If you’ve devoted any amount of time to optimizing your online presence, you’ve without a doubt encountered endless advice about all the things you should be doing to get SEO “right”. Unfortunately, there’s not much out there about what you might be doing wrong and it could be damaging your chances at gaining any traction in the digital world.

To help gain more visibility and traffic online, here are four things you should never be doing with SEO and content marketing strategies.

Taking Shortcuts with Keyword Optimization

Even with shifting priorities in Google’s algorithm, keywords will always remain relevant to SEO. We’re willing to bet that you already know that the right keywords help you get noticed. But, what you might not be getting right is how you’re using them.

We know that at least half of search engine queries are 4 words or longer. If you’re stuck in a rut of using one or two keywords per page or piece of content, you’re not even close to optimizing your keyword strategy.

Consumers today have become more savvy about how they search online. They’re using longer phrases and more detailed words to communicate what they’re looking for. The rise of voice search has contributed to this as well, to the point that longer phrases that match natural language patterns are winning out over the old standard approach to keywords.

Not Going Deep Enough with Content

Content is an essential delivery vehicle for your brand’s message and the value you provide to your market. Taking a wimpy approach to content marketing is like putting someone on a bus that will only take them halfway to their destination.

Your audience wants more from you. They’re looking for longer form content that establishes your authority, is meaty enough to deliver a message they’re interested in and is something different than the standard dribble your competitors are putting out. Go long – at least 1,000 words – and make it unique, relevant and engaging.

Thinking More Is Better

No one is going to argue that having a strategy for regularly engaging with your audience is a bad thing, unless the only way you can do it is by cranking out mediocre content just for the sake of getting something out there. The fact is quality is important to your audience and Google – meaning it wins out over quantity every time.

If what you’re putting out there is less than your most stellar work, then cut back. Keep to a regular schedule so that your audience knows what to expect but reduce the frequency to one you can handle with authority and ease.

Not Paying Enough Attention to Your Local Market

If you’re a local business, the world around you is filled with opportunity. You have an entire community that’s waiting to connect with you, if you show them the how. One of the worst things you can do for both SEO and content is ignoring the local factor.

Start paying extra attention to local SEO tactics, like leveraging geographically relevant keywords or producing content that matters to local audiences. You can also start by connecting with a local marketing agency that knows how to get results for your business. Contact Spark Local Marketing at 864-477-2111 and learn what our SEO services can do for your Greenville business today.