Most Common On-Page SEO Mistakes (and How to Fix Them)

1. Missing or Poorly Optimized Title Tags

• Mistake: Using duplicate, missing, or keyword-stuffed titles. For example: “Home – Manan Forge” (too generic) or “Best Forging Forging Forging Parts” (spammy).
• Fix:
  • Make each page title unique.
  • Keep it under 60 characters so it shows fully in search results.
  • Place your primary keyword naturally at the beginning.

---

2. Weak Meta Descriptions

• Mistake: Missing meta descriptions or using the same one across multiple pages.
• Fix:
  • Write unique meta descriptions for each page.
  • Keep them between 150–160 characters.
  • Include primary keywords and a clear call to action (CTA).

---

3. Not Using Header Tags (H1, H2, H3) Properly

• Mistake:
  • No H1 tag or multiple H1s per page.
  • Using headers for styling instead of structure.
• Fix:
  • Use exactly one H1 per page with your main keyword.
  • Use H2 and H3 tags to break content into sections Example:
  • H1: Custom Forging Manufacturer
  • H2: Industries We Serve
  • H3: Automotive Forging Solutions

---

4. Thin or Duplicate Content

• Mistake: Having very little content on important pages (under 300 words) or copying content from other sites.
• Fix:
  • Write original, in-depth content (at least 700–1000 words for main pages/blogs).
  • Add FAQs, case studies, and examples to enrich content.
  • Use plagiarism checkers to ensure uniqueness.

---

5. Keyword Stuffing

• Mistake: Overloading content with the same keyword repeatedly, making it look unnatural.
• Fix:
  • Use keywords naturally — no more than 1–2% of total text.
  • Add variations (LSI keywords and synonyms).
  • Focus on user intent rather than forcing keywords.

---

6. Poor Internal Linking

• Mistake:
  • No internal links between pages.
  • Using “click here” instead of keyword-rich anchors.
• Fix:
  • Link to related pages using descriptive anchor text.
  • Make sure every important page is reachable within 3 clicks.

---

7. Not Optimizing Images

• Mistake:
  • Using very large images that slow down the site.
  • Missing alt text.
• Fix:
  • Compress images (use tools like TinyPNG).
  • Add descriptive alt text with keywords (e.g., “forged steel automotive part”).
  • Use proper file names instead of “IMG_123.jpg” → “custom-forged-flange.jpg”.

---

8. Slow Page Speed

• Mistake: Pages take too long to load due to unoptimized code, images, or hosting.
• Fix:
  • Use Google PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix to test speed.
  • Minify CSS/JS files.
  • Use caching plugins (if on WordPress).
  • Switch to a faster hosting provider if necessary.

---

9. Not Mobile-Friendly

• Mistake: Having a website that looks fine on desktop but poorly on mobile.
• Fix:
  • Use a responsive design.
  • Test on multiple devices.
  • Use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test to check performance.

---

10. Broken Links

• Mistake: Internal or external links leading to 404 errors.
• Fix:
  • Regularly check for broken links using tools like Screaming Frog or Ahrefs.
  • Update or redirect broken links (301 redirects).

---

11. Ignoring User Experience (UX)

• Mistake: Overloaded pages, poor navigation, too many pop-ups.
• Fix:
  • Keep design clean and navigation simple.
  • Ensure text is readable (good font size and contrast).
  • Place CTAs naturally, not aggressively.

---

12. Not Using Schema Markup

• Mistake: Missing structured data (schema) that helps search engines understand content.
• Fix:
  • Add schema for products, FAQs, reviews, and business details.
  • Use Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper.
  • This increases chances of rich snippets (stars, FAQs, prices) in search results.

---

13. Not Optimizing URLs

• Mistake: URLs are too long or full of random numbers/characters (e.g., yourwebsite.com/page?id=12345).
• Fix:
  • Use short, descriptive, keyword-rich URLs.
  • Example: yourwebsite.com/custom-forged-components instead of yourwebsite.com/p1234567.

---

14. Ignoring Analytics & Tracking

• Mistake: Not tracking which keywords, pages, or strategies are working.
• Fix:
  • Set up Google Analytics & Google Search Console.
  • Monitor CTR, bounce rate, and keyword rankings.
  • Adjust content and SEO strategy accordingly.

---

Quick Checklist to Fix On-Page SEO Mistakes

✅ Unique title & meta description for each page
✅ One H1 + structured H2/H3 headers
✅ Content depth (700–1000+ words where possible)
✅ Natural keyword usage (no stuffing)
✅ Internal links with descriptive anchors
✅ Optimized images (alt text + compression)
✅ Fast, mobile-friendly website
✅ Fixed broken links & redirects
✅ Schema markup applied
✅ Clean, keyword-rich URLs
✅ Analytics tracking in place