5 Common SEO Mistakes and How to Fix Them

Search engine optimization (SEO) can feel intimidating if you're focused on running your business day to day. Yet neglecting SEO or applying it incorrectly can limit how many people discover your website. Ranking near the top of search results is crucial to stay competitive online, since many web users only check the first three to five results.

To put this in perspective, around 80% of Squarespace customers don't update their SEO settings within the first 90 days of publishing their websites. By taking the time to take care of some SEO basics, you'll be doing more than many of your peers, giving you an edge.

I'm Henry Purchase, founder of SEOSpace, the SEO extension for Squarespace websites. I've helped more than 30,000 Squarespace customers improve their SEO. This guide highlights five common SEO mistakes I see website owners make, with practical solutions to fix them.

5 common SEO mistakes and how to fix them

Here are five of the most widespread SEO mistakes made by website owners, alongside fixes you can apply right away.

1. Failing to research and use the right keywords

2. Focusing on content quantity over quality

3. Ignoring backlinks

4. Not improving user experience

5. Ignoring continuous improvements

1. Failing to research and use the right keywords

Keywords are the terms users enter into search engines like Google when looking for information on the internet. If you fail to identify the words and phrases your target audience is searching for, you risk your website becoming hidden from those who need it the most.

Using only industry jargon can hide your content from customers. Instead, align your website content with the terms your audience is mostly likely to use.

Fix 1: Research what keywords your audience is searching for

Start by finding out which keywords your ideal visitor uses when they search online. Tools like SEOSpace can help you identify keywords and phrases related to your services and products, based on your target audience's searches and terms your competitors are ranking for. This helps ensure you're using the right keywords and not simply guessing what your visitors need.

If you're not ready to use a tool, put yourself in your audience's shoes or ask a friend for their input. What might a stranger search to find what's on your website? What's a pain point or question that might lead someone to you?

Read our guide to keyword research

Fix 2: Place keywords strategically within your content

Once you've identified the right keywords, you need to add them to your content. This doesn't mean randomly inserting the keywords on a page without providing context or helpful information. Instead, use them where they naturally fit as you type in your web page headings, SEO titles, SEO descriptions, and page copy.

Don't repeat the same keyword on every page. Give each page its own focus keyword to help search engines and AI crawlers understand how it's unique. For each main keyword, you can also create other pages with related, more specific keywords. This makes your content easier to target and more useful to search engines and AI tools.

For example, if your main keyword is "best bakery in New York," supporting keywords can include "best pastry in New York," "tips for baking perfect pastries," and so on.

Lastly, each image on your website should have helpful alt text, which improves accessibility for people using screen readers or who can't load your images. Alt text is also a good place to add keywords when relevant. For instance, instead of naming an image "IMG001," try describing it with a key term, like "eco-friendly-bamboo-sheets."

2. Focusing on content quantity over quality

With AI technology making content creation more accessible than ever, it's easy to fall into the trap of believing that more is better. However, the internet is evolving, and search engines and AI chatbots are prioritizing Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (EEAT)over quantity.

To avoid this common SEO mistake, the emphasis needs to be on creating content that's not only abundant, but also meaningful, informative, and unique. This means focusing on content that genuinely helps and engages your readers. Interesting, well-researched articles and web pages will not only build trust with your audience but also improve your site's SEO performance, as search and AI tools recognize and reward valuable, people-first content.

Fix: Pay attention to content quality

To improve your content quality, spend time thinking about your content and how you can improve what you have.

Start by considering:

• What do your site visitors need when coming to your website? Ask them for feedback.

• Are there unique insights or experiences that your readers might not find elsewhere?

• Are there personal anecdotes or real-world examples you can add?

AI can help with some of this content research. Once you have your customers' priorities, consider querying an AI chatbot with prompts like:

• What questions would someone have when looking for [your user-specific needs]?

• What information would someone be looking for when researching [your user-specific needs]?

• Recommend content for a user looking for [your user-specific needs].

Then, plan your content. For any topic or page, always provide detailed coverage of the page topic, so that the page is as helpful to the visitor as possible. For example, if you wanted to rank for "therapist in NYC", you'd need to ensure you have all the information on that page that someone looking for a therapist would need, such as the treatment options, pricing, accreditations, FAQs, your location, and whether you have online options.

Other ways to create more engaging content include offering a behind-the-scenes look at your business processes, or sharing case studies that highlight your expertise. You can also upload visual content, like practical imagery and interactive walkthroughs. A great way to do this without slowing down your site's loading speed is to upload the video to a video hosting site and then embed it into your site.

Using these methods improves engagement, which signals to search engines that your content is helpful and can improve your search ranking.

Ultimately, the aim should be to serve your audience above all else. Rather than being enticed by the idea of churning out content, focus on creating pieces that are deeply valuable and helpful to those who visit your site.

