The top four SEO mistakes to avoid in 2018

We all feel like we know SEO and yet at the same time, it’s a stranger. Like an ever-elusive friend, just as we think we’ve figured it out it goes and changes.

With SEO, it’s easy to know what you should do, harder to know how to do it, and even harder still to know what you really shouldn’t be doing. Here’s our rundown of the top four mistakes to avoid:

1. Not optimising your website for the latest tech (think voice searching)

With more and more technology bringing voice search into our daily lives, you need to ensure your website is optimised not just for the web, or the reader, but also for the robot and the listener. More and more optimisation is needed for voice searches, which are different to traditionally written searches. For example, if you have an Amazon Echo, you’re unlikely to say “Alexa, highest mountain peak”; you are more likely to say “Alexa, how high is the tallest mountain in the world?”

On this point, if your website is not mobile optimised, then its time to step into the new world and do it. In 2017, there was a big drive by companies to optimise for mobile, and so if you aren’t you’re going to get left behind.

2. Having the wrong kind of content

2017 was the year that almost every company got a blog. Realising that high-quality content is what drives SEO in the modern-day meant they were quick on the ball to get the old content mill running. However, what they didn’t realise was that keyword stuffed half-thought out articles is not what ‘high-quality’ is and search engines see right through this.

By ensuring your content is genuinely helpful, engaging and relevant will change this around. Last year was the year of content. This year, it’s all about the relevancy.

3. And not promoting it

On most social media sites, your content isn’t going to be seen and engaged with if you don’t invest in promoting your posts. Sure great content does get more organic engagement than a terrible piece, but it still pales in comparison with even a small boost of paid advertising.

You’ll also want to ensure you know your target demographic so that you can target these groups specifically. For example, if you wrote a piece specifically for middle-aged professionals, you should target your paid promotion here. If you can only accept orders from the UK, you should tighten the promotion to just those in the UK.

4. Not updating your NAP

The majority of people (over 80%) search for businesses on Google Maps, so if you haven’t updated your business’s info, you’re missing out on customers. By registering on Google My Business, you can easily keep your info up-to-date. Remember to keep an eye on other popular search sites, such as Yelp, too.

Contact us at Epic New Media today to learn more about our SEO services.