Search engine optimisation is not as complicated as most people think — but it is easy to get wrong. We see the same ten mistakes repeated across hundreds of client sites. Fix these and you will almost certainly see meaningful ranking improvements.
1. Ignoring Search Intent
The biggest SEO mistake is writing content that does not match what the user actually wants. Google is extremely good at detecting whether a page satisfies intent. A page targeting "best running shoes" that leads with a 2,000-word history of footwear will never rank, no matter how technically perfect it is.
2. Keyword Stuffing
Cramming your target keyword into every other sentence is a relic of 2010-era SEO. Modern algorithms look for topical depth, not keyword repetition. Write naturally, use synonyms, and cover related subtopics. Density is not a metric worth optimising for.
3. Neglecting Page Speed
Core Web Vitals are a confirmed ranking signal. A page that takes four seconds to load on mobile is leaving rankings on the table. Run Lighthouse audits on every key page. Aim for a Largest Contentful Paint under 2.5 seconds.
4. Thin Content
Pages with fewer than 300 words rarely rank for competitive queries. Thin content signals to Google that your page does not have much to offer. Merge thin pages with related content, or expand them substantially.
5. Missing Internal Links
Internal links distribute authority across your site and help Google discover pages it has not yet crawled. Every important page should be reachable within three clicks from the homepage. Review your internal linking structure quarterly.
6. Not Tracking What Matters
Rankings are a vanity metric if they are not tied to clicks, sessions, and conversions. Set up Google Analytics 4 and Search Console. Create a monthly report that tracks organic traffic, top-performing pages, click-through rate, and goal completions.
Correcting even three or four of these mistakes can make a measurable difference. Start with the ones most directly relevant to your site and build from there.