A website which visitors thoroughly enjoy is king when it comes to producing returns, but everyone knows that Google rankings are a close second. After all, if users cannot easily find your website, you cannot expect the site to provide any real value to your business. Additionally, if visitors don’t respond well to your page, neither will Google’s algorithm. Therefore, a balance of usability, quality content,and SEO best practices is key for keeping rankings up. As for the latter, there are several common oversights that can be linked to poor search rankings, each of which can be easily avoided. Is your website guilty of any of these mistakes?

1. SLOW AND STEADY DOES NOT WIN THE RACE

Did you know nearly half of Internet users expect websites to load in less than two seconds? In fact, the majority of users will actually abandon the site if it takes longer than three seconds to load. If there is a one second delay on your website, you can expect a seven percent decrease in conversions, a figure which is detrimental to SEO rankings. Pinpoint what is slowing down your site, and figure out a way to remedy it.

2. BROKEN RECORD SYNDROME

As you click through your website from page to page, do you find the same information being repeated over and over again? We call this broken record syndrome, and it has some seriously negative effects on Google search rankings. If there’s one thing that Google and users alike can’t stand is duplicate pages. So, if you have multiple pages for one particular product and/or service, it’s best to merge them.

3. LINKS THAT LACK QUALITY

Do you have broken outbound links on your website? These dead links lessen the quality of the experiencefor the user and rob your site of authority. If your website links to quality sources, you are more likely to build a sense of trust with the visitors. Just keep an eye on the links on a regular basis, and make sure they work properly.

4. Your Keywords Are in Competition

Do you have two pages on your website that both have the same keyword? Have you used the same keyword anchor for more than one page on your site? Both of these scenarios spell trouble for your SEO. In these instances, Google often gets confused and will either pick a page to rank or will not pick a page at all. It’s important to be mindful of the keywords being used across your site, and consider merging pages that warrant the use of the same keyword.

SEO can be tricky and time consuming, which is why it typically requires the help of a seasoned professional. If you feel you can’t do it all yourself, call, a South Florida marketing agency to get your site moving up the ranks of Google.

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