The most common SEO mistakes for startups

Starting a new business is challenging, and SEO often falls by the wayside in the quest to quickly establish an online presence. However, it's crucial for early startups to understand the importance of SEO for small businesses in building long-term visibility and success.

Mistake #1: Not Doing SEO From Day 1

That's probably the biggest mistake. Don't get me wrong, you don't need to overdo it, or spend a lot of time on it, but you must already have at least the following:

1. Use of keywords your future customer will use (if possible, long-tail keywords that target a niche)
2. Correct layout structure, with a single h1, and at least multiple h2 and h3
3. Make the content static, that's absolutely fundamental for search engines to crawl your page. Yes, they may crawl it even if it's dynamic, but you will get "punished" (less crawling time, more pages "crawled but not indexed", etc.)

If you want to have more details, we have a full article about why startups should start SEO from day one

Mistake #2: Ignoring the Basics of SEO

One of the most significant mistakes SEO strategies can avoid is neglecting foundational practices. Early startups should prioritize:

Keyword Research

Identifying and using long-tail keywords can attract targeted traffic, as discussed in what are long-tail keywords.

Metadata Optimization

Title tags and meta descriptions are vital for visibility. Consider the insights from what are meta tags.

Content Creation

Producing high-quality, engaging content is crucial. Avoid publishing thin or duplicate content to prevent penalties.

Mistake #3: Neglecting User Experience (UX)

An engaging user experience significantly impacts SEO performance. Elements such as site speed, mobile responsiveness, and ease of navigation are essential. The connection between user experience and SEO outlines strategies to improve these areas.

Slow Loading Speeds

Enhance your page loading times. Tips on improving page speed can be invaluable.

Non-Responsive Design

Ensure your design caters to mobile users, as mobiles make up more than 60% of all total traffic, so responsiveness is a critical ranking factor.

Mistake #4: Poor Content Quality and Layout

Content remains king, but only if it's engaging and well-structured. Avoid creating short, low-quality materials. Follow best practices for:

Content Length and Quality

Invest in comprehensive, original content. Be straight to the point, and make it easy for AI crawlers to extract information - this will allow you to increase the probability of appearing in their responses.

Content Layout

Ensure your layout is readable and organized. Utilizing internal linking strategies can aid in guiding readers and search engines through your content efficiently.

Mistake #5: Underestimating Backlink Strategies

Backlinks are very important to get a higher ranking. As a startup, especially if you raise fund, you should be able to get media coverage if you ask - use it! This will be a god-send in the long run.

You've got the knowledge, now Improve your Startup's presence

SEO is daunting, and you can easily fall in the choice paralysis trap. Focus on simple things, but make sure to act from the start. We've built a simple SEO audit tool to get you started with it in small steps, give it a try!