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Search Engine Optimization SEO is a powerful tool for driving motivated prospects and customers to a website or blog. Those searching for specific keyword phrases are serious leads and buyers. They are not casual shoppers that make an impulse buy when they happen to see an ad. Most business owners who invest in professional SEO services or try to do it themselves, do not get a good return on their investment of time and money. This article will explore 10 common SEO marketing mistakes and SEO tips that can significantly improve your traffic and conversions.

Mistake 1: Search engine optimization that fails to optimize with keywords based on research.

Without careful keyword research on the keyword phrases your market is actually searching, the keywords you think are important may not produce targeted traffic or conversions. Many companies providing SEO services make promises about getting your site to rank in top positions in major search engines. They may ask you for a keyword list or provide you with a list of keywords. Often these keywords are not heavily searched or able to target your ideal customer.

Mistake 2: Search engine optimization using unrelated keywords on a single page.

Is your page stuffed with keywords that are not laser focused on a single purpose? Maybe you are trying to promote several services or products on a single page. It is far better to use keywords and keyword phrases that are related to one single objective. Fewer keywords that are closely related to one another will get you better results. Include a separate optimized page for each unique product and /or service that you offer and keep your keywords highly relevant to that page only.

Mistake 3: Search engine optimization using keywords that are too broad.

Keep in mind that the more specific your keywords are, the more likely you are to attract a serious lead or buyer. Not only is it extremely difficult to get your site to rank well for broad single keyword terms, these terms are generally not effective unless you are a large branded company. Let's say you offer residential roofing contractor services. It is unlikely that you will rank well for a broad SEO keyword like roofing. Even if you did, the term roofing is very vague. It includes such components as residential roofing, commercial roofing, new roof construction and roof repair. It is far easier and more effective to get SEO ranking for keywords that are specific. This is likely to land your visitor on a page of information that is exactly what he or she is looking for. For example, if you were to optimize a page about residential roofing repairs with a keyword phrase like ‘residential roofing repairs,' you are much more likely to find a serious prospect. Further optimization with a search term like ‘residential tile roof repair' will produce an even more serious and qualified buyer. You may also wish to add keywords for your geographic area to attract more of a local market when that is appropriate.

Mistake 4: Search engine optimization using keywords that are not relevant to your content.

When search marketing on the Internet was relatively new, many website owners would stuff their website with highly searched terms, regardless of their relevance to the content on their pages. Some would even camouflage the keywords so that they were not visible on the page. Using tactics like that today will get you banned from the search engines. And if your keywords are a stretch from what you are selling or promoting, you are likely to instantly lose that visitor who lands on your page. People do not stick around on web pages or blogs that don't immediately meet their needs. Remember that this is not a casual shopper but a motivated individual on a mission to find what they want.

Mistake 5: Search engine optimization that lacks sufficient or appropriate optimized content.

Web pages should contain 300 words of copy that is optimized with relevant keyword phrases and links when appropriate. This must be balanced with a good design and content in the form of images and/or multimedia that interrupts, engages, educates and presents your visitor with a low risk offer -- all of this while arousing an emotional response that get the visitor to take action. Optimized content is important but the reality is that people on the Internet do not like to read. Your internet user scans titles and looks at pictures, video and audio before they invest their time in the details. Sometimes web pages are filled with graphics with no text content at all. If you're getting plenty of traffic without conversions, it is more than likely that your content is the problem. Fortunately, this can be corrected by professional SEO services provided by an SEO expert.

Mistake 6: Search engine optimization with improper link structure in the web site navigation.

Many times links are not descriptive of the content and lack keywords that can help with SEO ranking. Flash navigation and links that are graphics or images offer no benefits at all for SEO ranking. Search engine spiders can only read text links. There are many ways that text links can be incorporated into a design and retain the look of a graphic. Text links that appear above all graphics on the page and incorporate relevant keywords are more likely to produce better results.

Mistake 7: Search engine optimization that fails to include appropriate links between pages on a web site.

One of many effective SEO techniques is to interlink between pages of a web site. Creating links on web site pages that contain keywords and link to other pages on that web site is an important SEO technique that should not be overlooked.

Mistake 8: Search engine optimization that excludes relevant meta tags on top level optimized pages.

One of the most important SEO techniques is to include meta tags on all optimized pages. Meta tags consist of a title tag, keyword tag and description tag that appear within your coded html page. A common mistake is to omit meta tags or include inappropriate tags both in content and length. The title tag, which displays in the blue bar on top of your browser, is the most important tag and is visible to anyone viewing the page. The keywords and description tags are only visible by viewing the source code. Some search engines rely heavily on these tags while other do not. Search results often display contents within the description tag or a segment of copy from the page that contains the searched keywords, along with the link to that particular landing page. A visitor may be motivated to click because of the description in the search results - that is why well written copy and meta tags is crucial for getting traffic. SEO services that are effective include keywords in sufficient quantities within the page copy and the identical keywords in the meta tags for each optimized page.

Mistake 9: Search engine optimization failure to submit a Google compliant sitemap to Google, Yahoo and MSN.

Reputable SEO services include the creation and submission of a Google compliant sitemap to major search engines. This sitemap resides within the root structure of your web site and interlinks your pages in a way that makes them easy to read by the search engines. This is not the same as a sitemap that displays for your visitor. Once created, the sitemap should be submitted to Google, Yahoo and MSN as a means of getting your site known to the search engines. Once your site is indexed by the major search engines, they will routinely spider your pages and automatically index content that you add at a later time.

Mistake 10: Search engine optimization that excludes hand submitting your site to large numerous search engine directories.

Hand submitting your site to search engine directories helps you to create powerful back links to your site. These SEO techniques are particularly important to new sites and sites that are lacking in authority or value with the search engines. Improving authority helps to improve SEO ranking for keywords. Submitting to directories is a great way to jump start traffic. Continually building back links however is important for retaining and improving your SEO ranking on a long term basis.

Avoiding these 10 common search engine optimization SEO mistakes will help you to get more quality traffic that produces conversions to loyal leads and customers. Relying on an SEO expert who regularly provides SEO marketing services is your best way to avoid these common mistakes, improve your SEO ranking and capture your market through improved conversions.