Search Engine Optimization is a crucial part of content marketing. It helps your target audience identify you easily when they search specific keywords on Google or any other search engine.
If your content ranks well, it boosts your content marketing efforts connecting you to a broader audience. As you create your content, make sure that you avoid committing any of the following common mistakes.
You Lack Outbound Links.
Any person who clicks on the link to your site is looking for quality and credible content to their query. Very few people believe anything that they hear or see on the web.
However, you can become authoritative with your content when you use outbound links to support your ideas and points. Learn to support your claims with outbound links to credible websites. Search engines expect you to back up your ideas with evidence and the only way they can tell that you are doing that is when they detect external links.
With time, other sites will start pointing to your website as their source of information which is also a significant boost in search engine optimization. Also, when another person learns that you have linked their content with yours; chances of them sharing your content with their audience are high, and that is how you gain more clicks hence higher ranking.
You Don’t Optimize Your Meta Descriptions.
Quite often, content marketers tend to use the default options when creating the meta description of the content. They tend to stick to simple titles and descriptions. However, optimizing the content title and description to match the actual content is an excellent way of ranking better in the results of search engines.
Typically, Google uses the header and the first two sentences of your content when ranking it. The best practice is coming up with unique Meta titles and comprehensive descriptions for each of your content. Various free search engine optimization tools can help you accomplish this task. For example, WordPress provides the Yoast SEO plugin.
You Lack Call To Action Statements.
Call to Action (CTA) statements in your meta information are another great way of attracting people’s attention. The first step towards getting people to click on your link is by grabbing their attention. Just remember that click-through is among the leading ranking factors according to a study done by Searchmetrics.
Your Paragraphs are Too Long
Long paragraphs turn off your visitors, and they will leave your site immediately. Google has a way of detecting this, and it can affect your site ranking. It doesn’t matter whether you are creating the content yourself or outsourcing it. Always insist on short and clear paragraphs.
The paragraphs need to be separated from each other by subheadings. The sentences that make up the paragraphs need to be short and precise. Short and concise paragraphs are good since most people tend to scan through content and they avoid reading.
Therefore, the short paragraphs become easy to understand and encourage further reading. The visitors are left with less information to filter which makes them stay on your site longer. Any SEO marketing expert should understand this golden rule and avoid any mistakes that may hinder the readability of their content. Ideally, your paragraphs should be between three to four sentences long.
You’re Stuffing Your Keywords
Keyword stuffing is a scenario whereby you try to repeat the keyword in your content as much as possible thinking that it is a shortcut to SEO success. However, this was a tactic that was used a long time ago, and it is now outdated and no longer practiced by SEO experts.
In fact, keyword stuffing can lead to making the search engines blacklist your site permanently. Search engines are now more intelligent, and they can easily identify content that is stuffed with a particular keyword. When they come across such content, they will tend to ignore it.
According to an SEO expert, the best strategy is to use the keywords only where appropriate without overdoing it. You should learn to write your content like a human being more natural, not like a robot. Learn to use your keywords naturally and sparingly.
You’re Using Duplicate Content
Copied content is a significant factor that can limit the success of your content marketing effort. It affects your authoritativeness and your search engine ranking. Content duplication doesn’t necessarily mean copying the whole article. It includes spun content and existing content that has been slightly rewritten.
You need to cultivate a culture of coming up with truly unique and engaging content for your target audience. If you are unable to do that, your SEO and content marketing efforts will go to waste.
Approach any SEO agency, and their consultants will tell you that modern-day SEO and content marketing are more about quality than quantity. Creating low-quality articles that don’t provide any value or new ideas is a waste of time and won’t boost your SEO and content marketing efforts.
Final Thoughts
If you avoid the above SEO mistakes that most Google SEO Expert would avoid, then you can be sure to attract more visitors to your content which will help you achieve your content marketing goals.
Just remember that no matter the amount of time and money you invest in your content marketing strategy, as long as you are committing any of the above mistakes, then your effort will remain fruitless.