Is your website not getting enough search engine rankings? Maybe your web design isn't up to par with SEO web design standards. Here are 5 common mistakes.
Keeping up with website maintenance is crucial. Did you know that slow websites can lead to nearly an 80% decline in traffic?
As more and more business move to the digital space, you and your business will be left behind if you don't maintain a functional and attractive site.
Are your SEO stats not looking so great? Wondering what you should do? Keep reading below for five mistakes you need to avoid to ensure high-quality SEO web design.
1. H1 Tags Nowhere to Be Found
When working on your website, it's easy to focus on the colors and design while forgetting crucial elements for SEO. A common mistake is removing H1 tags because you don't know where to fit it.
Search engines check for H1 tags in order to know what the page is about. Having these tags and pertinent keywords ensures you get a higher rank in search engine results.
A visitor to your website should be able to tell within 5 seconds what it is about if you have proper H1 tags. Choose descriptive language that aligns with popular keyword searches.
2. Popups
Popups can be beneficial at times, but they can negatively impact a user's experience, especially when using a mobile device.
If popups appear before your actual content, they could be harming your overall SEO web design.
In addition to popups, it can be tempting to take a low-cost route for website design, but don't do it. Low-cost templates and servers will give you a low-quality site, simple as that.
3. Very Large Images
People love images and they make a website beautiful but keep a watchful eye on the size of your files.
Large images will slow down your sites speed, which will impact your SEO ranking. A slow site will also lead to fewer and fewer people visiting and remaining on your site.
If you are unsure how your speed is, use this free tool from Google to do a quick check.
4. Text in Images
In addition to large images, putting text in an image is also a major SEO mistake. Why?
When text is in an image, the search engines don't 'read' the words, therefore missing keywords that are needed to improve your rankings.
Be mindful of this. While it is okay to have some text and images together, avoid this with your most important keywords and tags.
5. Content Too Minimal
One final common mistake people make is not publishing information that is useful or informative enough.
Pages detailing your products or services are absolutely necessary for good SEO ranking, but also so people can find important information about your business.
Best SEO practice suggests having one idea or keyword per page. Don't list twenty products and search phrases all on one page. This will be confusing and harm your rankings.
Perfect Your SEO Web Design
If you are struggling with traffic to your website, hopefully now you have some ideas about what is wrong and what you need to change. No matter your business, a few tweaks to your SEO strategy will make a huge difference!
If you are looking for some other tips and tricks for improving your SEO, check out our hints about blogging your way to the top of those search engine results!