It’s understandable that some business owners might be tired of hearing about the importance of search engine optimization (SEO). Yet, the reality is, it’s difficult to overstate just how significant a role SEO efforts play in long-term digital visibility and success. A 2019 study by Microsoft found that SEO services was the fastest online marketing service due to the scalability and accessibility for businesses of all sizes. At the end of the day, every business needs SEO. And while most marketing professionals tend to focus on improving SEO strategies by rolling out new and innovative techniques, amending SEO mistakes will often prove just as –– if not more –– effective. Indeed, simply performing a self-audit and fixing common SEO errors will likely boost your website’s standing and prevent it from dropping down the rankings on noteworthy search engine results pages (SERPs). With that in mind, make sure to check out these five helpful SEO-audit tips here:
Review Meta Descriptions & Keywords
It can be quite tedious work, but it’s vital for marketers taking over management of a new website to review the keywords and meta descriptions for important pages on a business’s website (i.e. the home page, product pages, service pages, etc.). Though keywords perhaps hold less influence than they once did, they still carry a lot of weight in regard to SEO. To wit, inappropriate or low-quality keywords and meta descriptions can undermine your more sophisticated SEO tactics. Before you move onto advanced SEO practices, put your digital house in order –– so to speak.
Reoptimize Old Content
Leaving old, outdated content on your website is asking for trouble. Note, some pieces of content that were published years ago can still retain a great deal of value. Nevertheless, you should work to optimize such pages by updating blog posts with relevant, fresh information. Furthermore, you can also look to reduce the clutter (and potential duplicate content) on your website when conducting a content audit. Lastly, old content holds massive potential for creating internal links –– so don’t overlook this aspect to the process either.
Eliminate Spam Links
Backlinks can be extremely beneficial –– provided they come from reputable sources. Conversely, spam links or links from questionable sources may have a negative impact on your site’s overall standing. One of the first things marketers should look to do in an SEO audit is to eliminate or “disavow” bad links in order to avoid penalties from Google.
Coordinate on Social Media
The ultimate goal of an SEO campaign is to increase the visibility of a given website. By that logic, it doesn’t make any sense to ignore the power of social media in conjunction with SEO. Unfortunately, plenty of businesses fail to properly promote their website content through social-media channels. Remember, if consumers find your content insightful, search engines will reward your site with higher rankings. And one of the best ways to get eyes on your website in the first place is to post regularly to social media.
Redesign for Mobile
A poorly designed website isn’t likely to win over interested leads. Furthermore, websites with long loading times or with awkward (or nonexistent) mobile versions will struggle to retain visitors. If you haven’t re-worked your website in the past few years, now may be the perfect time to hire a Vancouver SEO agency that offers custom mobile optimization.
The Bottom Line
Whether your business manufactures sophisticated lab equipment like a deep well plate or provides financial-planning services, all companies can benefit from an SEO self-audit every now and again. Digital marketing is always changing, and business owners who understand this can gain a significant advantage over intransigent competitors. Don’t stay stuck in 2013 forever –– update your site’s SEO today!
