When using WordPress, you can do plenty of good for your site. Not only does this platform offer a great way to set up a site and run it quickly, but it offers a host of SEO benefits. At the same time, amateurs are prone to make mistakes when running a WordPress site. Sometimes, when committing errors, it is easy to make enough that your site does not reach the top. With this is mind, here are five common SEO mistakes business make in WordPress.Too many plugins:
Now, with a plugin, you can run your site more efficiently and complete some tasks. For example, if you want to insert title tags and meta descriptions, you can do so with a plugin. Other times, you can check your keyword density. While these are good uses, you must not overly on applications to run your site. No, instead, you should ensure to make quality content and concentrate on offering a great product. For this reason, while you should use plugins, you should also avoid overusing them for your site. Furthermore, if you use too many, your pages will load slowly, and your site will suffer further in the organic search rankings.
Not using a sitemap:
When you create content, you should make sure the major search engines find it without delay. To do so, you need to do more than write a great article and post it on your page. You need an XML sitemap. Luckily, with WordPress, you can make one quickly and update it automatically. If you skip this, it may take weeks for Google and the leading search engines to discover your content. Fortunately, with so many programs, you can automate this task and see your site crawled frequently.
Not Updating WordPress:
Every so often, you will need to update your entire WordPress site. In these updates, you will enjoy valuable benefits such as enhanced security and other fixes. On the other hand, when ignoring this or putting it off for a long time, you will end up with a vulnerable site not optimally. Remember, with one click of the button, you can update your entire site in a few minutes. This is important for a host of reasons and SEO is certainly one of them.
Over-reliance on SEO:
Now, without a doubt, WordPress is a great tool for you to run your site and improve your search rankings. However, if you run a website, you must understand basic SEO principles. Instead of thinking WordPress will do it all, you must know how to write great content and get links from a variety of sources. When doing this wisely, you will not rely on WordPress too heavily. Remember, while this content management system will help you in the long run, you must still know how to create content that sells.
Forgetting to Optimize URLs for SEO:
Without a doubt, if you can title the URL wisely, you can gain in the search engine rankings. This is hard to do if you run a site in a typical fashion. But, if you use a CMS such as WordPress, you can make the best and most relevant titles for your blog posts and content. To do this, you should use the tools available in WordPress. Otherwise, if you forego this, you will miss a valuable chance to see your page gain in the ranks.
Simply put, most people will make serious mistakes when using WordPress. While this is true, if you understand the benefits of WordPress and to avoid a few common mistakes, you can do well in the organic search rankings.
About the Author
Karl Sundusky is a professional search engine optimization specialist in Houston (www.houstonseo.pro) who loves the craft and enjoys blogging. In addition to running an agency, he’s also an eCommerce entrepreneur with a background in retailing health products online.