10 SEO mistakes that will ruin your project
Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2025 8:53 am
1. Not having a clear idea of your target audience
This is one of the most common SEO mistakes. When planning your SEO project, you should define your target audience (this is the time to segment, taking into account criteria such as age, location, language, etc.). What will you achieve by defining your target audience?
May your actions be effective as you focus your efforts.
Set goals that are realistic and achievable
Choosing the actions to be executed wisely. For example, we can optimize search results based on the devices our target uses or the country you are targeting, your strategy can change completely.
2. Not focusing on the objectives
To achieve success in any project that works on SEO, you cannot miss :
Define a strategy
Define objectives and KPIs
Measure and learn to iterate if necessary.
Following these steps will help us ensure that all the people involved understand, accept and implement the strategy correctly. It will also help us to focus on the important metrics and have them localized, otherwise we tend to have many KPIs that waste resources. Finally, measuring will allow us to pivot if the initial strategy is not achieving the objectives we expected.
3. Not having keyword research
Keyword research is a fundamental process for any SEO project worth its salt. It is a document in which we extract keywords from the market and user searches.
Not doing good keyword research or simply not taking it into account in the evolution of the project can result in the target keywords not being attacked .
The KWR will allow us to:
Market size. We will be able to see the level of searches and the limits that the project has in terms of traffic. This will help us to set realistic goals, which we are often unaware of and create problems with expectations.
Understanding how the user searches.
Knowing which searches you should appear in and which keyword to work on by establishing priorities.
Knowing if there is seasonality. This is very valuable information that can affect other channels. It will help us to anticipate the peak of work in our sector and be prepared at the right time. Whether it is preparing paid campaigns, remarketing campaigns or being well positioned in SEO.
Discover the brand's presence in the market. This helps us to know the popularity and authority of the brand in the sector. Take advantage of and position the brand's keywords if we are not doing so already.
4. Not studying the market
After creating a KWR, a very common mistake is not analyzing it. At SEOCOM we always recommend a thorough analysis to understand how Google treats these searches and also how the user interacts.
Understanding the user's search intent . Putting the KWR into context by segmenting and categorizing the keywords. We recommend starting by separating the Brand/Non-Brand keywords and the Informational/Transactional keywords. This will help us avoid trying to position transactional URLs with informational keywords or vice versa.
Know the competition and the difficulty of positioning . We must be aware of the weaknesses of our project and most likely we will not be able to aspire to the top 5 if we have just started. For this reason, we always recommend starting to position long tail keywords instead of generic ones, since there is a lot of competition in the latter and it is also very strong. We must accept how far we can go.
Understanding SERPs: It is also very important to know how Google displays the results for our sector, as it will indicate what we should work on as a priority or in more detail. We will have an overview of the modules that insurance leads for seniors email database Google includes in the results. In this way we will be able to know how to work on our enriched results.
5. Not designing a good web architecture
What is good web architecture? That's a very good question. Let's take a look!
When we talk about good web architecture, we are referring to a logical structure in the content layout of the website . This structure is based primarily on each target keyword having its own URL in which to position. It is also important that internal linking is efficient and consistent with the architecture. This will help us to enhance our priorities and prevent cannibalization.
If you have a poor architecture on your project's website, it's likely that you're leaving a lot to be desired in terms of user experience (UX).
Synergies can be created between UX and the internal linking of the project that will greatly benefit us. For example, creating cross-selling linking blocks or recommended products in the product sheets of any e-commerce.
Grow with us!
Therefore, the ideal would be to dedicate resources to the creation of a web architecture that is logical , intuitive and easy to understand.
10 SEO mistakes
6. Have a static SEO strategy
Although we have insisted on not losing focus, it is necessary to be attentive to the sector in which we operate and to Google, since they are constantly changing. For example, the user/traveler does not behave in the same way before the pandemic and the restrictions as they do after.
Something that many people overlook are the changes in the SERPs , and not in terms of positions, but in terms of display. Google adds new content to its results every day , such as blocks and carousels with information, images, videos, maps... Every day the SERPs are richer in information and this can affect our project since the user has many more stimuli and their attention is diluted in those results that have been very well worked on. Therefore, it is important to stay up to date and know how the SERPs evolve in your sector, you will be able to anticipate possible traffic losses due to this cause.
7. Just copying
It will always be useful to know what the competition is doing , but we have to focus on our project and the user .
To do this, we must come up with ideas that aim to help and provide value to the user , that are original and of quality.
Creativity to power!
8. Not integrating SEO into the digital marketing strategy
Having a unified and homogeneous marketing strategy for all channels will help us optimize our resources and get the most out of them.
The idea is to establish a 360 strategy for the different departments. This can also be beneficial when it comes to generating synergies with the rest of the channels, within a digital ecosystem . It is vital that the players of the different channels know each other, trust each other, have clear responsibilities and that communication flows. If this does not happen, it is most likely that the synergies between channels will be very difficult to manage.
Grow with us!
9. Focusing only on capturing traffic
We often focus too much on trying to attract more and more traffic, and we forget about conversion. But what good does it do to attract customers if we don't manage to convert? Attracting customers and converting them should be two simultaneous objectives in our businesses, and they should be worked on with the same intensity.
10. Not having control tools
As in all strategic planning, the last step is to establish monitoring and control of the results.
But how can we monitor SEO results? Let's take a look!
At SEOCOM we recommend having control tools for each project. This can help you quickly locate unexpected changes or errors on websites, thanks to its alarms.
The ones we use the most are:
OnCrawl
ContentKing
Ryte
DeepCrawl
Sistrix
These tools will help us detect drops in traffic and sales (with GA), errors and changes on the website, crawling peaks, products out of stock, etc.
