Small business owners and webmasters often forget SEO when building a new website
The process of optimizing a website for the search engines begins with the first letters of code that get written for the site. SEO (search engine optimization) is not an afterthought. It has to be planned for and implemented from the very beginning. While many webmasters and ecommerce store owners know this, they still make mistakes. Or worse still, they ignore it.
Mistakes made in implementing search engine optimization in the early days of a website’s life can have a poisonous effect on your business for a long time. Robust SEO implemented from the very beginning gives you a cushion against ever-changing updates and algorithms, and also a launching pad to put in place search engine optimization practices that search updates may begin to value.
Not using the tools Google provides
Not leveraging SEO tools provided by Google is a big mistake. By not installing Google Analytics and not linking it to their Google Webmaster Tools account, owners of new sites deprive themselves of valuable information on where the initial traffic is coming from. Search engine optimization is based on insight and early insight is crucial.
Not giving the search engine optimization process enough time
Very often a small business will ditch a search engine optimization effort midway because of a perceived lack of results. It is worth remembering that results can take time. A new website has absolutely no history that search engines can use to gauge performance. Also, by targeting competitive keywords for SEO content, many site owners jump into the SEO deep end and begin to flounder. Go for easy pickings first. Check out the long tail keywords and rank for them.
Embracing blackhat SEO
Using blackhat SEO techniques to gain traction early on. That’s wrong. It’s the surest way to slide out of contention and not appear even on the 20th page of the SERPs. Avoid keyword stuffing, hiding text, and buying links online. Avoid buying followers to boost your social media profile. If you’re hiring an SEO agency, ask for the strategies they will employ to help you rank for keywords. There is no substitute for organic search engine optimization.
Forgetting about Meta Tags
A new website that does not implement search engine optimization best practices in the code is missing vital SEO benefits. A landing page that does not contain HTML title tags and meta description tags will fare poorly against a page that does have these attributes. Keywords in the URL and an XML sitemap are search engine optimization must haves for a new website. Placing content in H1, H2, H3 tags and having redirects in place will boost your search engine optimization efforts.
Failing to establish an off-site SEO strategy
Websites that do not have an offsite search engine optimization program in place lose an opportunity to announce their presence. Imagine, having a website ready and functioning before the holiday shopping season begins and not informing people about it. Social media and press releases are great tools for SEO that generate organic traffic. Use them.
Failing to budget for search engine optimization
Not setting aside some money for search engine optimization can put the brakes on search engine marketing. New sites should always budget for search engine optimization so that the effort continues unhindered. Hiring an SEO agency, getting content written, and executing a social media strategy require funds. Ensure that these are available. Figure to spend $250.00/month at a minimum. A good SEO agency will look at your site, your competition and your geographic universe before making a quote.
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