In recent years, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) has become the bread and butter of digital marketing. Using keywords effectively boosts the visibility of a business on the web and drives more traffic to business websites. This is essential in today’s economy, where consumers are turning more and more to online shopping experiences over traditional retail and where information about a brand is so readily available.

Regardless of how well SEO works for your business, there are some pitfalls to this common digital marketing tactic. Learn what practices have become outdated to avoid your SEO efforts from back firing in the coming year.

One of the most common SEO approaches is to use generic  keywords  to build out content, but this is not as effective as some may think. Many websites compete in search engines using the same generic keywords, however, these keywords often draw users to the website who are just not interested in the product. A better practice is to use specific keywords that will speak to your target audience, and attract them to your website from search results. If you put in the extra time and effort to develop a blog strategy, you can give your SEO ranking an extra boost. Provide value-added content on your blog on a regular basis, and you’ll find it will become even easier to attract an audience of engaged users.

With the way search engines scan and track keywords, it can be tempting to use a high quantity of keywords to grow your Internet presence. It’s important to build out your  website  with quality information that your users will find relevant and helpful, in addition to supplying the quantity of keywords that captures attention in the first place. Any web editor can pack a website full of common keywords, but it takes a competitive business to give users the information they need to make a sale. Ensuring this quality content appears on your webpages will differentiate your business from copycats, and it will help your brand stand out in a saturated market.

To deliver the best traffic to your website, select your keywords carefully. Use only the keywords that best describe your products and  services , and resist the temptation to stuff webpages with keywords that are not relevant. Avoid using the exact same text in two different places on your website, because that could confuse browsers and it could even negatively impact your search engine rankings. Instead, help search engines find your content by placing keywords in headers and using the proper title tags, so that these headers are easily identified. Then fill out your content by using the strongest keywords more than once, and providing valuable information that goes in depth about your business.

Keywords may drive traffic to your website, but they won’t inspire customers to engage with your business, especially if those customers struggle to find the information they are looking for. As you embark on a new year of digital marketing, make sure you prioritize the  user experience. Spend time testing your website, to ensure that each webpage functions properly and adds value to the customer’s online experience. If you can  design a website  that gives customers what they want, you can help guide them through the buying journey, in order to move more users toward lead conversion.

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