5 Common SEO Mistakes Singapore Marketers Should Avoid

Singapore business owners should create an SEO campaign that best suits their brand and caters to their customers

When it comes to SEO Singapore a Singapore-marketer handles it in a variety of ways. This is especially the case when it comes to responding to updates done by Google. Some have simple and reasonable questions about whether or not their website is up to standard. Some are quite confident in their skills and tools and they plan to use the newest update to get more traffic and links. And others are in complete panic mode, especially after they see that updates may have negatively affected their rankings.

No matter where you fall on this spectrum, it’s a good idea to take stock of how your mindset could be affecting your SEO campaign. Let’s discuss 5 of the most common mistakes that Singapore marketers tend to make when it comes to SEO. We will also talk about how you can resolve these issues.

 

1. Company-Centric Content

There is no better way to get traffic and links than by sharing your knowledge and expertise with others. In fact, there have been countless blogs that have been started by people who knew absolutely nothing about a subject, however they have still been able to pull in traffic. And this is due to their posting solutions to problems that they have experienced themselves.

Unfortunately, many business owners are missing out on the opportunities that come from this approach. Instead of offering helpful information, they are publishing company-centric content. In other words, they are publishing unofficial press releases that only focus on what their business does or offers. These posts are usually short and offer very little value to the reader. 

The Problem:

While there is nothing wrong with posts that speak about your company, this should not be the majority of your posts. Customers don’t want to be sold to, they want tips that are actionable. Sure, sales copy can be beneficial, but what drives the traffic is value, not self-promotion.

How to Fix It:

Instead of trying to sell your latest products or services, focus on solving the problems that your customers are having. Do a little keyword research so that you can find out which keywords your customers are searching for. Answer their questions by offering resource links, surveys, industry reports, and case studies. In fact, if you would like to subliminally tell users about what services you offer, you can explain how you solved a problem for one of your customers and show them how to do what you did.

2. Relying Too Heavily On Google

Google is known for offering priceless advice as it concerns ensuring that your website is accessible, that you create user-friendly content and that you are following their guidelines. And perhaps this is why Singapore website owners usually follow their instructions to the tee. Unfortunately, not everything Google recommends is in the best interest of your business.

The Problem:

While Google does offer a lot of tips that can improve traffic and user experience, it’s important to remember that Google’s advice is primarily is what is in the best interest of Google’s company. This simply means that you may not necessarily have to reorganize you website with every new algorithm update the Google releases.

How to Fix It:

Instead of making changes to your website with every new update, you need to first consider how these changes relate to your business. You need to focus on what is best for your website and brand. Yes, you should strive to meet Google’s guidelines, but when it comes to algorithm updates, avoid the knee-jerk reactions.

3. Relying Too Heavily On Case Studies & Industry Reports

Another factor that may be affecting your digital marketing campaign is the “what worked for them” state of mind. This is especially the case if you enjoy reading case studies. You understand how easily you can get caught up in the idea of changing your website to match the advice given in it.

The Problem:

What a lot of Singapore marketers don’t consider when reading case studies and industry reports is that just because it worked for one company does not mean that it will work for your. There are often a lot of different factors and niches involved so it’s not always easy to predict what will happen when these changes take effect. And even if it does work, there is always a chance that your previous strategy could work better.

How to Fix It:

Before making any major changes, you need to first give these instances context as it relates to your specific niche, business and website. Instead of getting distracted by the newest shiny hack, try setting aside a little time and money for your own experiments. Start by defining your own idea of what is a success and what is a failure. And only fully implement something new into your strategy once you are sure that it actually works. Yes, case studies can be very extremely helpful tools but they analyse before making changes.

4. Obsession With the Newest Trend

Another equally as damaging factor that tends to bleed into an SEO strategy is an obsession with the “next big thing.” In other words, Singapore business owners don’t want to miss out on the newest trends so they are constantly looking for them. It usually involves strategies that will allow you to get quick traffic. And they usually involve very little effort on the marketer’s part.

The Problem:

It’s very unlikely that your competitors are using a secret, easy formula in order to get customers. Believe it or not, in most cases, your competitors are simply using a strategy that you are already familiar with. They may just be implementing it more effectively than you. In cases where they are implementing a secret strategy, they are likely exposing themselves to a great deal of penalties that will eventually hit them when least expected.

How to Fix It:

Instead of trying to be on the wave of the newest trends, try to focus on elements that are within your control. This requires you to set clear and concise goals, identify the ways in which you can achieve these goals and then figure out which of these strategies will work best for you. Of course, it’s always a good idea to pay attention to your competition. However, your strategies should not go through a revolving door. Don’t let this be a distraction.

5. Not Working With An SEO Expert When Needed

Here’s another surprising fact: not every business will need the help of an SEO expert. This is especially the case if your business is small and you are simply checking this to-do list task off of your list. When it comes to working with an SEO expert Singapore marketers tend to fall into two categories: those who are already knowledge about SEO and those who are not. In some cases, Singapore business owners may already have a good idea of how to go about earning new prospects for their business.

The same theory applies to those who are skeptical of whether or not they need the help of an SEO expert. In these scenarios, the business owner may be hesitant to spend the resources need in order to make changes in technical, content and promotion areas. This reluctance can be worse than never having started the project at all.

How to Fix It:

If your business is small and you already have a handle on how to accumulate prospects, then you may only need an expert to work with you monthly. You may only contact them when you need help with certain big projects and consultations here and there.

If you are operating with limited information, instead of trying to figure everything out on your own and all at one time, you should consider working with a professional. By fully committing and throwing your support completely behind an expert team, you can ensure that everything runs efficiently. You can also use a checkpoint system to make sure that the work they are performing is actually rendering results. Even if you don’t make your decision right now, you could always focus on other areas of your business until you are ready to revisit SEO.

Conclusion

As you can see, it’s very important that you take the time to evaluate your own strategies before adopting the next big thing. Even though another business may have massive success with something does not mean that your business will also. In fact, in some cases, your strategy may be yielding a higher return on investment than others. So before making changes, take time to analyse.

About the Author

Tom Koh

Tom is the CEO and Principal Consultant of MediaOne, a leading digital marketing agency. He has consulted for MNCs like Canon, Maybank, Capitaland, SingTel, ST Engineering, WWF, Cambridge University, as well as Government organisations like Enterprise Singapore, Ministry of Law, National Galleries, NTUC, e2i, SingHealth. His articles are published and referenced in CNA, Straits Times, MoneyFM, Financial Times, Yahoo! Finance, Hubspot, Zendesk, CIO Advisor.

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