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Engaging landing pages are the pillars of robust web design and effective SEO. That’s not an innovative insight; it’s a simple fact — so that means building landing pages that truly achieve your goals should be easy, right? Maybe not so much if your analytics aren’t reflecting the kind of traffic you envisioned.
On the surface, landing pages aren’t a complicated concept. Look behind the scenes, though, and you’ll find a maze filled with potential SEO pitfalls. The advanced algorithms that determine page rankings consider many data points when deciding about placing your landing pages. What are some of the biggest errors to look for that may counteract the effectiveness of your campaign?
Content That Doesn’t Express E-A-T
Expertise, authoritativeness, trustworthiness — these three elements, summarized by the acronym E-A-T, underpin a vital part of the philosophy behind Google’s evaluations. Google and other search engines look for pages that offer the most value to users by showcasing expertise, coming from an authoritative source, and adhering to truthfulness. While the search algorithm does not directly grade content, Google uses various signals to determine whether a page meets its general guidelines or doesn’t. If your content fails to clear this bar, your page may not rank well.
Weak or Missing Metadata
Metadata, including the title of your page and the blurb Google displays to search users, is your first foot in the door for a search user who encounters your page. Are you missing metadata altogether for your pages? Search engines don’t like to see that, which could mean sinking in the ranks. Weak metadata works against you differently: if you aren’t encouraging a user to click, they probably won’t.
Sluggish Loading Speeds
Page speed is a known ranking factor. No one wants to wait a long time for a page to load when there’s an entire page of search engine results waiting to take them to some other resource. If you haven’t checked your loading speed, testing it might reveal that your landing pages aren’t as agile as users prefer. The more you can do to shave downloading times, the better.
Duplicating Content
For those who want to target a wide variety of geographic locations, such as neighborhoods or suburbs, numerous landing pages make sense—but not if you merely copy content and adjust the geolocation keywords. Duplicate content harms SEO and can keep your location pages stuck at the bottom of the pile, unable to rise to the level of visibility you need.
Targeting Too Many Keywords
When you invest in SEO, it makes sense to expect as much value as possible. However, that value does not come from sprinkling a few dozen keywords into your content and hoping for the best. Keyword stuffing on landing pages isn’t always recognizable as such. Auditing your content and determining your best ranking opportunities should be a regular undertaking.
Targeting the Wrong Keywords
Zeroing in on the best ranking opportunities requires knowing when a keyword doesn’t apply to your brand or budget. In some spaces, high-value keywords that are very common can be virtually impossible to leverage for your benefit. While that doesn’t mean ignoring them altogether, it does mean your landing pages shouldn’t focus on them solely. Your site is just another signal lost in the noise if they do.
Building Pages That Drive Real Results
At a glance, landing pages might seem fundamental to building your website, but a deeper look reveals that the best-ranking results come from careful research and thoughtful construction. Starting with how you shape the content on each page and extending to your keyword selections and site structure, you must avoid the fundamental mistakes that can drag down your rankings. Learn more today about deploying landing pages that rank and discover solutions for effective content development with Klazema Communications.
