SEO: 8 Mistakes to Avoid if You Want Google to Like Your Website!

SEO: 8 Mistakes to Avoid if You Want Google to Like Your Website!

What is the difference between a website that has many visitors and one that does not have any? Between an online store that has a lot of sales and one that only has a few? Often, the answer is how the website appears on search engines. The higher your site will appear in the search results, the more you will have traffic and sales. How do we get there? Here are 8 mistakes to avoid if you want your website liked by Google; we will discuss SEO!

A Few Words About SEO

For people who are not familiar with indexing or SEO, note that it is not as complicated as it appears. In sum, Google created a system that indexes all websites according to their relevance. People choose Google because they know it will help them find what they are looking for. Google must then make sure that the websites it shows answer the requests or its users adequately will look on other search engines like Bing or Yahoo, for example.

SEO is all the actions you take in order to appear as high as possible on search results. The higher your website is, the more visitors you will have. You must then help Google understand what your site is about and show that you have a credible website so it can index it according to its criteria. SEO means Search Engine Optimization.

1- Not Having an Adequate Homepage

The homepage of your website is like its front door. In a few seconds, your visitors will decide if they want to stay or not on your site. If these people do not find what they are looking for, they will leave, and Google will know that you did not meet their needs. It will have a negative impact on your general SEO. Aim for a low bounce rate with an effective website homepage.

2- Make the Browsing Complicated

The more a user spends time on your site, the more it will be liked by search engines. Consequently, you must make sure that it is easy to browse your website's different pages and sections. Add links to articles and call-to-action buttons that lead to other pages, etc. If your visitor does not find the information he is looking for, he will leave and never return.

3- Not Having an Optimized Load Speed

People are impatient; they will not wait more than a few seconds to access what they are looking for. You must then make sure that your website loads quickly, or your visitors will leave (and it will increase your bounce rate). Check if some elements of your site like pictures and videos could harm the loading speed and simplify the pages if needed.

4- Not Knowing Which Keywords to Use

One of the most important things regarding SEO is the keywords you use on your website. During the creation of your website, you need to ask yourself what words are related to your activity and which one would be used to search your site on Google. Make a list and then use your keywords at different places on your website: title tag, meta description, titles, texts, blog articles. The more these keywords will be found naturally on your site, the more Google will understand that it is an important theme. Beware: it is not by adding your keywords in all sentences that you will improve your SEO. On the contrary, you will lose some because it will harm the global user experience.

5- Having Not Enough or Too Much Content

A common mistake regarding SEO is not to have  enough or too much content on your site. It is essential to have a minimum of texts on your website's pages so Google’s robots can read and understand the main themes. Furthermore, according to the latest statistics, blogs that appear on the first page of results often have articles of more than 1000 words; however, remember that too much content can harm your SEO too. Some people add many supplementary lines of text, hoping that Google will like that. Keep in mind that if your visitors do not find your texts interesting, it will harm your site. Write what you have to say and answer all the questions your visitors could have. The key here is to remain relevant.

6- The Title Tag Is Missing or Incomplete

What is a title tag? The title tag is the title we see on the results of search engines or tabs, for example. All your site pages must have their own title tag, including the keywords you have already chosen. These titles are relatively short; we talk here about 50 characters. 

To write a title tag on the WebSelf editor, click on the PAGES tab located left. Click on the page and then on SEO.

7- The Meta Description Is Missing or Incomplete 

What is then the meta description? The meta description is simply the description under the title tag in the search engines’ results. Once more, each of your pages must have its own meta description, including the keywords you have already chosen. These descriptions are longer than the title tag; they need to be 250 characters at maximum. 

To write a meta description on the WebSelf editor, click on the PAGES tab located left. Click on the page and then on SEO.

8- You Do Not Focus on Your Visitors

The last point we wish to talk about is simply the importance of the visitor. Sometimes, some people want to be liked so much by Google that they completely forget about the most important person: the visitor. It is not Google that will buy from your online store or contact you for a quote. In other words, search engines must be a tool, not a goal. If you create a website that users will like, you should have a relevant SEO. In sum, the key is to be relevant and create an exciting experience for your visitors.