While there are many crucial optimizations that you need to make on your website in order to position it for long-term SEO success, the content that you present to your visitors is almost certainly the most important. After all, it doesn’t matter how fast or responsive your website is if there’s nothing for your audience to engage with once they arrive.
With that in mind, here are 5 mistakes that business owners make with their website content optimizations. Keep an eye out and make sure that you avoid these like the plague!
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Having an unnatural balance of focus keywords
Keyword density is a nuisance and it’s very difficult to get right. On the one hand you don’t want to fall prey to ‘keyword stuffing’ (which is the process of trying to mention your focus keyword as many times as possible without any thought to readability); and on the other you don’t want to be afraid to mention your keywords either.
It’s all about balance – and more importantly: natural readability.
- Focus keyword in your Title.
- Include them in your Headers as necessary.
- Add your focus keyword to your Meta Descriptions.
- Filter them into your Body Content as well.
So long as your content reads well and that every keyword mentioned serves the audience (rather than ticking a box for your SEO), then you shouldn’t have any problems.
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Writing “ME, ME, ME!”
Visit the average website https://whoiszeus.nl/ and there’s a good chance that their website copy will be more or less solely focused on them. “We are awesome, give us your money.”
This is the wrong approach in copywriting.
Instead you should change the message to: “YOU, YOU, YOU!”
- “You have this problem.”
- “You’ve tried this and that but nothing works.”
- “You feel like this.”
- “You are at your wits end.”
- “We have THIS solution.”
When you change the focus of your messaging to resonate directly with your ideal customer, you’ll have a much greater chance at converting them.
Of course, finding the right balance between SEO-friendly content and copy that converts is much easier said than done. Make sure you put the time in to crafting the right message.
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Uploading generic stock imagery
While using stock imagery is not the end of the world so long as it is high-quality and highly relevant, you should still try and commit to having your own, branded graphics designed especially for you.
Most businesses will skimp on this and go for free stock imagery. The only problem is most of these images end up looking like place-holders and don’t serve much of a purpose besides slowing the website down.
Simply put: every image or infographic on your website should serve a clear purpose. Don’t just fill in the gaps; add genuine value to your audience and their onsite experience. That’s the key to visual content marketing!
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Poor writing and structure
Another common problem is simply having bad writing. We’ve touched on the messaging earlier, but it’s still possible to write a good message poorly and a poor message well.
A great approach is to use simple language, short sentences and paragraphs, and with regular line breaks. You should also include bulleted lists for key information, making your writing easier to engage with while also improving its aesthetic appeal.
Invest in an SEO firm with professional writers for the best results.
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No CTA
You should have compelling CTAs (call-to action) in your content where necessary. What action do you want your website visitors to take? Do you want them to join your mailing list? Buy a certain product? Apply for a free strategy session? Reserve a spot in an upcoming webinar?
It might sound daft, but unless clearly told what to do next, some consumers might not know where to go or what action to take.
With a compelling CTA however, you can give them a little nudge in the right direction: Money in your pocket.
