Search Engine Optimisation is a key to the success of any business online. However, there are many reason why SEO fails in 2024 even after putting your best efforts into it.
Online presence has become crucial these days. It is like you are in a shopping mall with crowded shops, and an effective marketing plan is a must to stand out in the crowd.
The same goes for standing out online in competitive market, a strong and comprehensive search engine optimisation strategy should be followed to get discovered.
However, sometimes you have put your best efforts to implement an optimisation plan but the results need to meet the expectations.
Worry not if you are going through the same situation, as SEO is a complex process, and minor mistakes cause big issues for the website. Rectifying and resolving the problems on time can bring your website back on track.
The following are some of the more common reasons people fail at SEO, along with solutions. Determine if any of them apply to you:
Reasons why SEO fails and how to fix it?
Here, we have gathered a comprehensive list of why SEO fails in 2024 and how to fix it. But before, it is pertinent to remember that SEO is not a magic game; it takes time to yield results. So do not look for shortcuts, as they damage the website in the long term.
Give your strategy room to play out. If your strategy is weak or needs improvement after a couple of months, bring changes after a thorough audit and analysis of shortcomings. Online marketing takes time to take a hit, so be patient and stay vigilant.
So, let’s get started:
Ignoring performance while monitoring:
When implementing an SEO plan, it is good to monitor performance from time to time. Knowing whether your strategies are working as you planned is good practice.
However, sometimes, many people do not look at the report in detail. Monitoring means that you are reviewing the data carefully and identifying which part of strategy are working effectively and which are not up to the mark.
How to fix it?
Analysing the data closely every time might be time consuming however, with it you can produce better results and justify the time that is spent on reports.
Ignoring Technical SEO issues:
A strong SEO strategy means you are focusing on all aspects of optimisation, including local SEO, on-page, off-page SEO and technical SEO. If you overlook any single one, the plan to get potential results might not work.
People often ignore technical SEO, considering it as not of the same worth, but it is a mistake causing SEO plans to fail.
Your solid SEO plan might have all that is required like choosing the appropriate keywords, optimised content, images and so on but if technical aspects are ignored the results might not be as sound as you have imagined.
Every SEO component is essential, and your web page needs to be improved over time. The website needs to work and function properly. So the plan can genuinely work and provide a smooth path to achieve the goal.
Technical SEO affects ranking very hard, and according to the stats, search engines leave the website abandoned if it takes more than 3 seconds to load on mobile phones. The visitors follow the same practice if the website does not open in three seconds. They lose interest and leave the website. Therefore, the bounce rate increases and can harm your SEO strategy.
How to fix?
The algorithm of Google is designed to ensure that visitors find the best results on the first pages. If the visitors quickly leave the page, it indicates to the algorithm that the page is not up to the standard or irrelevant to the search query. Therefore, it appears less likely in the top search results of the page.
However, you can use the Google PageSpeed Insights tool to monitor the page speed and determine why your page takes so much time to load as if it is the age of dial-up connections. With the help of a tool, you can evaluate the technical issues and address them quickly.
However, at this stage, make sure you know what was causing the error and devise permanent solutions. For instance, sometimes high-definition images or gifs cause issues loading webpages, particularly on mobile phones. If that’s the issue, you can compress the files or upload web images so the site loads quickly. Both practices do not compromise on image quality while improving site loading speed.
Only using general keywords:
General keywords undoubtedly have remarkable volume but also bring many competitors and general traffic to the site. First of all, General Keywords like “fast food in the UK” are vague, and you might only drag the visitors but not the potential customers or buyers.
Moreover, these keywords might drag keywords from Scotland while the person looking for fast food options is seeking results in London. Therefore, the bounce rate can also increase. Adding these keywords also looks like keyword stuffing and does nothing good for the website.
How to fix it?
So here is how you can fix the problem:
Go for comprehensive keyword research before adding it in content, check volume, competition and relevant details before finalising the details.
Only add the keywords in the recommended ratio in the content so it looks natural and algorithms find it good to go. For instance, instead of using “Fast food in the UK,” you can use keywords like “best pizza shops in Notting Hill London,” which can work better.
Make sure that any keyword that you are using works in the content and meets your website objectives. It will increase the visitors’ interest, and you can achieve your SEO goals successfully.
Short Content is not effective:
“Content is king,” while implying any SEO strategy, do not forget it. Publishing short content looks understandable as you can avoid many mistakes and make it more informative while it takes less time to publish. Moreover, it is said that people are more convinced to read short content than a long piece.
However, the search engine stats say something different. According to the details, the top 10 ranked search engine content is over two thousand words. However, the content is properly optimised and linked.
It might feel opposite to the general perspective, but thinking closely will make sense. The longer the content is, the more time it will take for visitors to stay on the page, which is good for search engine optimisation.
How to fix it?
Publish only long forms of content with optimised and informative data. Offer your visitors with genuine value and informative details.
However, avoid adding vague or bad-quality content on the website to make it long. The long or short content is only valuable when optimised, effective, and delivers real value.
Ignoring quality backlinks:
Backlinks are links included in the web content and lead back to your website. It is also known as link building.
Link building is an essential strategy that plays a vital role in SEO. Ignoring the effectiveness of backlinking is one of the reasons why SEO fails.
Again, we repeat that Google Search Algorithms’ main aim is to ensure visitors find comprehensive and user-friendly content quickly when they type the keywords.
Therefore, when the content often links back to the pages, it gives algorithms a signal that the website is reliable, valuable, and authoritative.
How to fix the issue?
If your content has fewer backlinks, you can resolve the issue by adding them. However, a few steps should be considered before generating consistent backlinks.
You can give links to partner websites. However, ensure that you have strong, valid reasons to post content on the site and that it does not look unnatural.
Random links can be damaging to the website. For instance, if you partner with a food and nutrition website for link exchange while optimising an automobile company, it can look suspicious.
The google algorithms often deduct such manipulations and links of automobile companies on any food and nutrition webpage and penalise the websites.
You can also choose various other ways to generate backlinks. You can search for relevant content, products, and brands. You can search for the mentions without links, try to reach the site owners, write content if they ask, and insert the relevant links.
Conclusion:
There are no hard and fast rules that tell why SEO fails and how to fix it. SEO is a complex procedure, and achieving objectives becomes less challenging with consistent efforts and concentration.
Pay attention to content optimisation, keyword research, technical SEO and so on to ensure successful SEO practices. By paying attention to small details, the failing SEO strategy takes flight and helps achieve your goals and objectives.
