20 seo mistakes

20 Detrimental SEO Mistakes You're Making in 2015

By Gotch SEO

1. You Don't Think SEO is

But the Numbers Don’t Lie:

• 93% of online experiences begin with a search engine.

• 82.6% of internet users use search.• 70-80% of users ignore the paid ads,

focusing on the organic results.• 75% of users never scroll past the first page of

search results.• Inbound leads cost 61% lower than outbound

leads.

2. You Think SEO is a One Dimensional Activity

It’s a Multifaceted Profession

• SEO in 2015 is much more than just being technically savvy. Effective agencies must be able to:– Analyze market intent of keywords– Develop an on-site SEO strategy to improve user

experience and flow– Analyze, optimize, and increase conversions– Create evergreen content assets and understand how

to market them– Acquire links that drive measurable organic growth

3. You Think SEO is

You’re Being Sold a Dream

• An effective SEO campaign has many moving parts and requires a wide array of skill sets to be successful.

• It is a full time job just keeping up with the changes.

4. You Don’t View SEO as an Investment

It’s a Marathon, Not a Sprint!

• Think about SEO like you would your retirement account.– Time + compound interest = increased net worth– Time + a little patience = ROI for SEO

5. You Think SEO is Cheap

The Rhinoplasty Analogy

If you were looking for a rhinoplasty surgeon, would you use the cheapest one you could find to work on your face…?

“NO!”

Why, “NO”?

Low Price = Low Perceived Value/Quality

Cheap SEO Will Cost You More…

High Quality SEO & Dirt Cheap Prices Do Not Coexist

– Cheap SEO services must resort to low-quality, ineffective, and dangerous tactics.• These tactics can land you a Google penalty, which will cost you more money down

the line

6. You're Focused on Keywords That Don't Covert

Long Tail = More ROI

• It’s easier and more profitable to rank for a long tail keyword like “red shoes for women” as opposed to just “shoes”.– Market intent + low competition = Major ROI

7. Your Site Isn’t Mobile Friendly

Google recently announced:

"Starting April 21, we will be expanding our use of mobile-friendliness as a ranking signal. This change will affect mobile searches in all languages worldwide and will have a significant impact in our search results." (Source)

8. Your Site is Slower Than Molasses

A Slow Site Hurts Your Bottom Line

“A 1-second delay in page response can results in a 7% reduction in conversions.” - Kissmetrics

9. You Haven't Moved to SSL

“we're starting to use HTTPS as a ranking signal.” - Google

10. You Still Haven't Embraced Content Marketing

Did you know that companies that blog have 97% more inbound links? (Source: Hubspot)

Or…

that small businesses that blog get 126% more lead growth than small businesses that do not blog? (Source: ThinkCreative)

Content is King

• High-value content will:– Act as an asset for your business– Establish your brand as the authority in the

industry– Generate massive goodwill for your business

11. You're Stilling Using Old School Link Tactics

What Doesn’t Work (And Will Get You a Penalty)

1. Spam2. Non-Editorial Links3. Irrelevant Links4. Over-Optimized Anchor Text

What DOES Work

• Topically relevant editorial links– Guest posts– Naturally acquired links from your good content– Resource links

Use Majestic to Find Topical Relevancy

12. You Think Guest Blogging is “Dead”

Matt Cutts, the head of Google web spam declared: “guest blogging is dead”…

But is it really?

The Old School Way is Dead

• Artificially built guest posts designed purely for links are dead.

• REAL guest posts without the intention of using commercial anchor text is alive and well.– Guest posts coming from sites with a strict

editorial process can send an influx of new traffic and leads in addition to more links.

13. You Spam Anchor Text Like It Is 2010

* Keep commercial anchor text below 5% or less to avoid a penalty

Over-optimized anchor text is the #1 way to land a penalty in 2015

14. You're Not Trying to Build an Email List

Most Visitors Never Come Back to Your Site…

That’s why you have to capture email addresses!

15. You Think Social Has No Impact on SEO

No SEO campaign will have substantial long-term results without social media.

Google uses "social signals" to validate your links.

Links are hard to acquire and social signals are not…

So you should have more social activity than links!

16. You're Not Tracking Your Results

Track Your Results!

• RankTrackr.net• Google Analytics• Google Webmaster Tools

17. You're Focused on the Wrong Metrics

Keyword rankings are a poor measure of success!

Instead, You Should…

* Measure overall organic growth* Optimize CTR in the SERPs* Decrease Bounce Rate* Increase Average Time People Spend on Your Website

18. You Don't Care About CRO

Same Traffic = More Revenue?

Increasing your conversions through conversion rate optimization (CRO) is the single best to increase

revenue without more traffic.

Important Points to Improve Conversions:

• How your visitors interact with your website• What pages they spend a lot of time on• What pages they don't spend a lot of time on• How visitors "flow" through your website• How well your forms are converting• How well your CTAs are converting

19. You Think SEO is a “One-and-Done” Activity

SEO requires consistent work to achieve continued organic growth and to stay ahead of your competitors.

"Work like there is someone working twenty-four hours a day to take it all away from you."

- Mark Cuban

20. You Think SEO is a Static Form of Marketing

The only thing guaranteed in SEO is change!

Never get complacent and always be ready to adapt your strategy.

The End.

If you're making any of the SEO mistakes I highlighted, it's time for you to go out and get them fixed.

OR, hire an SEO agency that has proven results and can get the job done. Either way, just take action so you can be visible to the customers who are dying to useyour product or service to solve their problem.

Resources

• Original LinkedIn Article (PDF Version) • SEO Training: GotchSEO.com/Blog• Full Service SEO: GotchSEO.com/Services