10 Most Common SEO Mistakes and How to Fix Them

SEO may sound like a techy buzzword. But it’s just a way to help your business get noticed online. If you’re running a small shop, a micro-business, or even freelancing, you don’t need to be a geek to make it work. Search Engine Optimization – that’s what SEO stands for – is about getting your website to pop up when people search for stuff you sell in search engines like Google. The problem is, a lot of business owners mess it up without even knowing. Don’t worry, though. I’ve got your back. Let’s walk through the most common SEO mistakes and how you can fix them.

1. Ignoring Keywords: The Foundation of Online Visibility

Picture this: someone’s looking for a plumber in your town. They type “emergency plumber near me” into Google. If your website doesn’t have those words anywhere, guess what? You’re invisible. Keywords are the magic phrases people use to find businesses like yours. A lot of small business owners skip this because they think it’s too complicated or doesn’t matter. Big mistake, and one of the most common SEO mistakes to avoid.

Here’s the fix: think about what your customers might search for. If you run a bakery, words like “fresh cupcakes” or “birthday cakes near me” are gold. You don’t need a fancy tool – just brainstorm five or ten phrases that fit your business. Then sprinkle them into your website. Put “fresh cupcakes” on your homepage, maybe in a sentence like, “We bake fresh cupcakes every morning.” Keep it natural, like you’re chatting with a friend. Google’s smart enough to notice, and soon, you’ll start showing up in searches. Easy, right?

2. Overloading with Keywords: When Too Much Hurts

Okay, so you’ve got your keywords. Awesome. But here’s where some folks go overboard. They think, “If ‘cheap tires’ is good, I’ll just write it 50 times on my page!” Nope. That’s called keyword stuffing, and it’s a disaster. Imagine reading a website that says, “Cheap tires here, cheap tires there, the best cheap tires ever.” Isn’t it annoying? Customers hate it, and Google does too. It’s a big SEO mistake to avoid, and it'll actually push your site down the search results for being spammy.

The trick is balance. Use your keywords a few times – maybe two or three on a page – and weave them in naturally. For example, if you sell tires, write something like, “Looking for cheap tires that last? We’ve got you covered.” It’s smooth, it’s readable, and it still tells Google what you’re about. Less is more here. Trust me, you don’t need to drown your site in repetition to get noticed.

3. Forgetting Mobile Users: Losing Half Your Customers

Let’s be real: how often do you pull out your phone to look something up? All the time, right? Your customers are the same. But here’s a common slip-up: business owners build a website that looks great on a computer and forget to check it on a phone. One of the biggest SEO mistakes. If your site’s text is tiny, buttons don’t work, or it’s a jumbled mess on mobile, people will bounce. Worse, Google knows this and bumps you down the rankings.

Fixing this is simpler than you think. Pull out your phone and visit your site. Scroll around. Can you read everything? Click stuff? If it’s a hassle, you’ve got work to do. A quick win is picking a website template that’s “mobile-friendly” – most platforms offer these, CLOSER does for sure. Or, if you’ve got someone who built your site, ask them to tweak it. Half your potential customers are on phones. Don’t leave them hanging.

4. Slow Website Speed: Driving Visitors Away

Ever clicked a link and waited… and waited… and then just gave up? That’s what happens when your website’s too slow. People don’t have patience, and neither does Google. A sluggish site is like a cashier who takes forever to ring you up – it drives everyone nuts. Small business owners often don’t realize their site’s dragging because they’re not checking the nuts and bolts.

Here’s how to speed things up, in brief. First, look at your images. Big, high-res photos are great for showing off your work, but they can bog things down. Shrink them before uploading – use a free tool like TinyPNG if you’re not sure how. Second, check with your web host. If your site’s on a cheap, overloaded server, it’ll crawl. Ask them, “Hey, can you move me to something faster?” A little nudge can make a big difference. Fast sites keep customers happy and Google smiling. Here is a detailed guide for you on how to optimize your website speed for better rankings.

