Whether you are just starting out or have been in the game a while, you are still privy to mistakes. You don’t have to be a professional to know that your business and your online presence will die without SEO. Sometimes even seasoned veterans get comfortable and overlook simple mistakes that have a drastic effect on the bottom line. In the virtual world of SEO, you definitely get what you give. If you use positive, high-quality strategies you will be rewarded with massive amounts of traffic. However, if you use outdated or black hat strategies, your site will be stiffly penalized, and you will be left wondering how to recover. In the online world which is digital marketing, it is always easier to do it right the first time. Below are some common mistakes which may be killing your SEO strategy. If you find that you are making any of them, your site needs an overhaul.

Not Funneling Content Toward SEO

Content on a site needs to be well-written, that goes without saying. Yes, you must focus on the intended audience and the message. However, if the content on your site is not optimized for the search engines, then your intended audience will never see it. This has to be more than just stuffing a few keywords in there. Keyword stuffing is penalized. You must do your research into long tail and short keywords that are relevant to your site and the services you offer. Use these keywords naturally in the content.

Another way to optimize content for the search engines is to break it up with headings. Make sure that the content is organized cohesively, flows naturally and there are plenty of subheadings. Try to use headings and subheadings with keywords as well. If you don’t do this, then other sites will be prioritized over yours and your targeted audience may never even see your content.

Not Being Mobile-Friendly

The new mobile trend is really not that new, but the digital marketplace is taking notice. This is one of the main reasons that the search engine giant has gone to mobile-first indexing. If you do not account for this in your SEO strategy, then your page will be left behind in the abyss of millions, never to be found. Mobile-first indexing means that the search-bots crawl mobile pages first and they are given priority in searches. Account for this and take the time to make sure your pages are mobile friendly. If you don’t, you will miss out on a massive amount of traffic.

Neglecting Analytics Software

Analytics software is not always free, but it is important. Whether you are a one-man show or part of a large business you need to use this software. Neglecting this software is the worst mistake you can make. It shows you how much traffic you have, where it is coming from and what pages are performing to name just a few things. Analytics software is the foundation of search engine optimization and without it, you don’t know what you need to improve. It shows you where you need to tweak your entire strategy, so you can stay on the front page of searches.

These are the three most common mistakes that people still make while trying to optimize their site and it will devastate your entire strategy. Steer clear of these mistakes and you will rank higher in searches. You will see more convertible traffic on your site and you will know where it is coming from, too, which gives you the advantage.