankings.
#1. Is your business listed under the right categories in Google?
Google offers a primary category and additional categories option. Most businesses are either too lazy or don’t think that the categories are important for their SEO while setting up their account. In fact, the list is so comprehensive that it takes too long for someone to sift through and find the right category for his/her business. However, it is critical that you select the business category carefully as it helps Google users find what they are looking for with ease.
#2. Un-Updated Business Information
Let’s say that you change the address or phone number or the registered name of your business. You incorporate the change in your printed letterheads and all other legal documents. However, do you update the same on all your accounts online? All of them? If you miss out, then you will have two different business information for the same business online. This will not just create a bad image but also lower your page rank. Ensure that you update all your online accounts with the new information.
#3. Multiple profiles on one platform
Many new companies are guilty of this. If you have multiple profiles of the same business on one platform, then the search engines can get confused about which one to use. And trust us, Google does not like to get confused and penalizes such accounts by lowering their page rank. Ensure that you have one account per platform and maintain it regularly with updated information.
#4. Keyword Stuffing
Many websites stuff keywords all across their site. Right from the home page to the about us section to footers to the contact us page, they don’t write anything without keywords. These sites believe that by stuffing keywords, they can probably get more attention to their website. This is a mistake. If Google finds that you have stuffed the keywords unnecessarily, then it might penalize you. Further, the users might find your site annoying if the content is not easy to understand (due to keyword stuffing).
#5. Not paying attention to the performance of your website
If your business website is slow or had bad links or is not optimized for mobile devices, then you might find your SEO rankings take a hit. Despite all the effort made to keep the content crisp and profile updated, a bad performing website is a strict no-no for good SEO.
#6. No reviews
While some businesses go all out in updating customer reviews, we have come across many websites which have no reviews at all. It is important to understand that reviews help the customers as well as the search engines in understanding the legitimacy of your profile and the experience that users had with your business. You must put a process in place where you talk to satisfied customers and request them to leave a review for you online.
Conclusion
Remember, climbing up the SEO rankings ladder is a slow and time-consuming process. It is important to mention here that your web host plays an important role in ensuring a good SEO ranking. Many providers offering Cloud Hosting Services provide features that help your SEO efforts. Talk to the host and research well before purchasing the hosting plan.