3. Ignoring backlinks

Backlinks are links pointing to your web pages from other people's websites. They act as a vote of confidence from trustworthy websites.

When high-quality sites link to your content, search and AI crawlers interpret this as a sign that your content is valuable and trustworthy. This can improve your domain authority (a metric that predicts how well a website will rank on a search engine results page) and, by extension, your search rankings. However, note that only links from authoritative websites are valuable; spammy and low-quality websites can harm your website's search performance.

Fix 1: Gain quality backlinks

The most straightforward way to earn quality backlinks is to create engaging and informative content. How-to guides, insightful research interpretations, and unique personal insights are some types of content that other websites can reference to support a point. By creating these types of content, earning high-quality links comes naturally while you focus on doing business.

Another way to earn quality backlinks is by reaching out to local businesses, collaborators, or bloggers in your niche. Consider partnering with industry influencers, thought leaders, and other businesses that complement your business to exchange links in a mutually beneficial way. It's important to do this only when you both have something meaningful to collaborate on, as adding links to irrelevant pages can harm your ranking.

Fix 2: Monitor and prune low-quality links

You should also regularly monitor your backlink profile to ensure your website isn't being referenced by a spammy site. Many SEO tools provide a backlink health feature that you can use to check the quality of your backlink profiles. For example, SEOSpace has a backlink analysis feature that can help you assess how many backlinks point to your site, their quality, and their potential spam risks.

Once you have identified toxic, spammy links, you can "disavow" them by using the Google disavow toolfrom Search Console. This tells Google to ignore them and not associate those links with your site, so they don't negatively impact your site's search ranking or visibility.

4. Not improving user experience

User interaction and engagement are key indicators of a website's user experience (UX)and relevance. Search engines use these engagements to build metrics like bounce rate, dwell time, and click-through rate (CTR), which ultimately impact your search ranking. To avoid neglecting these metrics, ensure that visitors have a seamless experience while on your website.

Fix 1: Improve your page structure

The first step to improving user experience is working on your web page structure. You need clear and logical navigation to prevent frustration and encourage users to explore further. If you're using Squarespace, for example, Fluid Enginemakes it easy to adjust layout blocks for better flow. The Layout Switcher can also suggest alternative layouts for your page sections, with aesthetics and intuitive browsing in mind.

The language you use on your page should also be easy to understand. Avoid industry jargon unless necessary and use simpler terms to keep all visitors, regardless of expertise, on the same page.

More importantly, your design should prioritize usability and simplicity over aesthetics. A minimalist approach often facilitates easier navigation, ensuring that users don't feel overwhelmed. While a visually appealing design might catch the eye, it's the ease of use that will keep visitors returning.

Fix 2: Pay attention to your web page load speed

There's no denying that speed is king on the web. Pages that take forever to load will lose users over time. According to Google, 53% of mobile usersabandon sites that take longer than three seconds to load.

Speed not only influences bounce rates, but also ranks high on Google's list of SEO factors. You can improve your page load speed by using optimized code, reducing image sizes, and reducing redirects.

Fix 3: Make your website more accessible

Lastly, don't overlook web accessibility. About 16% of the world's populationhas some form of disability, and fewer than 4% of top websites globally are fully accessible. You want as many people as possible to use your website to increase engagement, and you need an accessible website to achieve that.

Responsive design that adapts to different devices and touch targets can make your website more accessible. This kind of inclusivity can potentially improve your search ranking, as search engines recognize and reward websites that provide a better UX for all users.

5. Ignoring continuous improvement

Search engines and AI results change often, so keeping up with SEO best practiceshelps protect your rankings. Search platforms are constantly refining their algorithms, which means what worked yesterday might not yield the same results tomorrow. Without continuously enhancing your SEO strategies, you risk being left behind.

Fix 1: Embrace new trends and tools

AI is transforming the way people find information online, and SEO isn't left outof that shift. You need to integrate AI-driven toolsand keep up to date with the latest SEO trends to ensure your content aligns with current user interests and SEO strategies.

Research SEO platforms and forums to remain abreast of the latest SEO trends as they evolve.

Fix 2: Track your performance and adapt

Continuous improvement isn't just about adopting new trends; it's also about active monitoring. Use analytics tools to regularly track your website's performance to reveal areas needing enhancement. Check in at least once per month.

For example, if you notice a decline in website traffic or search ranking, you know it's time to reevaluate your SEO strategy. Research the issue and implement necessary changes to ensure your site remains competitive. It's possible the way people search for topics like that have changed, for example.

Effective SEO is a continuous commitment, not a one-time task. By dedicating time to SEO regularly, you can build a winning SEO strategy and stay ahead of the competition.