These SEO Problems You Can’t See Are Hurting Your Brand
Most businesses understand that SEO is vital in a competitive environment. Even with the best efforts, some hidden SEO problems can harm your site’s performance. Being aware of these issues will help you to identify them and avoid them when developing your online presence.
Let’s evaluate the most common hidden SEO problems, why they’re harmful, and how to fix them.
First Hidden SEO Problems is Your Site Isn’t Mobile-Friendly
Optimization matters. Have you ever visited a website on your smartphone to find that the content doesn’t fit on the page? Maybe you’ve used one where the menus are difficult to use because they weren’t optimized for mobile screens.
Responsive Web Design is a concept where a page is optimized so that it provides an optimal experience on any device. One of the core principles of modern design is that websites must be rendered consistently to suit user preferences.
If your site isn’t mobile-friendly then two things will happen. One, users will find it frustrating to navigate. Two, search engines will penalize you.
- Page loads must be fast. This means optimizing your code, compressing images, and using a reliable web host for your region.
- Avoid complex scripts and page elements that increase page load time or code density.
If you haven’t browsed your site on a mobile device, it’s time to test it. Emulating this in the backend isn’t enough. Try it in the real world, preferably using a wireless data connection rather than local Wi-Fi. If the experience doesn’t satisfy you, will it please your users?
If it’s time to improve optimization, you can enlist an experienced SEO company to enhance or redevelop your online presence.
You’ve Overlooked On-Page User Experience
Websites should be consistent with a unified design language. They must be easily navigable with readily available information and a logical flow from page to page.
If users have difficulty browsing your site and finding information, they may never become customers. If search engine bots can’t crawl your site because the architecture is illogical, you won’t rank against your competition.
Make the on-page experience as fluid as possible by following simple menu structures with efficient categorization and minimal submenus. Ensure that pages are laid out logically with a hierarchical file system so your site is crawlable.
There Isn’t Enough Meta Information on Your Pages
It’s not enough to post high-quality content and hope that a search-crawling bot understands what it’s about. Search engine crawlers don’t read like we do. They work on algorithms and look for specific information and structures to determine what pages are about, whether they’re valuable, and where they should rank in Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs).
Meta information is easy to input and offers drastic improvements to ranking.
- Every published page must include a meta title that describes what the article is about. It should be truthful and relevant to the content. It can incorporate a keyword without harming readability.
- Every image on a page must include an alt-tag describing the image.
- Each page must include a meta description. This is a short description of the page. It can feature a call to action, but be careful not to exceed Google’s 160-character cut-off limit.
Individually, the elements are called meta tags. They help bots quickly crawl and understand content. They also aid users. Titles and descriptions are seen by users in search engines. Strong titles and compelling meta descriptions can generate traffic.
You’ve Duplicated Your Content
Never duplicate your content when conveying similar messaging on unique pages. This can harm your search ranking, pushing your page below the competition.
Content must be rewritten to provide value. This can benefit your search ranking and improve the user experience. A user reading the same information on multiple pages develops a poor impression of your business. Consider that even when there are similarities in the message, each page is unique in some way. The message can be adjusted to suit the context. If you find that you have duplicate content on redundant pages, then remove them. Publishing more of the same information creates no value for you or your audience.
Your Content Forgets User Intent
It’s easy to see search engine optimization as a technical discipline with the aim of targeting the engines rather than the user. This is a mistake.
Every piece of content you publish should be user-centric. You can incorporate keywords and follow SEO best practices without compromising readability and value.
Business owners often make the mistake of writing for the SEO requirements rather than for the user. Avoid this, because poorly written and low-value content can affect ranking.
- What does your user want, and what are you attempting to tell them? This must be the primary driver for everything you publish.
- Does your content flow naturally? Does it inform, compel, or entertain? Is the tone relevant to your brand and to the user intent? If the answer is no, then the content doesn’t fit.
- Are your keywords affecting readability? Keywords do matter but they must be natural. Write content for users, not for search engines.
- Would you be happy to use the words from your site when speaking directly with a potential customer? If the answer is no, then it’s not good enough. Your content allows users to form an opinion of your brand. It should represent your business in the best possible way.
There is skill involved in creating high-quality content that satisfies SEO requirements while remaining focused on user intent. Not every business owner has the resources to develop content that suits the brand, the user, and the search engines. Utilize an experienced SEO company if you need to.
Get Help Optimizing Your Page and Eliminate Hidden SEO Problems
We are an experienced digital marketing and SEO company with the tools to enhance user experience and the technical elements of your online presence. Outrank your competition with proven strategies and compelling content that informs and persuades. Combining better search visibility with an enhanced user experience ensures a sales funnel that helps you achieve your goals. Contact us now!
