Outdated SEO Tactics San Diego Businesses Should Avoid

SEO best practices used to consist of a range of tactics that seem easy to implement, but in reality, they hurt your business. Keyword stuffing, purchasing links, and low-quality content all contribute to a negative user experience. In order to generate organic traffic and increase conversion rates, businesses should avoid the following outdated SEO practices which will negatively impact your online visibility and search ranking.

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1. Neglecting User Experience

Just like all aspects of digital marketing, ensuring your users have a positive experience when visiting your website is a top priority. They bring in traffic and boost your revenue by making purchases; if your website is difficult to navigate or is providing outdated information, you will definitely lose to your competitors.

SEO is centered around using metrics and keywords which Google uses to rank your website. They measure what the user wants in terms of content and accessibility to determine if your website should rank at the top of search results. This San Diego SEO agency guides you through the user experience process by implementing targeted keywords to create compelling content for your website.

2. Focusing On Keyword Density

There used to be a magic number for SEO keywords, but it’s now something digital marketers prefer to avoid. In fact, “keyword stuffing” is a technique that can get you flagged, or even banned, from Google. 

Keyword research is not a guessing game; it requires intensive research to help SEO experts understand who your customers are and their needs. Keyword research takes time, which is why it’s often overlooked. Cutting corners only results in wasted resources and low search engine ranking. The solution is to understand your customer, then analyze the data to narrow down targeted keywords for a successful campaign.

3. Creating Different Pages for Keyword Variations

There was a time when Google allowed websites to rank based on different variations of targeted keywords. In recent years, this has changed because different versions of the same keywords are all related to the same topic. Focusing on the value of a keyword is far more effective than using it over and over again, hoping for the same results. 

Creating multiple pages also creates a negative user experience. If your website’s visitors are clicking on multiple tabs only to receive the same information, they will take their business to a competitor with a much more user-friendly website. Focusing on engaging your users will lead to a much more successful campaign than repeating keywords. 

4. Writing Solely for Search Engines

Focusing on meta titles and descriptions is just as unproductive as throwing random keywords into your content. While they are important factors in ranking your site, writing for users is what will get you the clicks you need for lead conversion. Why? Because search engines consider click-through rates (CTR) when determining where to rank your website on their results page.

Keywords and meta descriptions go hand-in-hand, with the first step to getting your website in front of users is to understand their needs. From there, the San Diego local SEO agency will develop a strategic way of writing effective meta descriptions that describe exactly what your products or services are in a way that engages your audience. Given the character limit for meta descriptions, you need to be specific and use persuasive language; emotionally charged words and offering direct solutions are essential to achieving a high CTR.

Images are also a powerful tool in improving your website’s CTR because they speak directly to your brand. When users search for results in the images section, you can easily put your business ahead of your competition’s by implementing image SEO best practices. 

5. Buying Links

Backlinking is an important factor in SEO ranking because it builds your credibility with your users. Finding and maintaining backlinks is time-consuming and must still be optimized just like website content. The issue some businesses run into is focusing on the number of backlinks their website includes as opposed to its quality. 

While Google considers backlinks a ranking factor, they can identify poor quality websites that are sending out an excessive number of links. The best way to rank high on search engine results is to earn links as opposed to paying for them. This practice allows you to build valuable relationships with other businesses in your industry while still creating engaging content. Earning links will organically grow your website by encouraging referrals from other sites and increasing your online presence. 

Content is not only about keywords and punchy lines; it incorporates backlinking from trusted websites. For example, including a backlink to Forbes’ website would allow you to rank higher because it's a far more reputable source than a local blog. Working with an SEO agency allows you to connect with other brands which you might not be able to do otherwise. 

6. Looking For Exact Matches

The internet is a complex place and sometimes keywords don’t always match one query. Trying to target exact matches doesn’t help increase your traffic; it might cause your ranking to drop down in the search results, therefore decreasing the number of click-through rates.

Purchasing a domain with the exact same targeted keywords is also an ineffective SEO practice. Placing keywords in your URL does help users identify your brand, but it can also lead to confusion and a poor user experience. Instead, make sure your domain is concise and consistent with your brand marketing. 

7. Writing Low-quality Content

Low-quality content comes in many different forms. Plagiarism, vague articles, and keyword stuffing are just a few examples of practices that prevent your website from ranking at the top of search results. Providing your users with valuable information means researching content that holds relevance to your targeted keywords. SEO professionals help businesses create exceptional content by writing drafts followed by detailed editing. Any mistakes will lower your credibility and negatively impact your online reputation. 

Is your business located in Chicago? If so, contact our Chicago Digital Agency for top SEO practices.