Search engine optimization is one of the oldest and most valuable forms of digital marketing. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) best practices, like most marketing strategies, tend to change over time. As search algorithms become smarter, marketers need to focus less on SEO hacks and more on providing a meaningful experience to their users.

If your SEO results aren’t where you want them to be, you may be making some common missteps.Being unsure about SEO and how to make it work for you, is a red flag that you should seek help from professional marketers. The team at FineView Marketing is on point with SEO techniques and knows how to help you achieve your SEO goals.

Following are some SEO “Don’ts” that should be a focus for 2022 and beyond. You’ve heard a few of them before, but they bear repeating if you want to attract more website traffic and climb in the rankings.

SEO Don’ts for 2022 and Beyond

Don’t Create Low-Quality Content that Doesn’t Focus on Search Intent

You may be tired of hearing this, but creating relevant content has to be done with purpose. Don’t haphazardly produce content without thinking about user intent. What is your audience searching for, and how are you going to help them find solutions to their problems? If they’re looking for vehicle storage, they don’t want to be directed to the nearest car dealership. Your target keywords should align with what people are searching for. Google knows if it does and will rank it accordingly. If you’re not sure about user intent for a specific keyword, check the content that is already ranking. 

Another factor to consider is length of content. As we’ve all heard, the human attention span has dropped to 8 seconds, shorter than that of a goldfish. Theoretically, that would be a signal to write shorter content. However, for SEO purposes, longer content produces more shares, higher search rankings, and higher dwell time. For more information on content, length read Ideal Content Length: Flushing the Goldfish Cliche Down the Toilet. 

Don’t Forget to Optimize for Long-Tail Keywords

It’s important to optimize for long-tail keywords – the longer and more specific keywords that serious buyers are more likely to use. They’re also more predominantly used in voice search. For example, a targeted keyword like “storage” will get a verifiably high search volume, but a long-tail keyword like “boat storage in Katy, TX” will attract a buyer who is ready to a purchase. 

Don’t Keyword Stuff

Keywords play a necessary role in rankings, but overusing them will not make Google happy. It’s a tactic that goes against Google’s guidelines and will cause you to be penalized with lower rankings. Integrate keywords into your content organically by writing naturally. Remember, you’re writing to give readers a meaningful experience. Too many keywords used inappropriately can result in awkward structure and lack of reader engagement.

Don’t Use Misleading Links

Using internal links in your content keeps readers engaged longer because they might follow an interesting-looking link to another page on your site. However, it’s important that these links make sense. Prioritize relevant anchor text over keywords. For example, if your content reads, “We offer high-quality moving and packing supplies in Houston,” use “moving and packing supplies” as your anchor text. Using “Houston” would be misleading, and Google won’t be pleased. Your ratings will be penalized.

Don’t Dismiss Responsive Design

Responsive design has changed the way websites are planned. It enables web pages to alter their appearance when viewed on different devices. Keep in mind that 70% of all internet time is spent on mobile. Due to this, Google has started prioritizing mobile formats over desktop. For your content to appear in Google search results, your site needs to be optimized for both.

Don’t Use Duplicate Content

Duplicate contact confuses Google and forces it to choose which of these identical pages it should rank in the top results. It’s highly likely that the original page will not be selected for top rankings. All content should be original.

Don’t Ignore Page Speed

Whether consumers are searching desktop or mobile devices, they will abandon your site if the pages take too long to load. The recommended page load time is 3 seconds. If it takes longer than that, over a quarter of users will click away (“bounce”). When your bounce rate increases, Google will assume that your content isn’t relevant, and your page rankings will plummet. To rank higher, you need to get that page speed to 3 seconds or less. It takes some technical know-how to do this, so check How to Optimize Page Speed from 18 to 2 Seconds.

Takeaway

Just as there are specific measures you should take to optimize your SEO, there are specific actions you need to avoid. If you’re struggling with your SEO results, follow these simple guidelines to get the outcome you want.