Monitor your projects with Sistrix
This is one of the most common SEO mistakes. When planning your SEO project, you should define your target audience (this is the time to segment, taking into account criteria such as age, location, language, etc.). What will you achieve by defining your target audience?
May your actions be effective as you focus your efforts.
Set goals that are realistic and achievable
Choosing the actions to be executed wisely. For example, we can optimize search results based on the devices our target uses or the country you are targeting, your strategy can change completely.
2. Not focusing on the objectives
To achieve success in any project that works on SEO, you cannot miss :
Define a strategy
Define objectives and KPIs
Measure and learn to iterate if necessary.
Following these steps will help us ensure that all the people involved understand, accept and implement the strategy correctly. It will also help us to focus on the important metrics and have them localized, otherwise we tend to have many KPIs that waste resources. Finally, measuring will allow us to pivot if the initial strategy is not achieving the objectives we expected.
3. Not having keyword research
Keyword research is a fundamental process for any SEO project worth its salt. It is a document in which we extract keywords from the market and user searches.
Not doing good keyword research or simply not taking it into account in the evolution of the project can result in the target keywords not being attacked .
The KWR will allow us to:
Market size. We will be able to see the level of searches and the limits that the project has in terms of traffic. This will help us to set realistic goals, which we are often unaware of and create problems with expectations.
Understanding how the user searches.
Knowing which searches you should appear in and which keyword to work on by establishing priorities.
Knowing if there is seasonality. This is very valuable information that can affect other channels. It will help us to anticipate the peak of work in our sector and be prepared at the right time. Whether it is preparing paid campaigns, remarketing campaigns or being well positioned in SEO.
Discover the brand's presence in the market. This helps us to know the popularity and authority of the brand in the sector. Take advantage of and position the brand's keywords if we are not doing so already.
4. Not studying the market
After creating a KWR, a very common mistake is not analyzing it. At SEOCOM we always recommend a thorough analysis to understand how Google treats these searches and also how the user interacts.
Understanding the user's search intent . Putting the KWR into context by segmenting and categorizing the keywords. We recommend starting by separating the Brand/Non-Brand keywords and the Informational/Transactional keywords. This will help us avoid trying to position transactional URLs with informational keywords or vice versa.
Know the competition and the difficulty of positioning . We must be aware of the weaknesses of our project and most likely we will not be able to aspire to the top 5 if we have just started. For this reason, we always recommend starting to position long tail keywords instead of generic ones, since there is a lot of competition in the latter and it is also very strong. We must accept how far we can go.
Understanding SERPs: It is also very important to know how Google displays the results for our sector, as it will indicate what we should work on as a priority or in more detail. We will have an overview of the modules that insurance leads for seniors email database Google includes in the results. In this way we will be able to know how to work on our enriched results.
5. Not designing a good web architecture
What is good web architecture? That's a very good question. Let's take a look!
When we talk about good web architecture, we are referring to a logical structure in the content layout of the website . This structure is based primarily on each target keyword having its own URL in which to position. It is also important that internal linking is efficient and consistent with the architecture. This will help us to enhance our priorities and prevent cannibalization.
If you have a poor architecture on your project's website, it's likely that you're leaving a lot to be desired in terms of user experience (UX).
Synergies can be created between UX and the internal linking of the project that will greatly benefit us. For example, creating cross-selling linking blocks or recommended products in the product sheets of any e-commerce.
Grow with us!
Therefore, the ideal would be to dedicate resources to the creation of a web architecture that is logical , intuitive and easy to understand.
10 SEO mistakes
6. Have a static SEO strategy
Although we have insisted on not losing focus, it is necessary to be attentive to the sector in which we operate and to Google, since they are constantly changing. For example, the user/traveler does not behave in the same way before the pandemic and the restrictions as they do after.
Something that many people overlook are the changes in the SERPs , and not in terms of positions, but in terms of display. Google adds new content to its results every day , such as blocks and carousels with information, images, videos, maps... Every day the SERPs are richer in information and this can affect our project since the user has many more stimuli and their attention is diluted in those results that have been very well worked on. Therefore, it is important to stay up to date and know how the SERPs evolve in your sector, you will be able to anticipate possible traffic losses due to this cause.
7. Just copying
It will always be useful to know what the competition is doing , but we have to focus on our project and the user .
To do this, we must come up with ideas that aim to help and provide value to the user , that are original and of quality.
Creativity to power!
8. Not integrating SEO into the digital marketing strategy
Having a unified and homogeneous marketing strategy for all channels will help us optimize our resources and get the most out of them.
The idea is to establish a 360 strategy for the different departments. This can also be beneficial when it comes to generating synergies with the rest of the channels, within a digital ecosystem . It is vital that the players of the different channels know each other, trust each other, have clear responsibilities and that communication flows. If this does not happen, it is most likely that the synergies between channels will be very difficult to manage.
Grow with us!
9. Focusing only on capturing traffic
We often focus too much on trying to attract more and more traffic, and we forget about conversion. But what good does it do to attract customers if we don't manage to convert? Attracting customers and converting them should be two simultaneous objectives in our businesses, and they should be worked on with the same intensity.
10. Not having control tools
As in all strategic planning, the last step is to establish monitoring and control of the results.
But how can we monitor SEO results? Let's take a look!
At SEOCOM we recommend having control tools for each project. This can help you quickly locate unexpected changes or errors on websites, thanks to its alarms.
The ones we use the most are:
OnCrawl
ContentKing
Ryte
DeepCrawl
Sistrix
These tools will help us detect drops in traffic and sales (with GA), errors and changes on the website, crawling peaks, products out of stock, etc.
Monitor your projects with Sistrix