Although I usually like to focus on a more positively themed headline and context for my newsletter articles, it is often that I am asked about what things that marketers should not do. So, as my kickoff piece to 2021 I decided to list the elements that are damaging or detrimental for SEO progress and success. Check out our SEO Blog for all the things you SHOULD be doing to get there!
- Buy Links or Reviews – to include backlinks or any offer of a guaranteed positive rating or revie in exchange for goods or services (those must be clearly marked as #sponsored or #ad)
- Meta Data – don’t overlook these elements or dismiss them entirely for your web pages. It is extremely helpful (for organizational purposes too) to have a completed structure that is completed for every page made live.
- Set it and forget it – having routine technical audits conducted on your website is very important. As algorithms change or updates rolled out, new competitors enter into the digital market, your site needs to be constantly monitored and fine tuned for SEO.
- Obsess with Competition – yes, its advantageous to know who they are, what they are up to and where they appear (especially since online competition can look very different than business competitive threats), using that as your Digital Strategy is not a viable option. There are so many influencing factors on SEO ranking, some of which you can’t control or necessarily change (URL or Domain History). Therefore, keep an eye on them – but focus on your plan and executing that well.
- Slack on content – if anything has risen to the top in terms of importance for SEO it is content. All types of content, including onsite and offsite. The variety of content ranking on page one within Google is diverse, and typically recent and relevant … So should be what your organization is creating and publishing. Give your brand and business the best shot possible for multiple results on the first page surrounding important key phrases. Short form, long term, visual, audio or text – lock down every option to engage with all types of users and cover more SEO real estate.
