The best SEO practices and software are constantly evolving, which makes it hard to keep up with current trends. 

However, continuing to use outdated practices can seriously harm your SEO efforts. 

This article will outline six of the most common SEO mistakes so you can adjust your strategies and reap better results.

1. Doing It Yourself

While it can be tempting to try to cut corners and save money, attempting to perfect your own SEO strategy is nearly impossible. Getting the help of a top-flight SEO agency is a great way to ensure your strategy is up to date. 

Because these professionals understand the algorithm of their business, they stay up to date on the best white hat SEO practices and can keep you on track for success.

2. Targeting Competitive Keywords

Everyone wants to rank for high search volume keywords, but the truth is that you need to start small. 

Competitors with an established online presence have put years of effort into their SEO strategies. That means they have a huge headstart over you, and fighting them for the most competitive keywords simply will not work in your favor. 

Instead, target less competitive keywords with fewer monthly searches as these will be easier to rank for. Using long-tail keywords allows you to bypass the competition while also ranking for words and phrases that are specific to your company.

3. Ignoring Google Business Profile

If you run a brick-and-mortar business, one very important aspect of SEO is keeping an up-to-date Google Business Profile. This means ensuring all of your company's information including phone number, website, and business hours is regularly updated.

Encourage loyal and returning customers to leave reviews on your online profiles. This way, search engines like Google will see your business as more credible, which in turn will boost your profile's performance in search results.

4. Posting Duplicate Content

More content is always better, right? Wrong. 

Contrary to what many website owners believe, having more content is not always the path to better search engine visibility. In fact, having duplicate content including articles on topics that overlap or have already been covered can adversely affect your website's rankings. 

Google penalizes websites for using duplicate content, so be sure to check your pages and make sure there is no overlap between them.

5. Brushing Off Local SEO

One of the biggest mistakes made by small businesses in particular is attempting to reach too large of an audience. 

While the idea of having clients from around the world sounds appealing, it can be very difficult to achieve, and many businesses could find better luck in targeting locals in their area. 

To do this, you will want to target local keywords such as best pizza in Minneapolis as opposed to a more general one like best pizza restaurants. This way, you are dealing with fewer competitors and have a better chance of getting more traffic.

6. Going Against Laws

Although black hat SEO practices are generally done deliberately, there are many websites that are unaware of their breach of American Advertising and Marketing Laws which could be putting them at risk of getting penalized or blacklisted.

Laws such as The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), and the CAN-SPAM Act are all in place to protect consumers from unethical practices, so be sure your website is compliant with them before you go live.

Final Thoughts

SEO is more important than ever before, but one minor (or major) mistake could be harming your entire campaign. 

Be sure to reassess your strategy every few months to ensure you're avoiding these common pitfalls and staying abreast of current best practices.