You know the goal when it comes to online marketing: Get to the top of the search rankings. But are there certain things you could be doing that may be hampering your path to the top?
Forbes.com recently featured several mistakes to avoid with your SEO. Among the most common mistakes:
Thinking you don’t need to do any optimization.
You may believe that the content you are serving up should suffice. But great content is no substitute for SEO. “On-page SEO is still imperative for getting your content to rank; and it also tends to improve user experience, which makes it an all-around smart thing to do,” notes Forbes columnist John Rampton.
Failing to take part in link building.
Don’t let 90 percent of the content on your site fall stagnant. Start link building and connecting the dots. The most popular link building strategy included content promotion (e.g. guest blogging), creating content that’s likely to attract links, and getting local citations, according to the
2016 State of Link Building Survey. (For more tips, read
7 Killer Link Building Strategies For Small Businesses.)
Guest posting without proper vetting first.
Guest posting for another blog can be an effective way to gain exposure and increase your leads. But make sure you investigate the site you’re offering to guest post thoroughly beforehand. “Posting on the wrong site can seriously damage your reputation and rankings,” Rampton writes. Rampton says it’s smart to first ask: Does this site's audience match up with my own target market? Do they seem trustworthy given their
Domain Authority, link profile, and online ratings and reviews?
Failing to promote your content.
Writing content is only the first part; you still need to promote and distribute. Fifty percent of all online content sampled had two or less Facebook interactions, and 75 percent had no external links, according to research from Moz and BuzzSumo. Make a plan for how you’ll promote your content, considering your email list, social media, paid distribution, or a combination of these.
Source: “10 SEO Mistakes to Avoid in 2017,” Forbes.com (Feb. 1, 2017)
