15 SEO Fixes You Can Do to Boost Organic Traffic Today

Problem #1: Get Your Website on Google

Your website might not even appear on Google if it’s new, poorly optimized, or if there are technical issues blocking it. Without indexing, your site can’t be discovered by potential customers.

Solution: Getting your site on Google involves making sure it’s properly indexed and crawlable.

• Submit your sitemap to Google Search Console.
• Ensure your site has no ‘noindex’ tags accidentally blocking pages.
• Use Google Search Console to check for crawling errors.
• Build high-quality backlinks to increase visibility and signal to Google that your site is worth indexing.

Problem #2: Get All of Your Site’s Pages Indexed

Even if your site is on Google, not all of your pages might be indexed, meaning some valuable content isn’t discoverable. This often happens when Google has trouble crawling your site, or there’s a technical error in your site’s structure.

Solution: To ensure all pages are indexed:

• Check Google Search Console’s Coverage Report to see which pages are not indexed.
• Use internal linking to help Google discover deeper pages.
• Submit your XML sitemap regularly in Google Search Console to ensure all pages are included.
• Ensure there are no crawl-blocking robots.txt rules or canonical tag conflicts.

Problem #3. Slow Loading Speed

Your website’s speed is one of the most critical ranking factors. A study from Google shows that as page load time goes from 1 to 5 seconds, the probability of a mobile site visitor bouncing increases by 90%.

Solution:
Improving your website’s speed will not only keep visitors engaged but also signal to search engines that your site is optimized for performance. Here’s how you can tackle this:

• Use Google PageSpeed Insights to identify specific issues.
• Compress and optimize images without losing quality.
• Enable browser caching and minimize CSS, JavaScript, and HTML files.
• Consider moving to a faster web host if your current hosting plan is slow.

Problem #4: Unoptimized Title Tags & Meta Descriptions

Title tags and meta descriptions are critical for both search engines and users. Poorly optimized or missing title tags and meta descriptions can harm your click-through rate and rankings. These elements tell Google and users what your page is about, so they need to be clear, concise, and compelling.

Solution: Optimizing title tags and meta descriptions can give your pages a quick boost in rankings and clicks. Here’s how:

• Keep them 50-60 characters long, ensuring they are concise and include the primary keyword at the beginning.
• Each page should have a unique title tag that matches its content and is compelling enough to drive clicks.
• Write meta descriptions that are 150-160 characters long, summarizing the page content effectively.
• Include the primary keyword naturally and address user intent, focusing on how your content solves a pain point.

Problem #5. Poor Mobile Usability

With over 60% of all searches happening on mobile devices, having a mobile-friendly website is no longer optional. If your site isn’t optimized for mobile, users will leave, and Google will penalize your rankings.

Solution: Mobile optimization is crucial for both user experience and SEO. Here’s how you can improve mobile usability:

• Use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test to see how your site performs on mobile devices.
• Make sure your layout adapts to different screen sizes.
• Ensure your text is readable without zooming, and buttons are easily tappable.
• Minimize pop-ups on mobile that might block content.

Problem #6: Duplicate Content

Google doesn’t penalize duplicate content as harshly as some might think, but it can cause your pages to compete with each other, diluting your ranking potential. Duplicate content confuses search engines, making it harder for them to decide which version of the content to rank.

Solution: The key is to eliminate or consolidate any duplicated content to improve your site’s SEO health. Here’s how:

• Use tools like Copyscape or Siteliner to find duplicate content.
• Merge duplicate pages or rewrite the content to ensure it’s unique.
• If you must have similar pages, use canonical tags to point to the original page.

Problem #7: Ignoring Alt Text on Images

Alt text provides a description of an image for search engines and visually impaired users. Without alt text, search engines can’t understand what your image represents, which is a missed opportunity for better rankings, especially in image searches.

Solution: Add alt text to all of your images. This not only improves your SEO but also makes your site more accessible.

• Write descriptive alt text that includes relevant keywords.
• Ensure the text is natural and provides an accurate description of the image.
• Avoid keyword stuffing in the alt text.

