The Easiest SEO Mistake to Make + 3 Success Secrets

This post was originally published on 3/4/24 and has been updated on 1/24/25 for accuracy, relevancy, and fresh visuals.

You wouldn’t assume that after losing 10 pounds that you could keep the weight off without some maintenance. It takes effort to stay out of those stretchy pants! Likewise, the easiest mistake to make regarding SEO (besides not doing it at all) is to ignore the maintenance.

You perform the initial settings and technical tasks, then step back for the search engines to begin inspecting and using the content they received during the indexation. But what happens next?

You can do three SEO success secrets to rank better on Google after SEO has been performed on your site.

Success Secret # 1: Keep it fresh

Although we really enjoy re-designing websites, that’s not the context here. Keep it fresh with original content. By "original," we mean your content—not something borrowed from someone else's blog or recycled from another site.

Some of the best ways to keep it fresh? Try creating or updating:

• Blog posts

• Image galleries

• Newsletters

• Training materials

• Portfolios

• Videos and audio files

And don’t forget to link these updates to your social media accounts!

For example, if your company specializes in remodeling camper trailers, you could update your website gallery with jaw-dropping before-and-after shots of your latest projects. Then, share a teaser photo or quick video tour on Instagram, include a compelling caption, and invite your followers to check out your full project portfolio on your site. Boom—traffic!

Don't have an image gallery type of business? That’s okay. Shareable, high-quality content related to your product or service works just as well. Your goal is to create a loop like this:

Publish content on your website → Share it on social media → Drive visitors back to your site

Or keep them engaged in ways that ultimately lead to conversions. Social media platforms have gotten very good at keeping users inside their own ecosystems, often de-prioritizing posts with external links or using in-app browsers that make it harder to leave.

To succeed in this environment:

• Focus on shareable, value-driven content: Posts that educate, entertain, or spark curiosity will naturally drive interest in your brand.

• Leverage platform-specific tools: Use Instagram Stories “Link” stickers, Facebook CTAs, and Pinterest Pins to make your links more clickable.

• Don’t stress if visitors don’t go to your site right away: Even if a user doesn’t click to your site, staying active on social media helps build awareness and trust, keeping your brand top-of-mind for when they’re ready to convert.

PRO TIP: When you or your website designer are adding new images, don’t skip the “Alt Text” field. Alt text not only makes your site more accessible to visually impaired visitors (by describing the image content to screen readers) but also helps Google index your images. Your images can be part of your SEO strategy!

Success Secret # 2: Collect Google Reviews and Engage With Them

Your Google Business Profile linked to your website will be showing activity, which helps with both visibility and credibility. In addition to asking for reviews, keep your profile updated—add posts, answer customer questions, and make sure your business details (like hours and location) are accurate. Google prioritizes active profiles when ranking businesses in local search results.

And yes, 5-star reviews really are SEO gold. Reviews serve as fresh, user-generated content for your profile, help establish credibility, and boost your site’s ranking potential in local searches.

Think of it this way: Reviews are social proof that’s also search-engine proof.

Are you actively asking for Google reviews? If not, you’re missing one of the easiest ways to strengthen your online presence.

Here’s why reviews are so valuable:

• They’re content-rich: Keywords often appear naturally in customer feedback.

• They show activity: Regularly getting and responding to reviews signals that your business is credible and engaged.

• They improve trust: 5-star reviews make customers and Google like you more.

And don’t just collect reviews—respond to them! Engaging with your reviewers (even with a simple “Thank you!”) keeps your profile active and sends a strong signal to Google that you’re paying attention.

Success Secret # 3: Re-index your website regularly

Think of Google as the internet’s librarian. It constantly crawls the web, indexing content to serve users the best results when they search. However, without proper indexing, your website updates may remain invisible to search engines, and by extension, to your audience.

While Google’s crawlers work automatically, the timing isn’t always predictable. Big sites (think news outlets or e-commerce giants) get crawled frequently, but smaller websites may have to wait weeks—or longer.

The solution? Don’t wait for Google to find your updates. Proactive re-indexing ensures Google knows about your new content and makes it eligible to appear in search results faster. While this step isn’t always necessary for well-maintained sites, it’s a great way to ensure your updates don’t linger unseen.

How’s your website performing lately?

Whether it’s traffic, rankings, or user experience, we can help you pinpoint what’s working and what needs a refresh. Keeping your site fresh, relevant, and well-indexed isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s a must if you want to stay visible in search results.

Contact us for a free website analysis and consultation—we’ll provide honest, actionable recommendations based on 15+ years of experience and insights from our 160+ Five-Star Google reviews. Let’s get your site back on top!

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