Five mistakes businesses are making with on-page search engine optimization (SEO)

I’ve operated under the guise that I’m not an SEO expert, but I know enough to be dangerous. Cobble, all the years of continuing education classes, working and also owning a digital marketing agency, and as a marketing manager at the corporate level has me rethinking that statement. I’ve put the 10,000 expert-level hours in to know a thing or two about SEO. 

A few years back, a competitor of mine was on a phone call during the pandemic discussing laws for small business owners when they asked, “How are you outranking my site on Google for social media marketing services?” 

My answer “I have an SEO strategy!”

They laughed, “Well, so do we! We even offer SEO services.”

Looking at their website after the call, they may be SEO experts, but they were breaking one of my favorite mistakes marketing business owners make — not treating yourself like a client. 

Before I get into the mistakes, we need to understand that SEO is short for search engine optimization. It is the practice of enhancing your website’s visibility on search engines like Google and Bing. By optimizing your site, you ensure it appears when people search for relevant keywords or phrases. 

The primary reason companies build a website is to be found, but a study in 2020 by Cision stated, “70% of small businesses do not have an SEO strategy.”

In this world of talk of a recession, SEO emerges as a cost-effective and impactful marketing strategy for businesses seeking to boost their online presence while optimizing expenses.

Here are the mistakes business owners make with their on-page SEO strategy to take note:

Thinking SEO will yield instant results

It’s important to understand that it’s not a quick fix or an overnight solution. SEO is a long-term strategy that requires patience and consistent effort. Unlike certain advertising or marketing tactics that can yield instant results, SEO is a gradual process that focuses on improving your website’s visibility and organic search rankings over time. It involves optimizing various aspects of your website, creating valuable content, and ensuring a positive user experience. While it may take some time for the results to materialize fully, the benefits of a well-executed SEO strategy can be long-lasting and drive sustainable growth for your business in the online landscape. Remember, slow and steady wins the race in the world of SEO.

Using the wrong keywords

Keyword research is simple once you know where and how to do it, but many small business owners are just guessing and using the wrong keywords without researching their competitors nor using a tool like Google Keyword Tool. When building the website for Shannon Lee Strategy, I thought about online marketing and then did a keyword search and discovered digital marketing had almost 10 times the monthly searches. 

Looking for a free keyword search tool? Try Wordstream.

Skipping the competitive research

Examining your competitors’ SEO strategies is a crucial step in developing and refining your own optimization efforts. By studying their SEO tactics, you gain valuable insights into the keywords they are targeting or the content they are creating (or not creating). It allows you to uncover untapped keywords, discover content gaps, and learn from their successes and failures. By benchmarking against your competitors, you can set realistic goals, make informed decisions, and stay ahead of the curve in the ever-evolving SEO landscape.

You don’t need a fancy tool to see your competition’s keywords. You can view the meta titles and descriptions by viewing the page source for each page.

Not having an ongoing web content strategy

Do you want to know why my competitor wasn’t ranking, yet I was? I had developed an ongoing website content strategy that was keyword rich. A well-crafted content strategy ensures that your website consistently offers valuable and relevant content to your target audience, which search engines reward with higher visibility in search results. Regularly publishing high-quality content enhances your website’s authority, credibility, and user engagement, all of which are vital factors for SEO success.

Not using your keyword strategy on social media

We keep hearing that people under 30 would rather search TikTok, Instagram and YouTube because it often produces more timely results which is why it’s becoming more important to know SEO if you’re a social media consultant or manager. 

Utilizing your SEO keywords in social media captions is crucial for maximizing your online visibility and driving targeted traffic to your website. Integrating relevant keywords into your social media content allows the social media platform’s search engines to understand the context of your posts and associate them with relevant search queries. Incorporating SEO keywords in captions (both on the post and in videos)video titles, descriptions, and hashtags helps optimize your videos for search engine algorithms, leading to higher rankings and increased visibility on platforms like YouTube and TikTok. 

By aligning your social media content with your SEO keywords, you create a cohesive online presence that drives organic traffic, expands your reach, and boosts your overall SEO efforts.

If you’re ready to take your SEO to the next level without breaking the bank, we’ve got something special in store for you. Save the date for  Wednesday, June 28, for an exclusive free workshop tailored specifically to small business owners like yourself. 

Get ready to unlock a treasure trove of SEO hacks that will skyrocket your online visibility. Whether you’re a newbie or a seasoned pro, this workshop is designed to provide you with practical strategies to bootstrap your SEO efforts. 

Mark your calendar for June 28th and get ready for an insightful and action-packed session that will empower you to conquer the digital landscape!

Need help working on your brand voice? Work with DASH to hone in on your voice and your messaging for more consistency and trust with your customers!