Startups have their work cut out for them: they must develop an effective organizational structure, penetrate the market, and keep the business afloat. Any mistake at this stage can nip your new business in the bud, so you must avoid common mistakes.

Search engine optimization (SEO) is one of the critical issues a startup needs to invest in at the beginning to bolster its popularity. You can increase your business’s visibility through SEO, lock down target demographics, and generate leads early. It also gives your startup some tangible progress report, which helps unlock funds from venture capitalists and investors. Your business must go every mile it can to avoid SEO mistakes. Here are some common mistakes startups make:

1. Ignoring Analytics

Many startups do everything by the book. They would conduct excellent keyword research, build an impressive back-link structure, and optimize their local and social media SEO. But there’s one critical mistake they make: they don’t check their analytics and track their results.

While the basic SEO practices are the same regardless of your business, you need to track and monitor your performance to optimize it constantly. Search engine optimization is an ongoing process that requires constant monitoring and adjustment.

Monitor how different strategies are working and adjust accordingly. You may be funding an SEO strategy without making much difference in your visibility. You can divert your focus and funding to the strategy that needs it the most. 

Google Analytics, SEM Rush, Ahrefs, and Moz are among the most common analytics tools. Books like The SEO Entrepreneur can also tell you about the different analytics tools and the KPIs you must monitor. 

2. Overlooking Local SEO

You can find your initial clients near you. Locals are more likely to buy from you, so you should invest in SEO that attracts the local population. However, many startups often neglect local SEO when making their strategy.

The first step to local SEO is to make a ‘Google My Business‘ page. Businesses with a Google My Business page rank higher in the search engine and are also discoverable to locals. Additionally, you should use keywords that mention your city, neighborhood, or street.

If your city has a famous landmark, you can also use that as a keyword. That way, whenever someone searches for businesses in your area, Google can direct them to your website. Consider adding location pages and creating content specifically targeted at the local population. These tips are simple but can significantly improve your local SEO. 

3. Not Doing On-Page SEO

On-page SEO is essential for any website, and your startup should fully optimize it. Some businesses often neglect their on-page SEO, resulting in missed visibility opportunities. Your on-page SEO involves title tags, meta descriptions, and content structure.

The title tag is the first thing a search engine looks at to determine what your page is about. It’s also what the user looks at in search results, so a well-made title tag can list you higher and convince a user to open your page. Keep your title tag concise and descriptive, incorporate relevant keywords, and ensure it accurately describes the page’s content. 

Meta descriptions are text snippets that appear below the title in search results. A good meta description can increase click-through rates and lead users to your website. Your meta description should include keywords and accurately describe the page. It should be readable: don’t make your meta descriptions too long. 

Content structuring is also integral to on-page SEO. Google prefers content structured in H1, H2, and H3 headings instead of a long text block. Additionally, including alt text for any images also improves your on-page SEO. 

4. Ignoring Website Optimization

Many startups don’t pay attention to their website and instead focus their SEO only on keyword research and backlinking. Having an easy-to-navigate, intuitive, and simple website is essential to SEO.

No matter how well you write a blog or optimize it, it won’t bring much value to your business until it is hosted on a fast, responsive website. Google’s search algorithm ranks fast websites higher, so by investing in your website’s development, you can considerably improve your SEO.

An essential part of website optimization is to make a mobile-friendly design. Creating a mobile responsive design involves scaling down the website size, reducing CSS, and removing Flash. Mobile websites need to be lighter than desktop sites to load efficiently.

Content should also fit the device so it can be displayed on phones. The image size also needs to be reduced accordingly for mobile phones. Making a site mobile-friendly improves its ranking in the Google search algorithm. Unfortunately, many startups don’t invest in mobile-friendliness.

5. Relying Solely on SEO

A common mistake some start-ups make is to invest too much in SEO! Remember: SEO is an integral part of your marketing but cannot replace your broader marketing strategy. You must produce high-quality content, graphics, and websites instead of relying on keywords and backlinking. Good SEO alone does not drive all traffic. 

Your startup should include several other strategies in its marketing strategy. For example, it should focus on paid advertisements. Partnering with influencers popular in your target demographic can also yield results. 

Endnote

New businesses and startups have a lot of competition. They must attract audiences within the first few months to find their footing. An optimal search engine optimization strategy can help your business generate and retain leads.

However, avoid common mistakes many startups make when you develop your SEO strategy. These include not tracking your progress, ignoring local and on-page SEO, having outdated, unoptimized websites, and ignoring other marketing avenues by focusing solely on SEO. By avoiding these mistakes, you can ensure your startup’s success.