As digital marketing continues to evolve, more and more businesses are looking for their path to a competitive advantage. And one of those pathways (and the marketing long game for savvy companies), is Google search engine optimization.

SEO, according to industry expert Neil Patel, is “a method of optimizing the effectiveness of your content for the search engines, to help it rank higher than content from other sites that target the same search terms.” And according to Google, your content should provide complete descriptions, research, original information, sources for your assertions, headings for pages and subheadings to support them, and much more. 

With so much to incorporate into your SEO for digital marketing, it’s vital to create a comprehensive strategy with your digital marketing goals in mind. 

But that’s often easier said than done.

So, today we’re sharing five common mistakes businesses make when it comes to their Google search engine optimization strategies.

SEO Mistake #1: Skipping Keyword Research

One of the biggest mistakes we see other business owners making is a totally understandable one: selecting keywords that make sense to you.

This practice includes choosing words to focus your content on by considering what exactly you want to show up in search results.

And while this is a completely natural process to turn to, it’s missing an SEO website optimization step called ‘keyword research’. 

When using SEO in digital marketing, it’s important to understand what your clients or customers might type into a search engine, not just what you assume they might.

Getting clarity around potential search terms will help you create a strategy that’s streamlined and impactful. (And if you need some help with that, just reach out to our team here.

SEO Mistake #2: Over-Stuffing Content with Keywords

Earlier in the internet’s history, it was common practice to use keywords en masse to show up in online searches. Websites that were trying to make inroads with Google or Bing would inevitably share long bulleted lists of features, locations, services, or even challenges they addressed.

But as Google becomes more intuitive and lines up more completely with what real humans are looking for online, this practice (commonly referred to as ‘keyword stuffing’) is quickly becoming a liability.

So, if your site features any of these laundry lists without any real context to support them, it’s certainly time for a revamp. Your SEO website optimization starts with selecting keywords more strategically and using them more naturally in your content. This step will allow you to have a better chance of showing up in search results.

Plus, when you write like a human, you’re more likely to attract clients who appreciate your approach to doing business with them.

SEO Mistake #3: Writing without a Plan 

If you’ve been working on your marketing strategy for a while, you may find that when things get busy you tend to create content on the fly. You may feel inspired or under pressure to put something out into the world, and in so doing, you draft and post fairly swiftly.

But, when it comes to the Google algorithm, structure and planning play a pivotal role in your potential success and online marketing visibility.

Using headings and subheadings, adding keywords where needed, and creating a page flow that matches the interest areas of your clients or customers all take planning.

So, before you draft anything you hope Google shares, be sure you’re using a strategic approach to outlining and structuring that piece of writing first.

SEO Mistake #4: Leading with Features

Many businesses are able to accurately communicate a variety of things about their products and services, but there’s so much more that’s needed for Google search engine optimization.

You may be able to describe the dimensions and weight of your candles or share the duration of your massage sessions. But, enhancing your SEO requires more than simply describing your product and service features. After all, many candles may be ten ounces or held in a mason jar and many massages may very well be 90 minutes.

So, if you’re really hoping to catch Google’s attention and that of your customers, you’ll need to go beyond the ‘basic’ description of features of the items or services you deliver.

You’ll instead want to build out content for Google that values outcomes, results, or general benefits over the line by line features you offer. You’ll still include these details of course, but it’s more impactful for site visitors and Google when you create content that’s sharing value: Something that makes for a far more Google- and user-friendly experience.

Wondering how to write copy and content with this strategy in mind? Reach out to our team here and we’ll help you get started.

SEO Mistake #5: Forgetting about Your Clients’ Questions and Business FAQs

One of the most often overlooked aspects of SEO in digital marketing is answering questions effectively. More often than not, business owners assume someone will call or email for the answer. Or worse, they assume that the person will just know and so it’s not necessary to tell them the answer ahead of that point of contact.

On top of that, according to the Search Engine Journal, those creating marketing pieces often worry more about writing for Google than writing for the humans who will read their content. And this practice can actually backfire!

Answering questions is vital. And this includes more than just your email response time or hours of operation for your brick-and-mortar business.

Answering questions that weigh on the minds of your customers is a great way to create a relationship – one where they know, like, and trust you. And it’s a great way to show Google that you are an authority in your industry. Since Google uses this as a metric for ranking website pages, blogs, and other content, answering your customers’ big questions about the work you do and the results you deliver can help you improve your search engine visibility.

Want Some Help Creating Google- and People-Attracting Content? We Can Help.

Contact our Revelation Creative team today to get started with optimizing your website and other marketing pieces for search engine visibility.