Search engine optimization is a task that all business that has gone online would want to do. Who wouldn’t want to be the first on the results page, right? Being so will definitely boost the number of clicks you’ll get, which will also mean more business for the company.
However, not every business is able to do SEO very well. Some spend so much time and effort then gets frustrated with how little value all their hard work has put in. While it is really disappointing, rest assured that you are not the only one. Someone has to be on top of the list, and not all can be on top at the same time.
Take it as a challenge, check what they’re doing, and assess where they’re better at, and assimilate that into your strategies. Also, make sure that you are not committing any one of the following
website design flaws that are affecting your SEO strategies:
#1. Large Media Files
One of the biggest website mistakes that are causing their SEO strategies to fail is having large media files that affect the loading speed of their web pages. And it’s usually not only a single large file, but a lot of them, drastically reducing the site’s performance.
While it may be true that the connection speed nowadays has helped achieve the support needed for files that are significantly heavier than in yesteryears, it is still required that a website is cleaned and organized to a point that everything will run smoothly.
It’s also understandable that some website designs require more objects, and these objects, though relatively smaller in weight, would still cause performance issues if the designs would go overboard.
Page speed is very important to Google and since 2010, it has been one of the most important ranking factors. It is therefore really essential to be mindful of the media files we put on our site and make sure that our page runs smoothly at all times.
#2. Pop-ups
There are now stricter policies when it comes to pop-ups and if you fail to abide by these policies, then you are bound to lose points in the SEO game. Some of the big noes for pop-ups are when they open in a new window, or when they take the form of interstitials. The general rule is that when your pop-up causes a disruption (like preventing the site to continue even for quite a while), or when it causes a problem in the user experience, it will result in ranking problems on your end.
Advertisements in the form of pop-ups are still allowed in the form of overlays and modals. These are less disruptive, and these usually provide something valuable in return for clicking them. The value from overlays and modals should really be there though because if not, these will still cause you to rank lower.
Always keep in mind that when it’s helpful for the users, then you will have no problem. But if it’s pure advertisement, and adds no value whatsoever, then you are just causing raking problems for yourself.
#3. Ignoring meta descriptions and title tags
If you think that you’ll immediately start ranking on search results after placing some well-though keywords on your website, then you’re wrong. In SEO, results don’t magically appear overnight. True search engine optimization that’s effective and brings substantial results takes time and effort before it permeates.
One of the elements that will have a considerable influence on your SEO is the meta descriptions and title tags you’re using on your page. If you’re aiming to make your web pages rank on certain keywords, meta tags and title tags on each page should be optimized for uniqueness, accuracy, length, and relevance for search queries.
Let’s take a closer look at how you can optimize these:
Sample of a Title tag.
Sample of a Meta description tag.
These simple phrases might appear simple at first, but actually have important roles in SEO. First, these tags “sell the click” by letting users and searchers know what your page is about. How you write these tags will greatly influence what keywords your pages appear on, how many people will see your website, which could eventually turn to website visits. Then, your page’s title and meta tags tell Google which keywords to look for and gives Google an idea of what your content is about, helping your page appear in search results for the appropriate audiences.
If you’re not making sure your title and meta tags are properly optimized, you’re missing on a lot of potential for your page.
#4. Thin Content
Panda, Google’s search algorithm, has been receiving updates that are geared to penalize low-quality websites. One of the factors that make a low-quality website for Google, is one that has thin content.
Thin content refers to pages that provide readers with not much value (in worst cases, no value at all. This happens when there are duplicate pages when there is automatically-generated content or a page that simply doesn’t’ offer anything.
Perhaps a good way to measure if you have pages like this, check for where your bounce rates are the highest. Determine why this is so. Most likely, this page doesn’t provide value to your visitors so they choose to make an exit. Google also checks how long before your site’s visitors go back to the results page after clicking your site. The longer your visitors’ stay, the more likely that they are finding good stuff on your site.
Make sure that there is value in all your pages. It might be a tough task, but this will surely help you rank higher. It’s not about how long your content is (the number of words has nothing to do with how not thin your content is), but about how substantial it is.
#5. Missing H1 Tags
Simply deviating from having H1 tags can give your problems in ranking. H1 tags, or Header 1 tags, are the largest text on any page and is most of the time, used as a title for the content on that page.
While some argue that H1 tags do not give much value anymore, especially with the proliferation of other ranking factors, it is still widely-accepted that H1 tags should be used for its purpose. H1 tags tell your visitors what the page is about.
As you do use H1 tags though, make sure that you don’t go overboard – just use one h1 tag per page. You have h2 tags for less important headers. Also, ensure that your H1 tag is placed at the top of your content and that it contains significant keywords that are really related to your content.
#6. Ignoring analytics
Preview of Google Analytics
The data reflected on your website analytics dashboard directly represents how your website is performing – which is why if the numbers are not so pleasant, you should put extra effort to make it perform well. Website analytics let you know if your strategy is working, or of you should look for problems that may still exist.
One of the most commonly used website analysis tool is Google Analytics.
#7. Faulty Web Design
Web design has a big impact on the success of your SEO efforts. Flaws in your web design will make you rank lower.
The core factor for ranking nowadays is user experience. And web design has a huge role in this. In designing your website, make sure that you have a responsive theme that is coupled with responsive plugins, leading to a smooth and fluid experience of your site. It is also paramount that you take mobile-friendliness very seriously for your design. Google gives much weight to mobile compatibility because it has never been this much truer that visitors are now coming from mobile devices.
Avoid These Website Blunders and Start Going Up There
These 7 website design flaws are some of the most common mistakes that hamper a site’s chances of ranking high. As you employ your SEO strategies, also ensure that you avoid committing the above website flaws and slowly but surely, you’ll be climbing up the results page.
Author Bio
Kenneth Sytian web developer from the Philippines. His no-nonsense approach to design coupled with his vast creativity is a winning combination for his clients. He has been working in the industry for almost a decade now.