Search engine optimization is one of the most powerful long-term marketing channels available — but it's also one of the easiest to get wrong. Small mistakes can cost you thousands of organic visitors every month. Here are the 10 most common SEO mistakes we see, and exactly how to fix them.
1. Ignoring Core Web Vitals
Google's Core Web Vitals are now a confirmed ranking factor. If your site scores poorly on LCP (Largest Contentful Paint), FID (First Input Delay), or CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift), you're likely losing rankings to faster competitors.
Fix: Run your site through Google PageSpeed Insights. Compress images, defer render-blocking scripts, and use a CDN.
2. Keyword Stuffing
Repeating your target keyword 30 times on a single page doesn't help — it actually hurts. Google's algorithms are sophisticated enough to detect unnatural keyword density and will penalize pages that feel spammy.
Fix: Write naturally for humans first. Use your primary keyword in the title, first paragraph, one H2, and the meta description. Use semantic variations throughout the rest.
3. Missing or Duplicate Meta Descriptions
While meta descriptions aren't a direct ranking factor, they massively affect your click-through rate (CTR) in search results. Pages with no meta description get auto-generated snippets — which are almost always worse.
Fix: Write a unique, compelling meta description (150–160 characters) for every page. Include your primary keyword and a clear value proposition.
4. Not Optimising for Mobile
Over 63% of Google searches happen on mobile devices. Google uses mobile-first indexing, meaning it primarily crawls and indexes the mobile version of your site. A poor mobile experience directly harms rankings.
Fix: Use responsive design. Test your site in Chrome DevTools mobile emulation and fix any layout, font size, or tap target issues.
5. Broken Internal Links
Broken internal links waste your crawl budget, frustrate visitors, and signal poor site maintenance to Google. Even one broken link can disrupt the flow of link equity through your site.
Fix: Use Screaming Frog or Ahrefs to crawl your site monthly and identify broken links. Fix 404s with 301 redirects or update the link.
6. Thin Content Pages
Pages with fewer than 300 words, little substance, or content that doesn't adequately answer a user's query are considered "thin content" by Google. These pages rarely rank and can drag down your whole domain.
Fix: Consolidate thin pages, expand them with comprehensive information, or noindex them if they serve no SEO purpose.
7. Ignoring Image Alt Text
Images without alt text are invisible to Google. You're missing out on image search traffic and accessibility compliance. Alt text also provides additional context about your page's topic.
Fix: Add descriptive, keyword-relevant alt text to every image. Keep it natural — describe the image content accurately.
8. No Schema Markup
Schema markup (structured data) helps Google understand your content and can unlock rich snippets in search results — star ratings, FAQs, event dates, and more. These dramatically improve CTR.
Fix: Implement JSON-LD schema for your business type. Use Google's Rich Results Test to validate your markup.
9. Neglecting Link Building
Content alone won't rank for competitive keywords. Backlinks remain one of Google's top 3 ranking factors. Sites with more high-quality backlinks consistently outrank sites with better on-page SEO but fewer links.
Fix: Create link-worthy content (original research, tools, comprehensive guides). Conduct outreach to relevant blogs. Use HARO (Help a Reporter Out) to earn media mentions.
10. Not Tracking the Right Metrics
Many businesses obsess over vanity metrics like total traffic while ignoring what actually matters: organic conversions, revenue per keyword, and ranking position changes. Without proper tracking, you can't make informed decisions.
Fix: Set up Google Analytics 4 + Google Search Console properly. Create custom dashboards that track organic traffic, conversions, and top landing pages by revenue.
Final Thoughts
SEO success comes from getting the fundamentals right and being consistent. Fix these 10 mistakes and you'll likely see significant ranking improvements within 60–90 days. Need help? Our SEO team has taken 300+ websites to page one on Google.