5 Common SEO Mistakes That Are Killing Your Rankings

Even experienced marketers make SEO mistakes that hurt their rankings. Here are five common errors and how to fix them.

Mistake #1: Ignoring Search Intent

Targeting keywords without understanding search intent is a recipe for failure. If users are searching for "best project management software" (comparison intent), a product page won't rank. Create content that matches the intent behind each keyword.

Mistake #2: Neglecting Technical SEO

Great content won't rank if your site has technical issues. Slow page speed, broken links, poor mobile experience, and crawl errors all hurt your rankings. Run regular technical audits to catch and fix these issues.

Mistake #3: Thin or Duplicate Content

Thin content that doesn't provide value or duplicate content across multiple pages will hurt your rankings. Every page should have unique, comprehensive content that fully addresses the topic.

Mistake #4: Weak Internal Linking

Internal links help search engines understand your site structure and pass authority between pages. Many sites miss opportunities to strengthen their internal linking, leaving important pages orphaned or difficult to discover.

Mistake #5: Not Optimizing for Featured Snippets

Featured snippets can dramatically increase your click-through rate. Structure your content to answer questions directly, use lists and tables, and format content in ways that make it easy for Google to extract and feature.

Take Action Today

Audit your site for these common mistakes and create an action plan to fix them. Small improvements in these areas can lead to significant ranking gains.