The Top 5 SEO Mistakes to Avoid

1 To avoid not understanding the user’s search intent

It is crucial to grasp what a user intends to find when they search for a particular term while conducting keyword research.

Despite the fact that your software may be exceptional, it is essential to ensure that it is what the user is searching for.

For example, if your firm provides a SaaS product that streamlines the procedure of conducting credit checks on potential B2B clients, and you uncover high-volume keywords such as “business checks” during your research, it is necessary to confirm that the user is looking for credit checks rather than other types of business checks.

2 Focusing on the Solution, not the Feature

Within the SaaS industry, it’s common for developers to get overly fixated on the impressive capabilities of their software while disregarding the fundamental fact that customers don’t purchase products for the sake of owning them — they buy them to resolve their problems.

When we centre our optimization efforts solely around showcasing flashy automation, we risk losing sight of the real people who are actively seeking solutions to their issues.

The ideal approach involves finding the optimal balance between three key factors: the search volume of potential customers, their intent to solve a specific problem, and our own thorough understanding of the problem we aim to resolve.

To achieve this effectively, one should analyze the intention behind the keyword and furnish appropriate content accordingly.

3 Focusing excessively on the flash at the expense of the product.

I have observed that many SaaS companies prioritize the aesthetics of their website and overlook the fact that search engines cannot perceive their visually impressive content such as images, videos, or animations. Despite the advancements in technology, text still holds a significant role in SEO.

It’s a common occurrence for SaaS companies to upload various types of media without providing adequate descriptions, resulting in poor discoverability by users. For instance, in the case of a regular podcast that offers guidance on using the SaaS platform, it’s crucial to structure the metadata appropriately for that page.

4 Failing to prioritize customer comprehension.

Developing an effective organic search strategy involves conducting both keyword and user research in tandem. While some SEO experts may emphasize technical aspects such as core vitals, schema coding, and robot instructions, the foundation of Google’s algorithm is centred around delivering content that is pertinent to the user.

Without a thorough understanding of your target audience, it can be challenging to provide content that resonates with them. By gaining insight into what motivates your audience, what concerns them, and what they typically search for, you can develop a content strategy that is engaging and relevant to their needs. This approach can be particularly valuable when devising an SEO strategy for SaaS businesses.

5 Failing to recognize that everything present on your website constitutes “content”.

Recently, I worked with a company that had an exceptional content marketing plan, but it had one significant flaw. Their blog articles were unparalleled in their depth, relevance, research, and writing quality. Anyone seeking valuable, free content on a specific topic within their niche would likely stumble upon one of their pieces.

However, the company’s SEO content strategy beyond the blog was practically non-existent. In fact, many vital product pages, company information pages, and other essential content areas were either exact duplicates of one another or set to “no-index” because it was more convenient (which is easily achievable using tools like Yoast).