5 SEO mistakes that make your website rank poorly

But... it's not impossible to fight your way up there. Far from it, in fact - if you know where to start. And where you absolutely not shell.

So without further ado, here are 5 SEO mistakes that make your website crawl in the wrong direction in Google's search results (and of course, I'll give you the best tips to turn things around so that even a copywriter becomes envious)

#1 Your product descriptions are lagging or missing

There are many advantages to doing business online. But let's be honest: There is also disadvantages.

You can't greet your customers with a smile, you can't seduce them with a beautiful storefront and/or interior design, and you can't catch them in the moment when they're holding this new blender/sweater/mobile phone and considering their purchase.

Well, actually, yes, you can.

With your product descriptions. Because product descriptions are the final push you can give your visitors so that they end up clicking 'buy'. Is there no product description or is it incomplete? Then you're missing the opportunity to close that deal. Often your potential customer will have run faster to your competitor than Usain Bolt ran 100 metres in his heyday.

And when your visitors aren't impressed - well, neither is Google. And you know what that means.

Are your product descriptions lagging? Then do it here:

Do you feel like the reincarnation of Hemingway when you sit at the keyboard? Awesome! Now it's time to get started writing those product descriptions. But... writing product descriptions that please the user andGoogle is a discipline in itself.

Here are some of my top tips for writing product descriptions that sell:

• Keep texts light
• Use the EFU Model (or FFU as it's also known - you'll find plenty of guides to this model with a quick Google search)
• Drop filler words and platitudes

There's no getting away from the fact that writing product descriptions is a bit of a chore, and there are probably other things you'd rather be doing. Would you rather put your trust in a professional who is an elite performer when it comes to SEO copywriting? Then hire a copywriter.

#2 You have duplicate content

When we talk about duplicate content, let's start by clarifying that we're not talking about plagiarism, which is more or less on par with the ten deadly sins. You don't have to steal from elsewhere to get in bad standing with Google. You can easily put yourself in that position.

If you don't take duplicate content into account, you could end up with braids in your mailbox. Because Google wants to provide their users with the most original content possible.

When you reuse content from your own page to your own site, Google doesn't know how to index the content - and that can lead to poor rankings. The same applies if you reuse content from a blog post on your own or another site, for example.

Did you forget to account for duplicate content? Then do it here:

Google itself has an excellent guide on how to avoid duplicate content (and get rid of what you have).

And of course, it goes without saying that you need to make sure your content is unique. On all pages. And pay extra attention when there are multiple pages in a category or if you create unique URLs for the same product - just in different colours (and use the same text for each).

Are you too busy to actually create unique and original content for all your pages? Then use a copywriter who can make sure you stay in the Google chalkbox. Whether it's a freelance copywriter or at an agency, a copywriter knows, How an SEO text should be cut - And you can use that to your advantage.

#3 You have developed an unhealthy relationship with keywords

Do you have the same relationship with keywords as you do with your Friday candy - the more the merrier? Then it's time to go on a diet. I don't want to get involved in the Friday candy, but if your primary purpose in your texts is to fill in the words between each of your (probably many) keywords, it's time for a detox.

They say that too many cooks spoil the broth - and the same goes for keywords. Because while keywords are important in your SEO texts (ask any copywriter), they're only worth something when you use them correctly.

Has the amount of keywords gotten out of hand? Here's the solution:

In the old days, you could get away with almost incoherent texts as long as they were packed with keywords. But Google, like wine, gets better with age, and if you have to follow just one SEO rule, let it be this: Make your user experience count.

A good user experience goes straight to the heart of Google. And it's credited with great spots on the podium.

Ditch the overuse of keywords and focus on creating good content first and foremost. If the quantity of keywords goes beyond the quality of the content, you have too many keywords. It's as simple as that.

So cut out the repetition and focus instead on producing content that is worth reading.

#4 You forget your meta descriptions

Do you create your own meta descriptions? Or do you let your CMS do it? If you're in the latter category, it's time for a change - because auto-generated meta descriptions aren't exactly sexy. This means that fewer people will click through to your site because it simply doesn't look very appetising.

Your meta title and meta description are your pitch, and in most cases there is a good reason to spend 5 minutes writing them yourself.

Forgot your meta descriptions? Here's your salvation:

A meta-text does not directly improve your ranking in search results. But an appetising meta text that shows that users will find exactly what they're looking for here will drive more traffic. And a higher click through rate doesn't just improve the user experience - it also charms Google.

Here my advice is simple: Write them yourself. There are numerous tools out there on the vast internet to test your meta-texts, so it's just a matter of getting started. Writing a good meta text is, like any other text, a discipline in itself, but in most cases it doesn't take much to improve.

#5 Internal link building is a city in Russia

You know how much value external link building brings. But do you also know how good a business it is to make something out of internal link building?

Linking internally between your own pages, services or products makes the user experience better and more intuitive, and what does that mean?

Love from Google.

Internal link building is nothing to sneeze at. If you do it correctly, you can actually pull yourself up several positions in Google's search results. And who doesn't dream of that?

Have you overlooked the value of internal link building? Here's how to do it:

When you write a text or have a copywriter write on your website or webshop, there will usually be landing pages for services or products related to that particular product or page. Do you sell knitting needles and yarn? Then it makes sense to link to yarn in the category description for knitting needles.

When it makes sense to link between products, do it. When you link from one to the other (and vice versa), you get transferred link value (and maybe even additional sales), and it's not exactly hurting your business.

SEO copywriting is a discipline that requires diligence

Want to improve your SEO? Writing good SEO texts that sell is a discipline in itself. Organic traffic takes effort and results don't come overnight. However, it is an investment that pays off in the long run.

Google's algorithm is being developed and improved non-stop at a pace that would make even Jason Watt envious.

And if you have to take away just one thing from this article, let it be this: 

Google prioritises the user experience - so if you're always working and writing with the user experience in mind, you can't go wrong.