Moz’s most recent study of factors that influence a website’s search engine optimization (SEO) positioning has confirmed what many of you already knew: Inbound links, keywords, and content marketing remain the kings in organic positioning. This report was created using the responses of over 150 SEO experts and online marketers to determine which practices have a positive or negative impact on a website’s rank in Google search results.
Although some of the above-mentioned practices will still have an impact on website success, many factors can negatively affect the visibility and optimization of online businesses. This list shows you what factors hurt SEO and how you should avoid if your website wants to appear first in search results for keywords that you have chosen.
SEO ranking can be negatively affected by certain factors
1. Inbound links that are artificial or spammy
You may get penalized if you purchase links or take part in large-scale linking programs. Google created the Penguin algorithm to ensure that pages at the top of search results have been ranked because they have received links from authoritative sources.
2. Pages with duplicate content
When the same information is published on multiple pages, it’s called duplicate content. It can be an error in a website redesign or a strategy to rank higher for content copied from other websites. The search engine will always offer the same information through different links. This can lead to a poor user experience.
3. Poor content
Poor content means that the information is only presented on a few pages and does not offer any value to the user. Websites are awarded a high-ranking in-search ranking if they publish useful and exclusive content.
4. Anchor text over-optimization
Lower rankings can also affect websites that link internally to support their keyword strategies. Lower rankings can also affect websites that link to their keyword strategies. The anchor or text is where someone clicks to go to a new page. Anchor text optimization uses keywords to deliver link juice to the keywords.
5. Mobile devices not compatible
Mobile traffic is now more important than desktop traffic. If your content isn’t optimized for mobile devices, it will hurt your Google ranking. Google introduced an algorithm last year to reward websites that are optimized for tablets and smartphones. These pages will not be listed at the top of search results for mobile viewing because they are too difficult to use and not user-friendly.
6. Keywords are a great way to fill the content
Keywords in your content can help you rank higher, but you will get the opposite effect if you use them too often. If you use a keyword too often in your content, it can make your content appear unprofessional. It was a good rule to limit the number of keywords used to 100 words per text. It is best to only use keywords when they are relevant and solely for enriching your content.
7. Spam pages
Search engines tend to rank less for content that links to spam pages. Google penalizes websites that link to poor-quality pages.
8. Poor user satisfaction metrics
Poor user satisfaction metrics are more likely to rank lower in search engine results. A high bounce rate, for example, is a sign of poor user satisfaction. It means that users who click to access the internet immediately leave, either because they don’t see what they need or because it doesn’t have the information they are looking for. They find it appealing or unreliable.
9. Slow loading speed
Poor search ranking positions are associated with slow load times. The bounce rate will increase the longer it takes for a website to load its content. Google doesn’t want users to wait to find the information they need, so they prefer pages that load quickly.
10. Low engagement metrics
If you have lower engagement than other sites, it is a sign that your engagement metrics are poor. This indicates that the visitors don’t find your content valuable. It is an indication that your content is not of much use if users leave the page after a few seconds and then return to another site.
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