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Executing a successful SEO strategy is anything but simple. There are countless factors to juggle, including both technical and creative components, off-site ranking signals as well as on-site cues. What’s more, Google’s search algorithms are always in a state of flux; the SEO expert has to keep tabs on a constant stream of updates and revisions.

Given the complexity of SEO, it’s only natural that mistakes are made. Even the most accomplished SEO professionals can err, and usually, it’s possible to course-correct and bounce back.

With that said, there are some incredibly common SEO mistakes that amateurs often make, and their results can really be catastrophic. If you don’t quickly right these wrongs, your entire SEO endeavor can come up short.

These Common SEO Mistakes Can Ruin Your Efforts

Some examples:

• Not properly defining your goals. You may say that the goal of SEO is obvious—it’s to get better rankings. Sure, but for which keywords are you trying to rank? In which geographic area? And how will you measure and define success? Do you have to be on the first page of Google for certain search terms, or are you simply looking to gain a little more prominence among local search engine users? Defining objectives and metrics is always key and is one of the biggest and most common SEO mistakes.
• Not assigning roles. It takes a full team effort to make your SEO campaign a success. You need Web design, you need social media, you need content, you need someone to track data and analytics—there’s a lot to consider. It’s crucial to specify who’s doing what, and to outline all the responsibilities required to meet your goals. If you don’t, things could start to slip through the cracks.
• Working without a schedule and a plan. SEO isn’t something where you can fly by the seat of your pants or make it all up as you go along. It’s important to plot out your strategy in advance, and to create a schedule of when key tasks will be completed. Again, without this planning, you may find that important tasks get overlooked.
• Not paying enough attention to your website. You’d be amazed how many SEO campaigns have a deficient website at their center. Remember that the website is the hub of all your SEO efforts, and that ensuring the proper content, keyword placement, and site architecture can make or break your entire mission.
• Growing slack in your content production. You’ve got to continually feed the content monster! Regular blogging and video content are especially key. Without fresh content updates on a regular basis, you’ll quickly be forgotten by the Google search algorithms.
• Not staying abreast of algorithmic changes. Again, it’s important to understand that SEO best practices aren’t etched in stone, and that the algorithms themselves change regularly. Make sure you have trusted resources to keep you in the know about these updates, and that you tweak and adjust your strategy accordingly.
• Paying for stuff you don’t need. Like anything else, SEO requires you to have a budget in place. Far too many businesses blow their budget on stuff they don’t really need and are common SEO mistakes made while failing to invest in the things that really bring results.

Incidentally, Driven2020 was founded with the mission of connecting clients to those things that really yield results, excising all the fluff that tend to eat into SEO budgets. In other words, if you’re looking to invest in an SEO plan that’s totally focused on moving the needle and helping you meet your goals, you need to give us a call! Reach out to Driven2020 to talk SEO today and avoid making common SEO mistakes that can ultimately cost you.