Ever since the advent of the Internet and Google in particular, Search Engine Optimisation, or SEO, has changed the game. However, SEO has no rulebook. There aren’t any specific sets of instructions that are poised to work under every circumstance. Over time, SEO also evolved, but the underlying SEO practices remained unchanged. Today, we’re discussing SEO companies in Chicago and the mistakes they make that prevent them from achieving their desired results. Let’s get started.
1. Keyword Stuffing
One of the top mistakes SEO companies in Chicago are making is keyword stuffing. Using the right keywords is crucial for an effective SEO strategy. However, using keywords without a strategy in place can prove detrimental to your success. Most SEO agencies simply select a keyword and then fill the content with that keyword. You don’t have to fill it, you have to strategically ‘place’ it in your content. If you ever have a choice between inserting a keyword and making the content more appealing, always go for the latter option. This is because while Google takes keywords into account, it prioritises content that’s helpful and user-friendly.
2. Search Intent Neglect
Another important thing most SEO companies in Chicago miss is the intent of the keyword. What does it mean, you ask? Well, the intent of the keyword is the purpose for which a person searches for that particular keyword. For example, if a person is searching for “healthcare tips for old age”, they probably expect a list or a blog of tips that can help older people. Unfortunately, many SEO agencies in Chicago fail to consider the intent and use such keywords in promotional material, rather than in informative content.
3. Poor Website Speed
According to Google, 53% of mobile users abandon a site if it takes longer than 3 seconds to load. This shows that even if your content SEO is very good, it wouldn’t make a difference if your website is not responsive. Users won’t stick around if your website is slow and sluggish. To ensure you get traffic, a fast and responsive website is essential, and this is something many top SEO companies in Chicago neglect. You can ensure that your website is fast and responsive by regularly caching web pages, limiting redirect links and compressing images, to name a few.
4. Lack of Mobile Friendliness
Today, your smartphone is just as powerful as your computer. As a result, most people don’t use a PC and conduct their business solely on mobile phones. According to a report published by Backlinko, tablets and mobile phones account for 55% of the total global search engine market share. This is the reason why websites that are not mobile-friendly have become obsolete. To rank at the top, ensure your website is mobile-friendly. What many SEO companies in Chicago don’t understand is that when a desktop website is opened on a mobile phone, it restructures itself to fit the mobile screen, which can seem glitchy and counterproductive. To ensure your website is mobile-friendly, use the same elements but structure them in a way that they don’t look out of place on a mobile screen.
5. Bad Internal Linking Practices
Internal links are when you add links to your content on your website pages. For example, let’s say you own a salon website. You have two categories, ‘Facial’ and ‘Shop’. You can place the link to your ‘shop’ page on the ‘facial’ page under a product’s name, often called the ‘Anchor Text’. This way, users will stay longer on your website, which will help you rank higher in search results. Unfortunately, most SEO companies in Chicago don’t take internal linking seriously when they really should. Just remember, the anchor text should accurately reflect the content of the page it links to.
6. Duplicate Website Content
Copying someone’s content is another thing that SEO companies in Chicago often overlook. Sure, one can take inspiration from someone else’s content, but copying word by word is just not it. According to Semrush, websites with more than 20% duplicate content experience a 30% reduction in traffic over the next three months. But what is duplicate content exactly? For example, let’s say your website has content on the “best facial spas in Chicago” and another website has “top facial spas in Chicago’. If the content inside is pretty much similar, it will be considered a copy. In such cases, Google typically prefers websites with a high authority score.
7. Local SEO Neglect
Another mistake most SEO companies in Chicago and the world make is that they take local SEO lightly. Local SEO is perhaps one of the most crucial aspects for a business catering to its local community. Let’s say you provide physiotherapy, and you don’t include any local keywords like ‘Physiotherapy in Chicago’ in your SEO practices. Chances are, you won’t get enough clientele because your SEO hasn’t targeted your target audience. According to Search Engine Round Table, 46% of Google searches have local intent. So, if you are not using local SEO, you are missing out on 46% of clients.
8. Lack of Website Multimedia
Your website is your business’s virtual storefront, and a storefront should always be attractive, engaging and informative. However, most SEO companies in Chicago make the website mundane and downright ghastly. To make your SEO practices effective, ensure that your web design features a variety of high-quality photos and videos that clearly explain your business.
Learn From Mistakes and Move Forward!
Making a mistake is not a bad thing. However, neglecting that you made a mistake is. Here are the eight mistakes many SEO companies in Chicago make and how you can improve them to ensure that your SEO practices remain fruitful. Or better yet, contact an SEO company in Chicago that doesn’t make these mistakes, like Premier Salon Marketing. With over 10 years of experience, our team stays current with the latest and most effective SEO practices, ensuring that our clients’ businesses consistently rank where they deserve: at the top.
