More than 90% of internet searches are conducted through Google, the most widely used search engine in the world. We use it hundreds of times a day for a wide range of things, such as finding websites, finding answers to questions, comparing product prices, and even looking for services.
It’s all so natural that we do it without thinking. That’s why companies have adopted the practice of Inbound Marketing, that is, working with content to attract customers to their website instead of just investing in advertising.
After all, the cost/benefit is excellent and increases as a domain demonstrates that it is an authority on a subject and attracts many customers. Therefore, investing in good practices and optimizations so that Google’s robot interprets your content as good quality is essential in any digital marketing strategy.
However, whether due to lack of information or negligence, many websites still maintain flawed strategies that end up working against them when it comes to indexing in Google’s search results (SERP).
Shall we list some of them? Come with us!
1. Not working on Titles and Meta Description
The title and description of each page (Meta Description) have lost all the power they once had, to the point where Google says they are outdated variables. However, neglecting them completely is a big mistake.
More than a third of pages use duplicate descriptions, while a quarter of them do not have a description at all. Always try to fill out these fields in an original way and between 120 and 156 characters, as they not only help Google understand your content, but also display these texts in the search engine along with the link.
So, at the very least, you’ll be working to hook your audience. Our tip here is to think about the search results page, since these texts appear there. How would you convince someone to choose your link over another site? Work on this question when writing your titles and descriptions.
Another extra tip here is to add a tag indicating the default language of the content, something that greatly helps the search engine understand the language and the target audience for which the text is intended.
2. Having too many broken links (404)
If you know a little about how Google works, you know that the most important currency within any page is the links that point to it. Therefore, we don’t even need to go into detail about how having a lot of broken links over time will be harmful to your business.
Google Analytics and Google Search Console tools allow you to track the number of pages with high frequency 404 errors. Use and abuse these tools to track internal or external links.
3. Having duplicate content
This is one of the most deadly sins when it comes to SEO. Google does not accept that you have pages with the same content and punishes websites that adopt this strategy, making this practice extremely harmful.
This is to prevent plagiarism and copying of third-party content. Therefore, the search engine prioritizes original materials that are completely original and that address new topics. In fact, Google itself recently stated that 15% of daily searches are for new keywords.
This is even more relevant if you have an online store. Avoid using manufacturers’ descriptions on products if you want to stand out. Instead, take the pages with the most traffic and start working on original descriptions that focus on your target audience.
4. Neglecting images
Another very common mistake that many people neglect. Google reads image descriptions and they weigh on the search results. Therefore, it is recommended to always add a name to the image so that the robot can read it and better understand what it says about it.
Almost half of websites have this flaw, using duplicate names or even numbers as image names.
5. Not filling in the permanent URL properly
The URL of each page plays a fundamental role in the search engine’s reading. That’s why so many specialized services say that they can’t be huge, since the more words, the more difficult it is for Google to know what it’s about.
Worse still, changing these URLs without performing a proper (301) redirect can result in the indexing you’ve already achieved being lost.
Always spend some time thinking about and editing the permanent URL (Slug) before uploading new content so that the new published page accurately reflects the subject matter.
6. Not structuring the text
In the HTML of your pages, you always need to highlight the title with heading 1 (the famous H1, or Heading 1) and the other in-depth topics with heading 2 (H2) and so on if they have branches.
In other words, it is necessary to indent the depth of the text, always attributing the importance of the content. In fact, this is how Google manages to separate blocks of subjects within pages and generate Featured Snippets.
7. Not updating content from time to time
Google prioritizes newer content. Why? Because users also prefer to click on new content, of course! If you have well-indexed pages or pages that are halfway down the list, list them and order them by priority of access to improve the content and republish them from time to time.
Adding more content and keeping the page updated is a little-used practice that has proven to be extremely efficient, especially if you structured the content to show the publication date.
8. Don’t care about loading time
Although Google evaluates more than 200 variables to rank a page in the search engine, one of the most important is loading time, especially on mobile devices. Having heavy JavaScript, many third-party plugins and slow servers contribute greatly to poor page performance.
That’s why you need to use the PageSpeed Insights tool to monitor and improve your score. The higher your score, the better chance your site will have of ranking higher on all pages.
9. Not working on Bounce Rate and Average Page Duration
The Bounce Rate is an indicator that validates the percentage of users who enter your website and end up leaving it without browsing more pages. Content that the user enters and quickly returns to the search engine indicates that the page is not suitable for the search term and is subject to penalties.
Use Google Analytics to monitor this rate and work hard with the design and development team to encourage navigation within your website, as well as ensuring that the content follows best practices so as not to alienate or mislead potential readers.
