Search engine optimisation (SEO) is crucial for driving qualified traffic to your website. However many website owners make easily avoidable mistakes that end up hurting their site’s search rankings and traffic. After auditing dozens of websites over the past year, I’ve noticed three errors almost all of them shared.
Read on to find out what they are and how you can fix them.
Mistake #1: Slow Page Load Times
The number one issue I identified on 90% of the sites was slow page load speeds. This significantly impacts both user experience and SEO. When pages take too long to load, visitors get frustrated and leave. High bounce rates from this poor performance can tank your rankings.
Google has started incorporating page speed as a ranking factor. Back in 2018, they rolled out the “Speed Update” to boost faster loading sites in mobile search results. So optimising page speed has become even more critical for SEO.
But how can you tell if your site is loading too slowly? I recommend running two free tests: Google PageSpeed Insights and GTmetrix. Both analyse page load performance and give speed scores.
PageSpeed Insights rates on a scale of 0-100 (with 100 being the fastest). You want your mobile speed score to be at least in the 80s and ideally in the 90s for optimal performance.
GTmetrix uses a letter grade system, with A being the fastest. Aim for at least a B grade or higher.
If your scores are low on both tests, you likely have a page speed issue to address. The tools also detect potential causes of slowdowns, like oversized images, missing image compression, excessive server response times, etc.
Websites for some sectors (such as those in the video industry who use showreels or hero videos) may struggle to achieve top scores, so it’s always worth checking your competitors’ websites, identifying your industry average speed and then aiming to better it.
Some easy ways to boost speed include:
Compressing Images: Use a free online converter like Convertio to optimise images to WebP format. WebP files load much faster than JPG or PNG with no loss in quality.
Enabling Caching: Caching stores pages, images, and other static content to load faster on repeat visits. Plugins like WP Rocket of Fastest Cache add caching functionality to your site.
Upgrading Hosting: Switching to a faster web host running at least a VPS (Virtual Private Server) with more resources can significantly improve site speed.
Faster page speeds provide a better user experience while also improving SEO. So optimising speed should be a top priority for your website.
Mistake #2: Missing Meta Descriptions
The second most common error I spotted was missing meta descriptions. The meta description is the summary of a page that appears under the title in search results.
While meta descriptions don’t directly influence rankings, they do impact click-through rates. A compelling description entices searchers to click on your listing over competitors. But if your meta description is missing, Google will usually display a random snippet of text from the page instead. This makes the listing less attractive to click on.
Adding relevant meta descriptions that include keywords and an appealing call to action can significantly boost your click-through rate.
For example:
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Meta descriptions should be between 150-160 characters long. If your website uses WordPress, you can add them through your site’s backend, or use a plugin like Yoast SEO or RankMath.
Including custom meta descriptions on all your important pages ensures your listings stand out in the search results. Don’t let Google auto-generate unappealing snippets that fail to capture searchers’ attention.
Mistake #3: Lack of Internal Linking
Almost all the websites I evaluated lacked internal links between related content. Internal linking is when you link from one page on your site to another relevant page on your site. This is extremely beneficial for both user experience and SEO.
Internal links help visitors navigate and explore your site. The easier it is for people to find information on your site, the longer they will stay.
For SEO, internal links signal to Google which pages are most important. Links pass authority and page rank through your site. Pages that accumulate more internal links tend to perform better in search.
You can strategically interlink related content to distribute authority to your priority pages. For example, if you have a “Services” page, link relevant service names to their detailed description pages. Or in blog posts, link to other posts covering the same topic.
Adding internal links where it makes sense dramatically improves site navigation and SEO authority flow. Yet most sites fail to take advantage of this easy win.
Be on the lookout for any opportunities to link between your content. Install a plugin like Yoast SEO to get alerts when you can add an internal link. The more connections you build between pages, the better.
By avoiding these three all-too-common mistakes, you can supercharge your website’s user experience, traffic, and search performance. Don’t leave easy SEO wins on the table. Audit your site for these errors and get them fixed ASAP. With a faster, sleeker, and more search-friendly website, you’ll be on the path to reaching your online business goals.
