5 Signs Your Blog Post is Hurting Your SEO
Blogs have been one of the most powerful tools to appear in search results, helping businesses showcase their expertise and attract leads. But while publishing more blogs might seem like a smart way to boost your SEO, quantity doesn’t always mean quality. In fact, your blog strategy might be hurting your rankings. So, are your blogs boosting your SEO, or actually dragging it down?
In this post, we’ll look at five signs that your blog might be damaging your SEO, and more importantly, how you can fix it.
Sign 1: You’re Sharing the Wrong Content Type
When it comes to blogs, content type matters more than you might think. If your audience is looking for quick, actionable tips and they’re met with a lengthy guide instead, they might bounce off your site, signalling to Google that your content didn’t meet or satisfy their needs. On the other hand, if your content is too shallow, readers are likely to leave unsatisfied if they expect to get a well-rounded explanation. Google rewards sites that offer consistent, well-targeted content, so if your blog has a mix of different content types with no clear focus, your Organic Search rankings will suffer.
To fix this, balance short-form and long-form content. Short posts (quick tips, FAQs) deliver fast value and are perfect for users with specific questions. Long-form content, like detailed guides or how-tos, helps build authority and keeps readers engaged for longer. The key is variety but with a purpose. Publish two to three short posts each week, and add a long-form piece every few weeks to keep your content dynamic while appealing to both readers and search engines.
Sign 2: You’re Not Using Keywords in the Right Places
Many bloggers make the mistake of thinking that simply having keywords in their posts is enough. But where you place those keywords is just as important as using them at all. Stuffing keywords into your blog may get you penalised by Google for poor readability for neglecting to include them in critical areas like titles, headers, and meta descriptions leaves search engines unsure of what your content is about.
To avoid this, make sure your keywords are used naturally in your titles, headers, and throughout your content without overwhelming the reader. Your CMS (Content Management System) has specific SEO fields like meta descriptions and image alt text that should be filled out to provide search engines with a clear understanding of your page. Don’t just focus on high-traffic keywords— using long-tail keywords might have less traffic but they target more specific queries and can help you connect with an audience that’s looking for exactly what you offer.
Sign 3: You’re Missing a Backlink Strategy
Backlinks—links from other sites to your content—are one of the strongest indicators of credibility in Google’s eyes. If you don’t have a backlink strategy, your blog might be missing a crucial factor that pushes others ahead in rankings. Think of backlinks like referrals: the more quality sites referring to your content, the more trustworthy it appears to search engines.
To fix this, focus on building high-quality backlinks from sites that are relevant to your niche. Google frowns on irrelevant or spammy backlinks, so simply linking to popular sites won’t work if they aren’t related to your content. You can also create internal backlinks between your articles, especially linking to posts that are performing well. This not only helps distribute traffic across your site but also signals to Google that your content is interconnected and valuable.
Sign 4: You’re Not Updating or Repurposing Old Content
Old blog posts have the advantage of building authority over time. But did you know they could be more harmful than you think? If left untouched, outdated content could signal to search engines that your site isn’t relevant anymore. Google rewards fresh, up-to-date information, and if your older posts haven’t been revisited in years, they could be dragging your rankings down. Worse, if you have duplicate or very similar content across your blog and website, Google may penalise you for it.
The fix? Regularly update your older posts with new information and trends to keep them relevant. If you have multiple posts covering the same topic, consider merging them into one comprehensive guide to avoid content overlap. You can also repurpose content into different formats, like videos or infographics, to reach new audiences without needing to create fresh material from scratch. Keeping your content “current” tells Google that your site is active, up to date and valuable, improving your website SEO.
Sign 5: Your Blogs Aren’t Optimised for Mobile
With mobile-first indexing, Google now prioritises the mobile version of your website when determining rankings. If your blog isn’t mobile-friendly—meaning it’s hard to navigate on smartphones or takes too long to load—users will leave quickly, and Google will take notice. Given that more than half of all web traffic comes from mobile devices, this is a critical area to focus on.
Therefore, make sure your layout is simple to navigate, your text is easy to read, and your images are optimised for faster load times. Since mobile users make up such a large portion of web traffic, a blog that works well on phones will not only retain users but also improve your search rankings.
Last Word: How to Turn Your Blog into an SEO Asset
Your blog is a key part of your website’s SEO strategy, but only if it’s done right. By sharing the right content type, using keywords effectively, building a backlink strategy, keeping your content updated, and optimising for mobile, you can turn your blog into a true SEO asset. Each step directly affects your rankings, so it’s important to ensure that every blog post is working towards your SEO goals. Hey, and updating them takes far less time than completely re-writing!
If you want to be known as an authority in your field, drive valuable organic traffic and stand out in search results, then optimising your blog is key. At Click Creative Digital Agency, we specialise in SEO strategies tailored to help businesses achieve these goals. As a leading Melbourne digital agency, we have all-rounder expertise– from keyword optimisation to mobile-friendly design.
