5 Things Most People Get Wrong About SEO

Search Engine Optimization is nothing short of magic in some perspectives. Some people claim to hold the secret to get it right (and some of them actually do) but nobody can really put their finger on the methods used to get there. Just like in a magic trick! Others compare it to a gamble on a Book of Ra and say you have to be a master to get it right.

So, while we won’t be able to explain the magic trick of SEO for you, we’ll highlight some of its most common mistakes.  If you’re taking your first steps in Search Engine Optimization or just want to learn more about the topic that’s been trending for around two decades, it’s a good idea to start with the things to avoid. We put together the most common SEO mistakes to steer clear of. 

SEO is simply a gimmick

Before we actually jump into SEO bad techniques, we must first address this misconception. Unfortunately, there’s no shortage of people convinced the whole Search Engine Optimization is just a trick to make you invest in services that will never bring a return. And while we also used the magic trick comparison in the introduction, that only refers to not being able to isolate the exact methods that will give you the first position in a Google search. There’s no reason not to believe that SEO actually makes a difference and it’s one of the mistakes to avoid in SEO.

By figuring out the proper content strategy, website architecture, and backlinking, white-hat optimizers are trying to meet the search engine’s algorithms. There’s no short-term trick or hack you can apply to make SEO work in your favour.

The ranking is everything – one of the common SEO mistakes

If you’re past believing SEO is just a trick to make you pay for strategies, content, and guest posting, you’re ready to explore the actual mistakes you should be aware of. Thinking that it’s all down to ranking is one of the most common SEO mistakes to avoid. The saying that “it’s about the journey, not the destination” can be used to perfectly sum up this misbelief. 

Sure, ranking high in search engine results is a good indication of SEO success. However, if your website is not ready for it, it won’t lead to conversions and buyers. So, before worrying about getting that number 1 spot, make sure you build the website from the ground up. Do proper keyword research and study the market to know what’s the best approach for converting.

Getting a penalty is the end

It’s often said we best learn from our mistakes. And if using a bad SEO practice got you to the point of getting penalized, it doesn’t mean you should just abandon the project or campaign altogether. Of course, it doesn’t mean you should go into overdrive and never worry about penalties. Instead, you should analyze a penalty and see what leads to it so you can avoid it in future practices. It’s good to know that if you’re not getting into anything dodgy, you’ll never be too affected by a Google penalty. As long as you stay on the white-hat side of things, you can recover even after getting penalized.

SEO bad keywords

Another one of the major SEO mistakes beginners tend to make is believing there’s such a thing as bad keywords. In other words, totally avoid certain keywords just because they don’t have a high search volume or are connected with a negative event. On the contrary, all keywords are good as long as you use them properly. 

Let’s illustrate this one with an example. Assume you’re a real estate insurance broker and there’s been a huge earthquake in your country. You may think posting content with “earthquake” or “casualties” keywords is a bad thing to do and you should do everything to avoid them. However, the search volume for such keywords will blow up in the following period and it’s your opportunity to tell people that your product gives them coverage in case of an earthquake and limits casualties.

Many links lead to great SEO

Continuing our list of mistakes in SEO, we address the matter of link building and guest posting. While this is a vital part of every healthy SEO strategy, it’s not going to do wonders on its own. Don’t waste all your resources on expensive guest posts and link building without making sure your website is in top shape. Sure, you’ll borrow some authority and increase traffic and that can’t hurt. However, if the visitors don’t stick around or if they’re expecting to find something else, you’ll only boost bounce rate and do more harm.  

Final words

Now that we’ve given five answers to what are the common SEO mistakes, it’s time to draw some conclusions as well. And the bottom line is that SEO is a complex topic that needs patience and hard work to deliver its rewards. It’s like a lemon tree that needs water and nurturing until you can actually enjoy the lemons from it. But as long as you avoid these common mistakes and don’t fall into the temptation of black-hat SEO practices, you should be fine. 

We invite all SEO specialists and webmasters that dealt with this magical realm to share their experiences and stories in the comments section. As you probably know by now, there’s no such thing as too much information and your feedback is much appreciated.