Four (4) Common websites SEO Mistakes to Avoid in 2024: “Build it and they will come.” Does that this is a sound familiar? A great number of website owners; especially in the mental health industry (Psychologists, counselors, therapists, relationship coaches etc.) ignore the importance of Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Simply building and launching a fantastic or eye-pleasing website or application is not enough for potential clients or patients to find you on major search engines like Google, Bing, Yahoo or even ChatGPT and Band.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is and should be an important part of any modern business’s online strategy. SEO helps to ensure that websites are seen by potential customers and that they rank highly in search engine results. However, many businesses make mistakes when it comes to SEO that can have a negative effect on their website’s performance. In this article, we will discuss four (4) common SEO mistakes and how to avoid them.
Mistake #1: Not Having A Blog Section
This is the number 1 mistake service providers such as psychologists, therapists, relationship coaches and other mental health professionals often make. Not having blog is a website killer. Why? Because that website become static.
Google, on the other hand, likes websites that are dynamic. Content of a static website remains the same, all the time. A dynamic website content changes constantly. If you website content stays the same, mega search engine such as Google will only once (one time). However, if you keep adding content, Google will keep coming back like a hungry wild dog searching for more bones.
How Do You Fix That
That’s where creating a blog section on your website is vital. Not only you’re creating content for search engines like Google to eat, you’re also creating valuable content for your clients and readers. Imagine helping one of your clients or soon to be client solve a very small, but vital marital/relationship issue before coming to your physical / virtual office for a family counseling section; with a few tips on a blog post. See Atlanta Couple Therapy Blog for an example. Yep, we did that.
Mistake #2: Poor or Lack of Quality Content
Definition of Quality Content (What Is It?)
Content is King. That’s was the case then and that’s still the case today. However, simply producing content for the sake of it can get your website in big trouble. Quality content must be useful, informational, satisfying to your visitors, keeps their attention and makes when want to come back for more. It’s not about you, when creating quality content, it’s about the reader.
Why Poor Content is Bad for Business
Have you ever witnessed a couple, friends or family member arguing, but no one is saying anything? Poor content is like such scenario. For example, writing about old laptops will not help readers if they’re looking for content on new laptop models. What about your children pictures, your readers will not be interested in seeing those, unless you’re a mom blogger 😉
How to Fix It (Anatomy of Good Content)
- Find out What your Readers Want: Use tools like Google Trends to search for trending topics, then write about those topics.
- Solve Some Problems: Write some content that solves problems or answer some questions your readers may have.
- Refreshing It Up: Update, update, update. Regularly edit the content to add fresh perspectives to entice your readers to re-read it.
Mistake #3: Huge Images Size & Slow Websites
The Value of Speed
If you’re old enough you grow up watching Speedy Gonzales in the animated cartoon character in the Warner Bros. Looney Tunes, you should why they could never catch him. Joker was the fastest mouse in all of Mexico.
Google and other major search engines put a website’s speed at the top of the algorithm as a signal to rank websites high. How quickly your website loads is not only vital for search engines, but your readers/users as well. If the website is slow, they will leave quickly and never come back.
The BIG Images Affect
Have you ever really download an image taking from a smartphone to your computer and open it up with an editing tool like Paint? That sucker is hugeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. It’s a guarantee that such image on a website will show it down. Try to climb a mountain with a bunch a bricks on a backpack and see what happens.
How to Speed Up Your Website
- Reduce Images Size: There are a number of tools, or plugins if using WordPress, you can use to shrink images to make the files smaller….and not losing any quality.
- Images Type is Important: Images format is extremely important because not all formats are equal in size. JPEG image (. jpg) is the smallest image and is a full 24 bit color image but it is compressed using a lossy compression scheme.
- Lazy Load Images: Configure your website to load images & content only when visitors scroll down to see or read them.
Mistake #4: Give Mobile Users Some Respect
Smartphones/Mobile is a Big Deal
Recent research shows that “over 55% of website traffic comes from mobile devices. 92.3% of internet users access the internet using a mobile phone. There are approximately 4.32 billion active mobile internet users.” Source: Explodingtopics. One of the most common websites SEO mistakes owners are paying dearly for.
Ignoring Mobile Users Is A Risk You Cannot Afford
If your website is difficult to read on smartphones, visitors will bail out quickly. Search engines will also take notice and not refer your website on search results. The reward of paying attention to mobile users is high, and the punishment is even higher if ignored!
How to Make Sure Your Website is Mobile-Friendly
- All Screens Matter: Test and ensure that your website works, looks attractive and organized on all screen sizes. With these certainties, your visitors will definitely have a good experience and eager to come come back.
- Speed, Speed, Speed: Maintain high speed. Keep the website fast at all time. Your website should load quickly on desktop computers, laptops and mobile devices.
- Websites Usability: Ease of use is one of the main component of a good and user-friendly website. Making sure users/visitors can find easily and in order what they’re looking for using any device or screen is paramount.
The best way to avoid making common websites SEO mistakes is to stay informed and be proactive. Keep an eye on industry news and trends and be sure to update your SEO strategy accordingly. Additionally, take the time to do thorough keyword research and create content that is optimized for those keywords. Finally, make sure you are regularly monitoring your website’s performance and making adjustments as needed.
SEO can be a powerful tool for businesses, but it is important to be aware of common websites mistakes and how to avoid them. By staying informed and taking a proactive approach, you can ensure that your website is optimized for maximum performance.