Problem #8: Broken Links

Broken links create a poor user experience, signaling to Google that your site is poorly maintained. This can hurt your rankings, as well as your site’s credibility.

Solution: Fixing broken links is an easy way to improve your site’s health and usability.

• Use tools like Screaming Frog or Ahrefs to identify broken links.
• Replace broken links with relevant and updated ones.
• Regularly audit your site to ensure all links are working correctly.

Problem #9: Unoptimized URLs

URLs that are long, unclear, or filled with random characters make it harder for search engines to understand your content. Google and users prefer clean, keyword-focused URLs.

Solution: Keep your URLs simple and focused on the main keyword.

• Create short, descriptive URLs that include the primary keyword.
• Avoid unnecessary parameters or random numbers.
• Use hyphens to separate words and keep the URL under 75 characters.

Problem #10: Thin Content

Thin content refers to pages that don’t provide much value to users. Google favors pages with rich, informative content that thoroughly addresses the topic at hand.

Solution: If your pages are thin, they likely won’t rank well. To fix this:

• Expand pages by adding more depth, answering common questions, and providing actionable insights.
• Use at least 1000 words for important pages while ensuring the content is high-quality.
• Ensure that your content matches search intent—give users the answers they’re looking for.

Problem #11: Missing Internal Links

Internal linking helps Google understand the structure of your site and ensures your content is more easily navigable. Sites without internal links are harder to crawl and rank.

Solution: Internal links are simple to add and can provide a quick SEO boost.

• Add 2-5 internal links to each page, using relevant anchor text.
• Link to related pages that provide additional value to users.
• Ensure that you’re linking to important pages that you want to rank higher.

Problem #12: Poor Keyword Targeting

Targeting overly competitive or irrelevant keywords makes it difficult to rank. Focusing on the wrong keywords can result in wasted efforts and missed opportunities.

Solution: Targeting long-tail and niche keywords can help you rank faster and attract a more relevant audience.

• Use tools like SEMrush or Ubersuggest to identify low-competition, high-intent keywords.
• Avoid overly broad keywords and focus on specific, relevant search terms.
• Update your content to include new keyword opportunities as they arise.

Problem #13: Lack of Content Updates

Google loves fresh content. If your pages haven’t been updated in a while, they may lose their rankings as newer, more relevant content pushes them down.

Solution: Regularly updating your content ensures it stays relevant to users and search engines.

• Refresh older blog posts by adding new data, statistics, and insights.
• Update internal links and ensure you’re linking to the latest resources.
• Add new visuals and images to keep the content engaging.

Problem #14: No Schema Markup

Schema markup helps search engines better understand your content, which can result in rich snippets appearing in search results. Without it, your site might be missing out on higher visibility.

Solution: Adding schema markup is a technical but highly valuable SEO tactic.

• Use tools like Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper to implement schema.
• Add markup for reviews, products, FAQs, and more.
• Test your schema with Google’s Rich Results Test to ensure it’s implemented correctly.

Problem #15: Poor Navigation Structure

If users and search engines struggle to navigate your site, it will negatively affect both your user experience and rankings. A confusing structure means pages are less likely to be crawled and indexed properly.

Solution: Simplifying your navigation structure will improve both user engagement and search engine crawling.

• Organize content into clear categories and ensure your menu is easy to follow.
• Add a sitemap to help search engines navigate your site.
• Ensure important pages are easily accessible within a few clicks.

Problem #16: Ignoring Local SEO

For businesses targeting local customers, ignoring local SEO is a missed opportunity. Local SEO ensures that your business appears in map results and is highly visible for location-based searches.

Solution:
Optimizing for local SEO can significantly improve visibility in your area.

• Claim and optimize your Google Business Profile with accurate information, photos, and reviews.
• Add location-specific keywords to your site.
• Encourage customers to leave positive reviews on Google.

Conclusion

Improving your SEO doesn’t require a complete overhaul of your website. By implementing these 15 quick fixes, you can significantly boost your organic traffic and rankings.

If you need assistance with optimizing your website, our team of SEO experts are here to help.

Get a FREE SEO Audit Today!