Don't let these errors derail your website's search engine optimization efforts

SEO, or search engine optimization, is a process used by businesses to increase their visibility in online search results. It is often pursued by those who wish to drive more website traffic through organic (i.e. unpaid) means. SEO can be a powerful tool when done correctly as it can help your website rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs), increasing your visibility and driving more traffic to your site. It can also be damaging to a website when done incorrectly. Unfortunately, many beginners make common mistakes that can hurt their website's SEO efforts and compromise their visibility online.

Here are the four most common SEO mistakes beginners make:

1. Overstuffing and utilizing the incorrect keywords.

Keywords are the most basic thing that search engines work on, so the temptation to stuff as many keywords as possible is strong. Experts usually recommend keeping keyword density between 4 and 7 percent and making them appear as natural as possible. If you're still not getting organic traffic to your site, you may be targeting the wrong keywords. Choosing the right keywords for your company or website is critical. You will not get any traffic if you focus on keywords that people do not search for on Google.

2. Disregarding alt text.

Even though image optimization is not as important as content optimization, neither should be overlooked. They frequently play a role in ranking tie-breakers, and you understand how important a single ranking is in terms of traffic! Google bots crawl into images after searching for them in content blocks, making them an important part of the content creation process. Although this will not count as organic common search traffic, proper image optimization will increase your site's chances of being found on Google images, and you should take visitors as they come and leave no stone unturned.

3. Not making your website mobile-friendly.

SEO is more than just writing content and obtaining backlinks. It's also about your website's overall quality, which includes speed, design, and, most importantly, mobile-friendliness. Google now gives mobile searches precedence over web searches. As a result, if your website isn't mobile-friendly, it may not rank well in Google searches – whether on mobile or desktop.

4. Not concentrating on local search!

According to Google, 76% of people who use their smartphone to conduct a local search visit a business within 24 hours, and 28% of those searches result in a purchase. Relevance, Distance, and Prominence are the three main factors used by Google to determine local rankings. Here are some suggestions to help you improve your local search: • Create a Google My Business account • Get regular reviews from satisfied customers • Optimize for voice search • Include local keywords in the content • Taking advantage of the location feature while posting on social media.

5. Is it your language or do you recycle?

It is difficult to create new content. Producing meaningful, well-written content usually requires research, knowledge, and, most importantly, time. Some bloggers, unfortunately, take shortcuts. They either conceal other people's content outright or rewrite other authors' writings utilizing content-spinning tools. They believe that simply increasing the volume of content on their site will improve their chances of ranking on the first page. Google and other search engines use advanced algorithms to detect duplicate content. They don't like duplicated content, so if you use this strategy, you won't be able to attract organic traffic. Concentrate on producing original, high-quality content. One piece of useful, relevant content per week will be far more beneficial to your readers than 4-5 pieces of low-quality, copied content.

The importance of SEO in securing organic search engine traffic cannot be overstated. While there are plenty of SEO tips available online, it's common to make a few errors, especially when you're first getting started. You'll have a strong foothold on increasing brand exposure via SERPs and generating clicks to your website if you avoid these most common SEO mistakes made by beginners.