Winning the SEO game is an ever-changing challenge, so when we found up-to-the-minute advice on how to avoid the most common SEO mistakes, we wanted to share it with our partners.
The post Search Engine Optimization by Colin Greig includes ideas for on-page and off-page SEO are worth reading. In fact, off-page optimization is frequently overlooked, yet it has huge potential for increasing a site’s relevance, and ranking. Even if you don’t have time to do it all yourself, being smart about SEO strategy will help you know what to look for when getting professional assistance with your SEO efforts. Here are some of his most useful tips from Greig’s post to avoid the most common SEO mistakes:
Design DOs
- Use XHTML and CSS to improve visibility, reduce load time, and decrease maintenance costs.
- Test your site in all of the major browsers.
- Design for the lowest common denominator of screen resolution.
- DON’T design all of the site in Flash or Silverlight. This can hurt your search engine rank.
- DON’T build your website in frames.
Keyword DOs
- Check your competition to see what keyword strategies they are using and how they’re ranking.
- Devise a solid keyword strategy.
- Use keywords not traditionally associated with your business – find out what else your audience searches online.
- DON’T target too-general keywords. Optimize for relevant, specific keywords that are targeted to get you more leads.
- DON’T use too many keywords in an effort to “trick” the spiders.
Content DOs
- Write professional copy to get results.
- Create incentives for visitors to give you their contact information in exchange for access to information you are offering.
- Take the time necessary to create great SEO content.
- DON’T steal copy. Search engines will dismiss you from their rankings.
- DON’T turn your copy into keyword spam by using too many keywords.
