WHY YOUR SEO CAMPAIGN IS FAILING

YOU HAVE AN AWESOME WEBSITE (SUPPOSEDLY) AND KILLER CONTENT (ALLEGEDLY…SEE WHERE WE’RE GOING WITH THIS?), BUT YOUR SEARCH ENGINE RANKING SUCKS. YOU POURED YOUR HEART AND SOUL (AND MONEY) INTO YOUR SEO CAMPAIGNS, BUT THE ONLY THING SPECTACULAR ABOUT YOUR RESULTS IS HOW UNDERWHELMING THEY ARE. WHAT GIVES?

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is the practice of enhancing your website’s visibility and ranking on search engine results pages (SERPs). Essentially, it signals to search engines that your content is relevant and valuable to users. If someone is looking for something on a search engine like Google, the search engine might place your website a little higher in results if it thinks the user is looking for something you can provide.

“I already know what SEO is, so why are you explaining it to me again?” The truth is, if you were an expert in all things SEO, you wouldn’t be reading this article. Speaking of which, we’re going to explore a number of topics, so you should probably grab a glass of water and settle in. These topics will include SEO goals, keywords and strategies, and the general user experience. 

Let’s go!

ARE YOUR SEO GOALS REALISTIC?

This might be a bitter pill to swallow, but sometimes the problem is YOU. Now, before you show up at our offices with pitchforks and torches, let us explain why this is relevant. It’s possible to have the perfect website and still come up short. You have an idea of what you want and you have been promised in the past that it’s possible, but sometimes your SEO goals can be just plain unrealistic. We’re not blaming you in any way (catchy intro to this section aside), but we do think there should be some level of awareness in terms of setting realistic goals and to not ignore the projections as set out by the SEO team.

SEO is a powerful marketing strategy, but it’s not a magic wand that produces instant results (as self-proclaimed “marketing wizards”, we WISH this were true). It requires time, consistency, and ongoing efforts to see significant improvements. Setting unrealistic goals, such as expecting a sudden surge in traffic or a top-ranking position overnight, can lead to disappointment and frustration.

Instead, work closely with your SEO team to establish realistic and measurable goals that align more closely with your business objectives. This may include gradual improvements in search rankings, increased organic traffic, higher conversion rates, or improved engagement metrics. By acknowledging the time and effort required for SEO to succeed, you’ll be better prepared to make informed decisions and stay committed to the long game.

KEYWORDS AND ON-PAGE SEO

Keywords are words or phrases that users type into search engines when looking for information, products, or services. But you already knew that, right? We sure hope so! 

There are three different types of keywords, each one serving a different function. We’ll give you a quick glance below, before we move on to the other important stuff.

There are three types of keywords you should be aware of:

Keywords are the VIPs and the MVPs of on-page SEO. They tend to appear anywhere where text is shown, including content, meta tags, headings, URLs, and even image descriptions. They help connect users’ search intent with what you have on your site. This means you NEED TO DO PROPER KEYWORD RESEARCH! It’s as simple (and yet as complex) as finding out which words people are using to find content similar to yours. Neglecting your keywords (or using the wrong ones) can lead the wrong audiences (zero-value customers) to your site, or you may even be excluded from searches.

Another aspect of on-page SEO that people fail to maintain is internal linking. The short of it is that one page link on your website leads to another (also on your website). At first it appears to be a closed loop with little value (which is why it is often forsaken), but it is actually one of the key building blocks of SEO. Internal linking helps search engines crawl (browse) and index (catalogue) your site to see how it works (i.e. the structure) and how relevant the content is (e.g.  if you have a hyperlink to another page, it needs to be to the target page). If a search engine has trouble crawling or indexing your site, it’s going to give up and your ranking will plummet. This leads us to technical SEO, which is coincidentally (not really) the next section of the article!

TECHNICAL SEO 101

When we were talking about crawling and indexing in the previous section, we were really explaining the basics of technical SEO. Your website needs to pass the technical benchmarks set by search engines, with the ultimate goal being the same as all other types of SEO: climbing up the rankings ladder.

Poor technical SEO can be disastrous. Even if you have a pretty site with pretty words, it can still tank in rankings if it is unresponsive, runs slowly, and has a bad URL structure. Search engines will pre-emptively decide whether users will have a good time or a bad time on your site, which means you need to be on top of this stuff. Since the metrics used to “judge” your site are constantly changing, you’ll need to update your site regularly (content and all) to ensure it meets search engine standards. It mostly boils down to keeping your content relevant in the eyes of the search engine, which will then keep it relevant in the eyes of users. 

GETTING A GRIP ON THOSE PESKY BACKLINKS

Backlinks, also known as inbound links, are links from other websites that point to your site. They are like stamps of approval from those other websites, telling search engines that your content is valuable and credible. High-quality backlinks from reputable and authoritative websites have a more significant impact on your SEO than low-quality or spammy ones. Who would you rather trust – a well-known speaker in a particular field, or three weasels in a trenchcoat? The weasels might seem like an amusing bargain (there’s THREE of them in ONE trenchcoat), but as far as your business is concerned, you’re better off going for the (human) speaker (i.e. a quality backlink).

Backlinks are often used as anchor texts (clickable text in a hyperlink) to associate certain keywords with certain pages and links. By strategically building a network of high-quality backlinks with relevant anchor texts, you can boost your website’s authority in the eyes of search engines and improve your search rankings.

THE USER EXPERIENCE MATTERS

The best thing you can do for a website is to make it easier for users to find what they are looking for. Sometimes, the results are pretty. Sometimes, they are not. The point is that the focus should be on the user’s experience (building a site and being familiar with the layout and menus is vastly different from a new user visiting the site for the first time). Yes, browser crawling and indexing is important, but you also want a decent site for people to look at and use when they click through. 

User experience (UX) covers the look & feel and overall usability of your site. Even if your content is well-optimised, a poorly designed website with a complicated layout can scare users off and lead to a high bounce rate. This signals to search engines that your content may not be as relevant or helpful as expected, which will negatively impact your rankings. 

By prioritising user-friendly design, intuitive navigation, and quick-loading pages, you can create a positive user experience that keeps visitors engaged with valuable content and encourages them to stay longer. This will make them more likely to do what you need them to, such as making a purchase or filling out a contact form (i.e. conversions). But it doesn’t stop there. If you thought it did, you’re in deeper trouble than we thought (and you need us ASAP). You need to ensure your site is optimised for mobile (phones and other devices with smaller screens)! Something that looks good on a desktop won’t really work when it’s squished to fit in a tiny phone screen, and something that looks nice on a phone will probably just look weird on a desktop browser. Google prioritises mobile-friendly sites, as that is how the majority of users will search for content. As ChatGPT likes to say, mobile optimisation is crucial, important, pivotal, essential, vital, fundamental, key, necessary, critical. A well-optimised site means NOTHING if a mobile user can’t use it properly.

YOU NEED TO TRUST YOUR SEO TEAM

SEO is an ongoing process that requires expertise, analysis, and adaptation. Remember – it’s not paid media. It’s a long-term strategy that is meant to give you a steady uptick in results over time. Trusting your SEO team (hey, that’s us!…hopefully👀) and their recommendations allows them to work efficiently and optimise your website for better search visibility and increased organic traffic.

As an award-winning agency, we know what we’re doing. Before you roll your eyes at that ever-so-humble brag, consider this: if your SEO results are not what you want, it could be either due to ineffective strategies or outdated SEO practices (like keyword stuffing…good riddance🤢). You will need an agency that’s bringing their “A game” to guide your hand and implement cutting-edge strategies tailored to your business. 

Give us a shout if you need us to rescue your SEO efforts!