SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is more than just a few words on your website–it’s an essential part of any successful marketing strategy. Google commands nearly 89% of worldwide online search traffic, and over 50% is organic! Therefore, creating the right, searchable content for your intended audience is more crucial than ever.

However, your SEO could work against you if not executed correctly. Wasted marketing dollars, incorrect keywords, or a poorly constructed user experience are among the many reasons your website is getting knocked down a peg or two.

Before you consider hiring an in-house SEO professional or an outside digital marketing agency like Guarantee Digital, do an SEO audit on your web presence. If your SEO is struggling, review the following reasons why this may be.

Possible Reasons for a Malfunction in Your SEO

User Experience
In the physical world, do you like going into a grocery store where everything is scattered haphazardly and hard to navigate? Most likely not. The same applies to your website. Ensure it is a pleasant user experience for all searching for what you offer. 

Content Quality
The term “content is king” is gaining traction more and more every day as Google’s search engine gets smarter. Is your content redundant, poorly spelled, or lacking in quantity? This works heavily against you in the search engine world. 

Incorrect Keywords
What keywords are your customers searching for online when seeking a product or service you offer? Missing out on that traffic by using misleading keywords in your content will inadvertently drop your Google rank quickly or misplace your website in a category you don’t belong to. 

Bad Links
Make sure that all functional material on your website is fully operational. Broken links disrupt your SEO efforts in that Google rewards fully functional websites with quality, original content with leading visibility. Also, consider your off-site SEO efforts, such as backlinks, which are links that connect back to your website on other sites. 

Targeted Locations
In several industries, identifying your location helps tremendously in your SEO. Does your website point to an area far from your physical location, or have you yet to incorporate enough of a search area surrounding your location to connect with customers in your area?   

Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
Much like Search Engine Optimization, Search Engine Marketing is your direct effort to get the word out about your brand. SEM includes native ads, pay-per-click (PPC) ads, and Google AdWords. If your digital marketing efforts lack SEM, this will set you back on your SEO.