When you optimise your site, your focus is naturally on the search engines. It is important to remember that the search engines are not actually the ones that are going to generate your revenue. The users you attract to your site, and what they do once they’re on it, are the really important thing to your business.

This is something a lot of companies unfortunately forget. It is an oversight they eventually regret, when they are unable to boost their pages beyond a certain level in the rankings due to a lack of good reputation.

Much can be avoided by choosing the right search engine optimisation company and it can help to thoroughly enquire into potential companies before you decide. You can talk to us at SEO Consult about any of your optimisation concerns. If you decide to do SEO on your own, there are some significant errors that you really need to avoid.

Machine-focussed content

It is actually very easy to work keywords into content. There are a large number of software programs that will work up pieces to your specifications once you type your keywords in. Search engine spiders are happy to munch up ‘Looking to regarding [puppy sales] when you redefine generous [puppy tips] on creative lunch hour.’ The vast majority of users will look at this for a moment, frown briefly and never come to your site again. This can not be good news for your bounce rate. Machine-generated content isn’t actually the only poor content to avoid. Badly written content with spelling errors, grammatical mistakes and lack of logical thought is just as potentially harmful to the prospects of your site. With content making up such a big part of your site, it is really worth investing in good writing.

Clunky keywords

Most site owners should be aware that keyword stuffing is a bad thing in SEO. Keyword stuffing isn’t the only thing you need to worry about. In an eagerness to get their keywords in prominent positions, some sites will feature the same phrase three times in a very short paragraph. This can still set off search engine filters, and it may constitute a deterrent for users. Using keywords in a clumsy way by forcing them into titles and ill-fitting content will also put users off.

Too many irrelevant pages

To get around the keyword stuffing issue, a lot of sites create and link in pages with relevant keywords. While the search engines may lap up three hundred pages about puppy training, most human users will shake their heads and walk away in bemusement. It is imperative that an online business makes the effort to add pages of related content to your site. It is your responsibility to ensure that all content is relevant and of genuine interest

Overdone links

Despite what a lot of those in the SEO community would like to believe, users do notice the tricks used to optimise within content. Hyperlinks, bold words and italicised text all annoy users and search engines if overdone

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