How often have you thought, “SEO is too complicated to learn”? I’m here to tell you it doesn’t need to be!

SEO — short for search engine optimization — means optimizing your website in a way that search engines will drool over (pun intended!). 

What does that mean for pet care providers like you? Your site is more likely to show up in search results!

8 SEO mistakes that hurt your rankings

As world-renowned expert Neil Patel puts it, SEO is your 24-hour salesperson, so it makes sense to prioritize it.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to SEO. However, there are steps you can take to make your efforts more effective. I’ve outlined eight common SEO mistakes, along with easy fixes:

1. Broken links

Broken links are a big no-no when it comes to your website’s health. By ensuring your links work, you’re telling Google your site is up-to-date and leading visitors closer to a sale (vs. seeing them leave your site in frustration).

The good news is they’re an easy fix! Use a free broken link checker to scan your site. 

2. No website index

Connecting your site to Search Engine Console is the best way to ensure it’s indexed, which means Google knows a) your site is live and b) it’s ready to show up in search results. Woo hoo!

If you update your site’s URL/content/header/etc., you can log into Search Engine Console and reindex the page. It tells Google you’ve updated the content and want the new information displayed (before Google even recognizes you’ve made updates). Cool, right?

3. Ignoring your platform’s SEO checklists

Most website platforms come with easy-to-use SEO checklists (yay!). Make sure you’re filling out basic ‘on-page’ SEO settings like:

• page titles and meta descriptions

• URL slugs (identifies a particular webpage)

• image alt-text (describes what’s in an image)

Bonus tip: Add dashes between your alt-text words instead of spaces or underscores (“a-dog-chews-on-a-bone”). 

4. No or too many H1 header tags

Your site’s accessibility text structure tells search engines the structure and organization of your site according to the page content. That’s why it’s so important to make sure your main header (called the H1) includes keywords and the topic, so Google knows what the page is about.

By highlighting the H1, subsequent headers (H2, H3, H4, etc.) and body text, you’re explaining to Google how someone should read your site — especially important for people using screen readers or other accessibility tools. 

5. Stagnant content

There’s a reason you hear marketers preaching about blogs. All. The. Time.

Producing new, consistent, helpful content is the cat’s pajamas when it comes to ranking, because it tells Google you’re relevant and valuable. The easiest way to do so? By blogging! 

(If you’re stuck, check out our guide to pet care blog topics.)

6. Hyper-focus on keywords

As a web designer, I’d like to let you in on a little secret — and it’s one that may surprise you. 

Google isn’t looking at your site and saying, “This site is the bomb! Let’s put it at the top of the search results.” They’re actually considering its overall authority. 

What do I mean by ‘authority’? Think credibility: backlinks to your site, good reviews and mentions on other websites. It’s called off-page SEO, and it’s arguably more important than your site’s internal SEO settings and keywords. 

So, this is officially your cue to start brainstorming ways to build your credibility!

7. Relying on AI for content

I know, I know…AI is the future. But the bottom line is that Google rewards high-quality content, regardless of the method of creation. Spoiler alert: It usually isn’t AI.

Google knows how to track spammy content. If you use AI to reproduce the same popular content that already exists in other places, it’s not going to help your SEO or search rankings. In fact, Google may even de-index your content! AI tools also have the potential for inaccurate information.

Don’t trust AI over your own expertise, and don’t forget about the wealth of personalized data in your back pocket. Tools like Google Analytics 4 and Search Engine Console can help you produce high-quality content.

8. No 301 redirects 

It’s a tale as old as time: A visitor clicks on a URL, only to land on an error page.

Maybe you’ve launched a new site, or have old links that aren’t recommended for SEO purposes. You don’t want the above scenario to happen or to lose rankings for those pages, right?

Here’s a simple solution: set up a 301 redirect! It tells your site that when someone clicks on or types in your old URL, it should automatically redirect to the new one. 

Regardless of your industry or niche, SEO should be an integral part of your online presence. By avoiding these SEO mistakes that hurt your rankings, you’ll be on the way to a highly searchable website that stands out from the pack.

For a helpful step-by-step guide to SEO, check out Pet Marketing Unleashed’s SEO course for pet businesses.