SEO Strategy

I start with a technical health check. I open [Google Search](/google-search/) Console and look at the Coverage report. How many pages are indexed? Are there errors or exclusions? If Google can't crawl your site, nothing else matters. This can take a day or two, and you won't see traffic gains immediately, but it prevents working on pages that cannot rank. Tradeoff: time spent here feels unproductive, but it's essential.

Once the foundation is solid, I map keywords to search intent. I group keywords by what the searcher wants: to learn, to navigate, to compare, to buy. This prevents writing a blog post when the searcher wants a product page. I second-guess this all the time—am I being too granular? But I've found that targeting informational intent with a transactional page wastes both resources.

Next, I produce high-quality, unique content focused on user needs. Google's [SEO Best Practices](/seo-best-practices/) guidelines emphasise discoverability with sitemaps and controlling visibility with robots.txt or noindex. I write for one primary topic per URL. If I try to cover everything on one page, I rank for nothing. I also optimise on-page elements: titles, descriptions, headings, URLs, internal links, image alt text. But I do it in service of the topic, not as a checklist.

Finally, I build credibility through links and authority signals. Internal linking and logical site architecture help search engines and users find important pages and distribute authority. But I avoid low-quality directory links; that's a penalty waiting to happen.

I also prioritise site speed and mobile-friendliness because those affect user experience and, indirectly, rankings.

Biggest mistakes I see:

• Treating SEO as a checklist. Randomly fixing meta descriptions without a plan won't move the needle. Every action should tie back to a goal.
• Targeting too many keywords on one page. Pick one primary topic per URL. If you try to rank for everything, you'll rank for nothing.
• Ignoring crawl issues. If Google can't access your pages, no amount of content or links will help.
• Building links from low-quality directories just to boost numbers. That's a penalty waiting to happen.
• Obsessing over title tag length down to the pixel. Google rewrites titles anyway.
• Canonical tags misuse. Use them to manage duplicate content by indicating the preferred version.
• Not monitoring indexation. I've seen cases where important pages are deindexed due to noindex tags left from a redesign.
• Stopping at optimisation without considering user intent. You can optimise a page for the wrong audience.
• Ignoring page speed and mobile usability. These are not just nice-to-haves; they affect crawl budget and user engagement.
• Not setting up proper redirects when changing URLs. That loses link equity.
• Over-relying on a single source of traffic. Diversify by owning the content and building sustainable visibility.
• Thinking SEO is a one-time task. It requires continuous monitoring and adjustment.

I also warn about using sitemaps incorrectly: submitting sitemaps with low-quality pages can waste crawl budget. Focus on high-value content. Use an [SEO Checklist](/seo-checklist/) to ensure you cover all bases, but adapt it to your site's specific issues.

When to stop: Stop when you're making changes that don't serve users. Adding keywords to a page that already ranks well might hurt it. Obsessing over title tag length is pointless. Building low-quality links is harmful. If a change doesn't improve user experience or relevance, drop it.

I used to start with keyword research. Big mistake. I would spend weeks compiling keyword lists, then try to optimise for them without checking if the site was even crawlable. I once built a campaign on a site that had noindex on key pages. All that work was invisible to Google.

I also used to believe that more keywords per page meant more traffic. I crammed multiple topics into one URL, and none of them ranked. Now I stick to one primary topic per page.

I ignored technical SEO for too long. I thought content was king, but if Google can't crawl or index, content is irrelevant. Now I run a technical audit before any new initiative.

I used to chase backlinks from any source. I built links from low-quality directories and saw short-term gains, then a penalty. Now I focus on earning links through quality content and relationships.

I also made the mistake of not setting up proper redirects when I changed URL structures. I lost all existing link equity. Now I plan redirects carefully.

I underestimated the importance of user intent. I wrote blog posts for commercial keywords because I wanted conversions, but the searcher was just researching. Conversion rates were terrible.

Finally, I thought SEO strategy was a one-time plan. I would create a strategy at the start of the year and not revisit it. But search behaviours, competition, and algorithm updates change. Now I review and adjust quarterly. An [organic SEO](/organic-seo/) approach requires constant attention.

Each of these mistakes taught me that a strategy must be adaptable, grounded in technical reality, and focused on users, not rankings.