5. Skipping Descriptions and Titles: Missing Easy Wins

Every page on your site needs a little label – a title and a description. These are called meta tags. They’re just short bits of text that tell Google what your page is about. Think of them as the sign above your shop door. A lot of business owners skip this because they don’t know it matters, and it’s one of the most common SEO mistakes. Without them, your site’s like a store with no sign – nobody knows what’s inside.

Here’s the fix: for each page, write a clear title and a one-sentence description. If you’ve got a flower shop, your homepage title could be “Lily’s Flowers – Fresh Bouquets in Denver.” The description? “Order fresh bouquets for any occasion from Lily’s Flowers in Denver.” Keep the title under 60 characters and the description under 160 – short and sweet. In CLOSER website builder, there’s a spot to add these. It’s a small tweak that punches way above its weight.

6. Ignoring Local Search: Hiding from Nearby Customers

If you’re a local business – say, a coffee shop or a barber – you need nearby customers to find you. But here’s a trap: lots of owners don’t tell Google where they are. Without that, your site might show up for someone in another state, not the guy down the street. That’s where local search comes in, and it’s a goldmine for small businesses.

The easiest fix is Google Business Profile. It’s free, and it puts you on Google Maps. Sign up, add your address, hours, and a few photos of your shop. When someone searches “coffee near me,” boom, there you are. Keep it updated – if your hours change, fix it fast. It’s like hanging a neon “Open” sign online. Don’t sleep on this one; it’s too good to miss.

7. Not Updating Content: Letting Your Site Grow Stale

Imagine walking into a store with a “New Year’s Sale 2018” poster still up. You’d think, “Is this place even open?” Same deal with your website. If your last blog post is three years old or your “About Us” page lists an old phone number, it looks like you’ve checked out. Customers notice, and so does Google. Stale sites sink in search results.

Freshen it up. Add a quick post about a new product – “Just started selling gluten-free cookies!” – or update your hours if they’ve shifted. Swap out old photos for new ones. Aim to tweak something every few months. It doesn’t have to be a novel; even a paragraph works. Think of it as dusting off your storefront. A little effort keeps you relevant.

8. Avoiding Links: Missing Out on Connections

Links are like handshakes online. When your site links to another helpful page – or better yet, when someone links to you – it’s a signal you’re part of the community. But tons of small business owners avoid this. Maybe they’re worried about sending people away or just don’t get why it matters. Truth is, links boost your credibility with Google and customers alike.

Start small. Link to a local partner – like if you’re a caterer, point to the bakery you work with. Or ask a friend with a business to link to your site from theirs. It’s like saying, “Hey, we vouch for each other.” Don’t overthink it; one or two solid links can nudge your site up the ranks. It’s word-of-mouth, digital style.

9. Neglecting Customer Reviews: Overlooking Trust Signals

Reviews are your secret weapon. People trust businesses with good feedback – it’s like a friend saying, “This place is legit.” But here’s the mistake: many owners don’t ask for reviews or show them off. They’re leaving money on the table. Google loves reviews too – they help your site rank higher.

Here’s the play: after a sale, politely ask happy customers to leave a review. Say something like, “Loved working with you – mind dropping a quick review on Google?” Make it easy – send them a link if you can. Then put your best reviews on your site, maybe on the homepage. “Five stars from Sarah: ‘Best haircut ever!’” It’s social proof that builds trust fast. Don’t let this one slip by.

10. Trying to Do It All Alone: Wasting Time and Money

Last one, and it’s a biggie. SEO can feel overwhelming, so lots of business owners try to tackle it solo. They spend hours fiddling with their site, guessing what works, and getting nowhere. Or they give up entirely. Either way, it’s a waste of your time – and time’s money when you’re running a business.

You don’t have to do it alone. If tech’s not your thing, hire a freelancer for a one-time fix – plenty of folks on sites like Upwork can tune up your SEO for a couple hundred bucks. Many platforms have built-in help or tools. Lean on something or someone. You’re a business owner, not a tech wizard, and that’s okay.

So there you have it – the top SEO mistakes to avoid and how to dodge them. You don’t need to be a pro to make these fixes work. Start with one, see the difference, and build from there. Your website’s your online storefront. Give it some love, and watch the customers roll in.