Top 5 SEO Mistakes That Are Hurting Your Rankings
Search engine optimization (SEO) isn’t just about stuffing keywords and crossing your fingers. It’s about strategy, structure, and understanding how both humans and search engines behave. But even with the best intentions, many businesses unknowingly shoot themselves in the foot with avoidable SEO mistakes.
The Unusual Agency has experience working with companies in a variety of industries to correct poor SEO techniques and get their websites to rank on Google’s first page. These are the Top 5 SEO errors that could be hurting your company’s rankings, regardless of whether you’re a business owner working with an local SEO company or attempting to do it yourself.
1. Focusing on Keywords, Not Intent
Let’s be real—ranking for a keyword is useless if it’s not what your audience is actually searching for. Too many sites chase high-volume keywords without considering search intent. Are users looking for information, a product, or a service? Align your content with what your audience wants—not just what you think will rank.
2. Ignoring Mobile Optimization
If your site looks great on desktop but falls apart on mobile, you’re in trouble. Google uses mobile-first indexing, which means your mobile site is what it cares about the most. A slow, clunky mobile experience can tank your rankings and frustrate your users.
3. Overlooking Page Speed
People have zero patience. If your website takes more than 3 seconds to load, they’re gone—and Google notices. Compress images, minimize scripts, and consider a CDN. Faster sites = better rankings + happier visitors.
4. Using Weak or Duplicate Meta Titles and Descriptions
Meta titles and descriptions are still prime real estate on the SERP. Yet many businesses leave them blank, stuff them with keywords, or worse—copy the same one across every page. A unique, compelling meta description can be the difference between a click and a scroll-past.
5. Not Having a Clear Site Structure
If your website’s navigation feels like a maze, Google bots won’t like it—and neither will your users. A clean site architecture with logical internal linking helps both humans and crawlers find what they need faster. Think of it as laying down a digital roadmap.
*Bonus*
6. Forgetting to Optimize Images
Big, uncompressed images slow your site down—and images without alt text are missed opportunities for SEO. Always resize, compress, and include relevant alt attributes. It helps with accessibility too, which Google definitely favors.
Final Thoughts
SEO isn’t magic—it’s methodical. Avoiding these common mistakes can seriously improve your visibility and rankings over time. At The Unusual Agency, we blend creativity with data to create smart, results-driven SEO strategies that move the needle.
Want to audit your site and see where you stand? Get in touch with us—we don’t just make things look good, we make sure they perform.