5 SEO Mistakes Small Business Owners Make (and How to Fix Them)

5 Common SEO Mistakes Small Businesses Make (and How to Fix Them)

Many new business owners, first-time entrepreneurs, sole proprietors, side-hustlers etc. don’t initially have the budget to hire a marketing team or professional which results in DIY Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and other marketing strategies. While it is my hope that you’d trust me to fulfill this need, my mission is to help small businesses increase their website's visibility and attract more relevant, unpaid traffic, which leads to higher conversion rates, more leads, sales, and overall business growth.

That’s why my blogs are dedicated to providing SEO strategies to business owners handling the marketing themselves. In this blog I’m sharing the small mistakes that can cost you rankings, traffic, and customers. Let’s look at five common errors and how to fix them.

Mistake 1 – Ignoring Keyword Intent

• Targeting broad terms instead of what your customers are actually searching for.

• Fix: Use long-tail keywords that reflect buying intent.

Mistake 2 – Not Optimizing for Mobile

• Over half of searches happen on mobile.

• Fix: Use responsive design and test mobile speed.

Mistake 3 – Skipping Local SEO

• Local searches are high-converting.

• Fix: Claim and optimize your Google Business Profile. Local SEO For Small Businesses: A Beginner’s Guide To Getting Found Online

Mistake 4 – Thin or Duplicate Content

• Copy-pasting product descriptions or using too little content hurts rankings.

• Fix: Write original, helpful content.

Mistake 5 – Forgetting Technical SEO

• Broken links, slow load times, missing meta descriptions.

• Fix: Run regular SEO audits and update pages.

If you need help with the above SEO strategies, you can always use a free, generative artificial intelligence chatbot (ChatGPT, Google Gemini etc.) to help you with your content. Note: Marketing is critically important to a business’s success and I believe it should be handled by a trained expert with the skills, tools, and strategic direction needed to drive business growth.

Lavanan SEO Services

Avoiding these SEO mistakes can dramatically improve your visibility and sales. Don’t waste time guessing! Check out the search engine optimization solutions I offer , priced for budget conscious small business owners, to build an SEO strategy that actually delivers results.