When it comes to inbound marketing mistakes, there are more than a few you may make. The list is almost endless, from ignoring the power of original content to trying to cut corners.
The worst mistake may be that inbound marketing will work on the same timeline as paid advertising. This is impossible. These are two very different tactics and realizing that will help you better understand the mistakes and how you can avoid them.
Some business owners and executives may not want to start with content marketing. However, this is a strategy that will result in your website failing – miserably. It’s also a strategy you need to resist, no matter how tempting it is.
Algorithms don’t have sympathy for you or what you think. Even if you believe you have content posted on your site, you may sabotage yourself because it’s bad content.
If you are still implementing various black hat tactics on your site, it may cause it to be demoted. You may have to spend a lot of money to help stop the bleeding.
If you want to avoid these situations, it’s smart to learn what some of the most common mistakes are. And even if you don’t think you are making any of these – think again. Chances are you are guilty of one or more of these mistakes.
1. Mistake: Repeating Copy Across Several Pages or Using Similar Copy on Several Pages
Just a few years ago, the most abused algorithm was creating templated content that could be adjusted slightly and posted again and again across multiple pages (sometimes thousands of pages). This strategy was abused by city-based online directories and “how-to guides.” Companies trying to own a keyword across multiple cities found that this was a fast and effective way to get multiple pages to rank well quickly. While it was effective back then, it isn’t now.
Not only is it ineffective, but Google is actively penalizing sites for this type of content because the “people” behind the algorithm understand that having repetitious and non-specific content doesn’t benefit your website visitors.
You have to consider in terms of what is important in the revenue model used by search engines, which is advertising. To effectively maximize revenue, Google decided they must provide searchers with meaningful results in SERPs at scale. This means that search rank now includes everything that aids searchers as they look for an answer to a query or solution to a problem.
Modern algorithms are so smart that they will recognize the same content on several pages. When it is found, the pages with the repeat content will be reduced in SERPs, which can also lower the site’s domain authority score.
2. Mistake: Publishing Little or No Written Content
If you sell visually appealing products that don’t give you much to say about them, you may adopt this strategy. Flowers, cosmetics, and clothing companies used to implement this tactic. After all, why would you bore visitors to your site by writing a few sentences on each product page?
The answer to this is simple – you are not writing for people in this situation; you are writing for the search engines.
Today, search engines are essentially “blind.” They can’t see your images or understand the context or content of your site like people do. Even if you use amazing titles and alt descriptions, you must have more on your website than just images. You must tell the search engines who you are and what you offer. If you fail to do this, then they will decide for you.
While you don’t have to have a lot of content on your website, you must have relatable, relevant, and well-crafted content.
3. Utilizing Generic Terms and Phrases
One of the biggest challenges of modern copywriters in this digital era is developing engaging and original content daily. In some cases, this is needed a few times a day over an extended period of time.
Larger companies have teams that try to decide if the content is original and fresh enough. Smaller companies usually rely on trending words or catchphrases. While this may seem like a fast and easy solution, it will backfire. Content like this is meaningless and bland. It isn’t going to cause your site to rank in any way and can even result in negative effects in search engines.
If you want to create content that will rank in search engines, use these three steps:
- Own the space you are in by understanding what your site is about.
- Identify the people you are marketing to – your audience.
- Speak your audience’s language and use terms they understand and search for.
4. Borrow from Another Brand’s Voice
This is an easy tactic if you don’t have experience writing on a certain topic. You can find quality content online and then emulate it. However, you must understand the difference between following an example and plagiarizing it. If you copy too closely or paraphrase several sentences, then it’s plagiarizing.
You need to ensure you aren’t doing this since Google will punish you if they find it. In the long run, learning more about what you offer and how you can talk about it will be beneficial and help you create original content that doesn’t violate any of Google’s rules.
How To Create Effective Inbound Marketing Strategy
When it comes to creating an effective inbound marketing strategy, you must avoid some of the most common mistakes, which are found here. When you do this, you can create a strategy for your clients that will help them attract new clients and generate new leads. While it can be challenging to avoid these mistakes, it is not impossible. You can also reach out to our services to help ensure your clients get the quality and effective inbound marketing strategies they deserve.
As you can see, creating an inbound marketing strategy isn’t something that will happen overnight, but with one, you can achieve much more success than you would without one.