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The 7 Deadly Sins of SEO

Matthew Padbury

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a key component for any successful digital marketing strategy. However, in the quest for quick results, businesses can fall victim to SEO snares that can derail their efforts. This blog will explore the seven deadly sins of SEO that you must avoid ensuring long-term incremental SEO success.


 

1. Keyword Stuffing

Keyword stuffing is one of the oldest and most notorious sins in SEO. This practice involves overloading a web page with keywords in an attempt to manipulate search engine rankings. While it may have worked in the early days of SEO, search engine algorithms have improved considerably, and they can now easily detect keyword stuffing. Search Engines will then penalize websites for it, leading to lower rankings or even complete removal from search results. 


Instead of overusing the same keywords, focus on creating high-quality, relevant content that naturally incorporates keywords, variations and synonyms maintaining readability and providing value to your audience.


2. Keyword Cannibalization

Keyword cannibalization happens when multiple pages on your website target the same or very similar keywords. This confuses search engines, affecting which page ranks for a query and reducing each page's authority and relevance. It often lowers organic search performance as pages compete rather than complement each other. 


To address this, thorough keyword research is crucial, assigning unique target keywords to each page based on its content and focus. Optimizing content and maintaining a clear site structure can mitigate keyword cannibalization, enhancing overall SEO effectiveness.


3. Ignoring Mobile Optimization

With the increasing use of mobile devices, optimizing your website for mobile has become crucial. Google's mobile-first indexing means that the mobile version of your site is considered the primary version for ranking purposes. Not having mobile optimization front-of-mind when designing your site can lead to Googlebot not being able to crawl and understand your website property. If the relevance of your site is not fully recognized by the search engine you will not show in the SERPs for relevant user queries. 


Ensure your website is responsive, loads quickly on mobile devices, and offers a seamless user experience. Pay attention to mobile-friendly design elements, such as easy navigation, readable text, and properly sized images.


4. Duplicate Content

Duplicate content occurs when identical or very similar content appears on multiple pages of your website. Search engines struggle to determine which version is the original and most relevant, often leading to lower rankings for all versions.


Avoid duplicate content by creating unique and original content for each page. If your content needs to be similar in different areas of the site, you can use canonical tags to indicate which URL you want to be indexed by google. 


If you purposely need to have duplicate content, for print versions of pages for example, you can use Noindex tags to prevent search engines from indexing the duplicate pages. We recommend you regularly audit your site for duplicate content issues and address them promptly.


5. Neglecting Technical SEO

Technical SEO refers to the behind-the-scenes elements that help search engines crawl, index, and rank your site. Neglecting technical SEO is a cardinal sin and can hinder your website's performance and visibility.


Key elements of technical SEO to stay on top of include:


Site Speed: Test and monitor the speed of your site using metrics like load time, First Contentful Paint (FCP), Time to Interactive (TTI), Total Page Size & Number of Requests. Optimize site speed by compressing images, minimizing HTTP Requests, enabling browser caching, using a Content Delivery Network (CDN). Choose a reputable hosting provider with servers close to your target audience to optimize server response time and implement ‘Lazy loading’ which loads images, videos, and other non-critical resources only when they come into view, reducing initial load time.


XML Sitemap: An XML Sitemap is formatted in Extensible Markup Language (XML), designed to facilitate easy reading by search engine crawlers. By creating and submitting an XML sitemap to Google Search Console (GSC), you can enhance your SEO efforts effectively.


Robots.txt: Robots.txt is a text file utilized to guide search engine crawlers on which pages of a website they should or should not crawl. It serves as a crucial tool for managing content visibility to search engines, influencing how websites are indexed and ranked in search results. 


Structured Data: Structured data is the information on a webpage, while schema markup is the code that tells search engines what that information is. Check your structured data here to make sure you ensure your site pages are optimized for SERPs.


HTTP Status codes: Monitoring HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) status codes is important for search engine optimization (SEO) because they can indicate the health of a website and its server. They can also help identify errors and ensure that both search engines and users can access a website as intended. The status codes determine if HTTP requests are being completed successfully or not.


HTTP Status codes are categorized into five different segments. Each Status code will fall into one of the five categories below: 

  • 1xx: Informational responses 

  • 2xx: Success responses 

  • 3xx: Redirection messages 

  • 4xx: Client error responses 

  • 5xx: Server error responses 


URL Structure:  Use SEO friendly URLs that serve users and search engines. Correctly format your URLs by making them legible, lowercase, incorporating keywords and using hyphens not underscores. For more best-practice on URL slugs click here


6. Poor Link Building Practices

Backlinks remain a significant ranking factor in SEO. However, not all backlinks are created equal. Engaging in poor link building practices, such as buying links, participating in link farms, or acquiring low-quality irrelevant links, can harm your site's reputation and rankings.


Focus on building high-quality, relevant backlinks from reputable sources. Develop a robust link-building strategy that includes guest blogging, creating shareable content, and engaging in genuine outreach. Quality over quantity is the key to successful link building.

Search engines like Google consider backlinks as a measure of a website's authority, relevance, and credibility. Be sure to monitor your referring domains and backlinks and remove any that are toxic or spammy as they will discredit your website's domain authority. 


7. Overlooking User Experience (UX)

User experience (UX) plays a vital role in SEO. Search engines prioritize websites that provide a positive and seamless experience for users. Poor UX can lead to higher bounce rates, lower engagement, and reduced rankings. To enhance your websites UX, consider the following:


Intuitive Navigation

Intuitive navigation is crucial because it helps users find information quickly and efficiently. If users struggle to navigate your site, they may leave out of frustration, leading to higher bounce rates and lower conversions. Ensure your navigation menu is clear and logically organized. Use descriptive labels that are familiar to users. Consider implementing breadcrumbs, search functionality, and clear calls-to-action (CTAs) to guide users through their journey on your site.


Readability

Readability directly impacts how users consume your content. Clear and concise language helps users understand your message without confusion or ambiguity. It also enhances SEO, as search engines favor well-structured, easy-to-read content. Use plain language that your target audience understands. Break content into short paragraphs and use headings, subheadings, and bullet points to organize information logically. Ensure text contrast for readability and avoid jargon or overly technical terms unless necessary and explained.


Engaging Design

A visually appealing design not only attracts users but also reinforces your brand identity and encourages engagement. It can significantly impact how users perceive your credibility and professionalism. Design should align with your brand's visual identity, including colors, fonts, and imagery. Use whitespace effectively to create a clean and uncluttered layout. Incorporate multimedia elements like images, videos, and infographics to enrich content. 


Accessibility

Accessibility ensures that all users, including those with disabilities, can access and use your website effectively. It's not only a legal requirement in many jurisdictions but also expands your audience and improves user satisfaction. Consider following accessibility guidelines such as WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines). Provide alternative text for images, ensure keyboard navigation is possible, use semantic HTML for proper structure, and make sure that forms and interactive elements are accessible. Consider users with visual, auditory, mobility, and cognitive disabilities when designing and testing your site.


Key takeaways 

Avoiding these seven deadly sins of SEO is essential for achieving and maintaining strong search engine rankings. By focusing on high-quality content, mobile optimization, technical SEO, ethical link building, user experience, and continuous monitoring, you can create a sustainable SEO strategy that drives traffic and generates results. Remember, SEO is more like Mo Farah than Usain Bolt so stay patient, persistent, and proactive to achieve incremental long-term success.


Whether you manage your SEO effort internally or outsource this to SEO specialists, it's crucial to take a data-driven approach & regularly review key marketing metrics outlined in your SEO Strategy.


After all, as Edward Deming famously said, 'Without data, you're just another person with an opinion.’



 


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