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20 SEO Mistakes That Are Killing Your Traffic (and How to Fix Each)

From ignoring search intent to slow pages, missing alt text and no sitemap — the most common SEO mistakes, with a fix for every one.

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Keywords and content

1. Skipping keyword research. Use Google Keyword Planner, Ubersuggest or Keyword Tool before writing.

2. Targeting the wrong keywords. A smaller, specific term ("tile cutter for beginners") beats a huge generic one you can't rank for.

3. Ignoring search intent. Search your keyword and look at page one. If it's all lists, write a list; if it's all how-tos, write a how-to.

4. Duplicate content. Don't copy text from other sites or repeat the same page twice. Write it in your own words.

5. Thin content. Answer the question fully. Ask: would someone need to search again after reading this?

6. Keyword stuffing. Write naturally for people. Use the keyword in the title, first paragraph and one heading — that's enough.

7. Never updating content. Refresh popular posts every 6–12 months with new facts and dates.

8. Weak title tags. Under 60 characters, keyword near the front, a reason to click.

9. No meta descriptions. Write 140–160 characters that sell the click.

10. Messy headings. One H1 per page, H2s for sections, H3s inside them.

11. Messy URLs. /how-to-speed-up-windows beats /page?id=4821.

12. Missing alt text. Describe every image in a few words — it helps blind users and image search.

13. Poor internal linking. Link every new article to 2–3 related ones on your site.

14. Slow pages. Test on PageSpeed Insights; compress images with TinyPNG or Squoosh.

15. Not mobile-friendly. Most visitors are on phones. Check every page on your own phone.

16. Unoptimised images. Resize to the width they're shown, use WebP, lazy-load below the fold.

17. Broken links. Find them with Screaming Frog or Ahrefs Webmaster Tools.

18. No XML sitemap. Generate one and submit it in Google Search Console.

19. Ignoring backlinks. Earn them by making genuinely useful resources people want to cite. Never buy links.

20. Not checking analytics. Review Search Console and Google Analytics monthly: which pages grow, which drop, which searches you almost rank for.

Remember: great SEO isn't tricks. It's clarity, value and consistency.