6.11.2017 Skills and knowledge
Common Mistakes in Creating Content for Websites
Bartłomiej Dwornik
What mistakes should you avoid at all costs to ensure that the often costly work of attracting traffic from Google doesn’t go to waste? Check out the insights from experts asked by Interaktywnie.com in the recently published report "Search Engine Marketing."
photo: picjumbo_com/cc0/Pixabay.comBeginning online journalists and so-called content managers must remember that while they are writing for people, they must first convince the machine - the Google algorithm - to display their text to readers. Otherwise, they could write a brilliant article that nobody will read because it cannot be found in search engines.
To find out what mistakes website authors and creators of online content make, the industry experts were asked by Interaktywnie.com in the report "Search Engine Marketing 2017."
- A major sin is not planning space for meta tags. Without optimized meta tags, effective positioning cannot be discussed - explains Joanna Michalska, a positioning specialist at Verseo, in the report. - Coming across a CMS that does not allow for meta tag input is the realization of an SEO nightmare.
A very serious mistake that still occurs frequently is the underestimation of mobile device users. And, as experts quoted by Interaktywnie.com warn, this approach severely limits the ability to reach readers.
- Search engine algorithms reward sites that have a version tailored for smaller screens. The anticipated Google "Mobile-first" index is a response to current trends worldwide. Therefore, creating a site solely with desktop or laptop users in mind invites problems with positioning - warns Agata Jagiełło, head of marketing at SeoPilot. - When preparing a mobile or responsive site, we must also remember that SEO is currently moving away from technical aspects and is leaning towards usability and design. Designing the mobile version of the site, we need to remember that it should not only be mobile-friendly but also finger-friendly.
A common oversight is still the absence of headers on web pages. This element is incredibly important in positioning content. Without it, the author limits the ability to show the search engine what the prepared content is about, which in turn will affect organic results. Experts therefore remind that each page of the site should have a unique title, and they should not repeat.
The same issue arises with the robots.txt file, or rather the frequent lack of it. Such a file helps search engine robots understand the structure of the site. This allows us to hint which elements are important and which should be skipped.
- The content on the page must be useful. Simply placing keywords is not enough - summarizes Agata Jagiełło from SeoPilot quoted in the report. - Content is king, but quality is queen! So let`s not forget that when creating content for the site.
- A key issue in this topic, already at the planning stage of the website, is to consider how to design the site with SEO in mind. It would be a significant mistake to design the site and assume that we will think about SEO after launching the site - warns Dawid Ochab from www.daob.pl. - Many things cannot be corrected or changed later. Of course, to plan this correctly, one needs solid knowledge and a well-thought-out strategy.
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The entire report "Search Engine Marketing 2017" can be downloaded for free from Interaktywnie.com.
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