Still Not Ranking? Here Are the SEO Mistakes Holding You Back – and How to Fix Them

One of the biggest SEO slip-ups is poor keyword targeting. If your content doesn’t match what people are searching for, it won’t rank well, regardless of quality. It’s tempting to go for popular, broad terms, but they’re usually competitive and not always specific enough to attract the right audience. Instead, aim for long-tail keywords – these are less competitive, better targeted, and often convert better.

How to fix it: Research phrases that are specific to your niche and focus on those. Tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Google’s own Keyword Planner can be a big help here.

Keyword cannibalisation is another common issue – it’s when you have multiple pages on your site competing for the same search terms. This can confuse search engines and actually lower your ranking for those keywords.

How to fix it: Check for overlapping keywords across your content. If you spot any, consider consolidating or rewriting pages to make each one unique and better focused on its own keyword.

Let’s say someone’s looking for an in-depth guide, and your page is only a summary. If the intent of the search and your content don’t align, you’ll lose out. Your content needs to answer the searcher’s question fully – and reflect your expertise while doing it.

How to fix it: When you create content, think about why someone would search for your topic. Are they looking for an answer, a how-to guide, or maybe a product? Make sure you’re clear on the intent and that your page fully meets it.

Missing metadata, unoptimised images, and sparse internal links can seriously hold back your SEO. Metadata (like page titles and descriptions) helps search engines understand what each page is about, so it’s essential to include it and make it relevant.

How to fix it: Check your pages for missing metadata and internal links. Make sure your images are optimised, too – this means using relevant alt text and keeping file sizes down so they don’t slow the page down.

If your site doesn’t work well on mobile, it’s going to suffer in the rankings. With more people browsing on their phones, mobile optimisation is now a critical part of SEO. A responsive design that adapts to every screen size is key, along with fast load times.

How to fix it: Test your site on different devices. Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test tool is a good place to start. Aim for fast loading by compressing images, reducing file sizes, and considering a Content Delivery Network (CDN) to cache your content.

Backlinks are a significant ranking factor, but not all links are created equal. Links from reputable, relevant sites are valuable, while low-quality or spammy backlinks can harm your site’s credibility.

How to fix it: Focus on building links from credible sources. Avoid paying for links or over-optimising your anchor text – both of which can look unnatural to search engines and lead to penalties.

Sometimes, a site’s technical foundation can be the issue. If search engines can’t crawl your site properly, it won’t rank well. Things like broken links, duplicate content, and overly complex URLs can all hinder your SEO.

How to fix it: Regularly check for any technical issues with tools like Google Search Console. Fix broken links, set up redirects if necessary, and tidy up your URLs.

Schema markup helps search engines understand your content in context, giving them more confidence in your page. By adding schema, you can also boost your chances of appearing in rich snippets, which can improve your visibility.

How to fix it: Add schema markup to your pages. If you’re unsure where to start, Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper is a handy tool.

SEO isn’t a one-off job – it’s an ongoing process. Search engines reward sites that consistently provide fresh, relevant content. Ignoring your site’s content for months at a time can lead to a drop in rankings.

How to fix it: Set up a regular content review. Aim to update key pages every few months, refreshing content, adding new data or insights, and keeping it relevant.

If you’re not monitoring your SEO performance, you’re flying blind. You need to know which strategies are working and where there’s room for improvement.

How to fix it: Google Analytics and Search Console are your friends here. Set up tracking to monitor traffic, keyword rankings, and bounce rates.

Perhaps the biggest mistake is viewing SEO as something to check off a list. In reality, SEO is an ongoing effort. The algorithms change, competitors’ sites change, and search trends evolve. If you want to stay on top, you need to keep working at it.

How to fix it: Schedule time to review and update your SEO every month or so. Regular tweaks and improvements will pay off over time.