Tips from an SEO Specialist: Avoid Mistakes & Improve Rankings

In the ever-changing world of digital marketing, mastering SEO is crucial for any website’s success. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or just starting out, understanding the intricacies of search engine optimization can make or break your businesses online presence. Lets dive into 5 essential questions that will help you uncover expert insights for optimizing your website, particularly if you’re targeting competitive industries or local markets like Los Angeles or even California as a whole. These questions and answers will help you avoid common pitfalls, improve your businesse’s ranking, and ensure you’re staying ahead of the curve.

1. What are the most common SEO mistakes business owners make, and how can they be avoided?
   The biggest SEO mistake i see with DIY owners is too many plugins. Doesn’t matter if its shopify or wordpress new website owners love plugins. Plugins are a great way to get a specific function or feature but owners and some web development studio don’t read past the description. Don’t just blindly add a plugin, keep it simple. Some plugins might mean well but if they are just stacked on top of each other your website might take an SEO hit from performance or overlapping plugins.
   
2. Can you describe a case study where you successfully improved a website’s ranking through on-page SEO techniques? What strategies were most effective?
   Yes! You can view a case study I did with Inca Trail Terpenes. I was able to redesign their site and improve the shops conversion rate by focusing on performance, and a simple, initiative layout. It’s crazy to say but my most effective strategy was to test and configure using the core basic developer tools built in Mozilla, a lot of sites miss the simple stuff but testing with opensource software can do wonders to improve SEO.
   
3. How do you approach keyword research for a niche industry? What tools and methodologies do you find most effective?
   Keyword research is a difficult area for most. For a business looking to make the most impact i always recommend sticking with common industry wide keywords and targeting other phrases in the same vicinity. Its always important to track your keywords independently of the tools because each tool measures everything slightly different. Its also important to understand that keyword research in a constant thing, not something you do once. You’ll see results with consistency
   
4. What role does user experience (UX) play in SEO, and how can optimizing UX lead to better search engine rankings?
   UX plays a major role in SEO. Your site should look good on both a visual and technical level. If users can get from Point A to Point B in a simple and beautify way then the data of that trip should also be simple and beautify, URLs should be intuitive and boxes and buttons should be represented in a way understood by both humans and search engines.
   
5. How do you stay updated with the latest algorithm changes from Google, Bing, and others. How do you adjust your SEO strategies to align with these updates?
   I stay updated on algorithm changes in many ways. I always suggest reading the developer blogs for various search engines and ALWAYS keep an eye on your sites data. A change in any of these algorithm should boost or sink your online rankings and it could be something most website owners don’t know about.
   
6. When should I get a SEO contractor? How do I know my business will benefit from SEO?
   You should hire an SEO contractor as soon as you’ve reached the point where your spending more time on your website then running your business. There are also nuances that an SEO expert can point out in maintaining website traffic and rankings. Most businesses will benefit from improved local SEO especially. If your business is easy to find then people are more likely to spend money when they need your product.

Hopefully with these questions and answers you’ll be able to avoid some of the most common mistakes when it comes to managing your SEO. If you have any more questions or would like to read more on this and similar topics you can use the buttons below.