If you’re new to website copywriting or starting a new WordPress website, avoid these mistakes and follow SEO best practices to ensure your content is optimized for search engines and easy for users to read.
TL;DR: Don’t use outdated or spammy SEO practices; Google will know and won’t like you. Let’s make users and Google happy!
1. Don't use “click here” language
“Click here” language is extremely outdated and a poor practice. Let’s break this down.
“Here” is already implied
Unless you’re building a pillar in the middle of a theme park with a map to physically orient park-goers, no need to say, “you are here.” A website user already knows they’re here, and so is the link text that they’re reading. “Here” is wherever the user is looking on a page at any given moment.
Users already know how to open links
“Click” is also already implied, and it’s inaccurate for mobile devices. Laptop users are clicking while phone and tablet users are tapping.
So we can leave “click here” in the early days of the internet when there wasn’t a universal standard to indicate a link. The standard since then has been underlined text (typically blue), or a button, so users can easily recognize links.
Bad link text means poor accessibility
A page full of “click here’s” would force the user to read the surrounding text of every link just to determine where each link is going. Additionally, it’s not accessible. Users with vison impairments who rely on screen readers would have no easy way to decipher one link from the next.
So what language should you use instead?
Use keyword-rich link text and CTAs instead
When using link text in body copy, you want to clearly tell the user—and Google—where the link is going. Using good link text avoids unnecessary language, and keeps the directions and CTAs (calls to action) simple.
Examples of link text in body copy
Wrong:
- Click here to learn more about us.
- Learn more about us here.
- If you’re new to website copywriting, be sure to follow these SEO best practices. Check out my recent blog with tutorials on how to start a WordPress website here.
Right:
- Learn more about us.
- If you’re new to website copywriting or starting a new WordPress website, be sure to follow these SEO best practices.
In the last example, I incorporated a related blog by using clear link text that tells you what the blog is about.
Button text examples
If you insert a button that uses the default text “click here,” change it to something more meaningful without using either of those words.
Wrong:
Click here to subscribe!
Join our mailing list here
Access our sign-up form here
Right:
Subscribe today!
Join our mailing list
Sign up
Don’t use underlines for emphasis
As noted earlier, underlined text indicates a link; don’t use it for any other purpose on your website or users will expect it to link to something and may think it’s an error.
If you want to emphasize a word or phrase, use bold or italics. You can also add a design element (icon, callout box, etc.) to get the user’s attention.
Wrong: When flying domestically, remember to bring your real ID or passport.
If the underlined text above isn’t meant to be a link, use bold instead.
Right: When flying domestically, remember to bring your real ID or passport.
2. Don’t use the meta keywords tag (if it still exists)—Google hasn’t used it since 2009
Google hasn’t used meta keywords since 2009. (I’ve been screaming this for 16 years.) This means the meta keyword tag hasn’t been useful for SEO for the past 16 years, and it likely never will be again. So don’t waste time entering keywords into this field if your website or content management system (CMS) still has it. I share this because some people may still believe this field is useful for SEO—it isn’t.
Why Google stopped using meta keywords
What was the meta keywords tag? It was a field on the back end of websites or CMS’s where you could enter a list of keywords that you want to rank for. People spammed the tag by stuffing it with irrelevant keywords in order to get a high ranking, so Google stopped using it for SEO and ranking in 2009.
Most CMS’s and plugins removed the meta keywords tag years ago
SEO Yoast officially removed the meta keywords tag in 2018 to ensure its users would no longer fill out or rely on this useless field. WordPress, Drupal, and Webflow also removed it.
In 2023, I worked for a large company that used AEM (Adobe Experience Manager), which unfortunately still had a meta keywords tag. While it obviously served no purpose for SEO, our web development team found that when people used the global search function within our actual website (not Google), that function relied on data from the meta keywords tag. I haven’t a clue as to why AEM would use that tag for this purpose.
Now in 2025, when I search “does AEM still have meta keywords tag,” Google’s AI summary says no; however, the sources it provides don’t state that anywhere (as far as I can tell). But if it’s really gone, hooray! Let’s never discuss meta keywords again.
Incorporate keywords into your content and other meta data instead
You should still target keywords and keyword phrases for your website, and write content that’s relevant to them. SEO best practices include incorporating keywords into your:
- title tag (meta/page title)
- meta description
- headings (H1, H2, H3, etc.)
- body content
3. Don’t use the same title tag for multiple pages
Title tag (aka meta title, page title)
The title tag is visible to users in two main places:
- the clickable headline of Google searches (SERPs), above the meta description
- the page’s browser title, which you’ll see when you hover over the browser window on desktop
Create a unique title tag for each page
Writing unique title tags for each page helps users easily distinguish one page from another. If a user does a search and three of your pages show up on the same SERP, you want it to be clear that they’re three different pages (and not duplicate content). So don’t use the same title on multiple pages of your website.
In many cases, you can use the H1 or a modified version of your H1 as the page title. Keep the most relevant keywords toward the beginning of your title. If there’s room at the end, you can include your company/website name.
Length: While Google doesn’t have an “official” character limit, best practice is 50–60 characters (including spaces). Titles longer than that will be truncated in SERPs.
Keyword-rich examples
For this blog post, I’m using the following page title:
SEO Beginner: 5 Mistakes to Avoid in SEO Writing
For another blog post, my page title is:
Creating a New WordPress Website: Beginner Tips & Tutorials
Write specific title tags that include keywords
If I was writing title tags for a small business, such as a bakery, I’d include keywords that are both relevant to the bakery and what users may be searching for. I’d keep those keywords near the beginning of the title and include the bakery name at the end, if space allows.
It’s no longer absolutely required to include the company name in the title for SEO, since it appears as a dedicated field above the title in search results, but is still helpful for users to see it in the browser title where possible.
"Default" titles
Your CMS may populate these titles by default based on how you named the pages for navigation. While these titles are accurate and unique from one another, they’re not SEO optimized:
- Home | Krumbs Bakery
- About Us | Krumbs Bakery
- Contact Us | Krumbs Bakery
They don’t incorporate any keywords to make the company stand out or more likely to rank for specific/local bakery searches.
SEO-optimized titles
Let’s update the previous titles to be more specific and include keywords:
- Best Specialty Cakes | South Jersey Bakery | Krumbs
- About Krumbs Family-Run Bakery | Specialty Cakes Desserts
- Order Krumbs Bakery Cakes | South Jersey Locations
The pages are still distinguished from one another while including keywords and potential search terms.
4. Don’t use a list of keywords as your meta description
Should you still make a list of keywords you want to rank for? Yes, a targeted keyword list helps you build your SEO strategy and determine the content structure for your webpage or blog post. Just don’t copy/paste all the keywords into a non-existent tag or use them as your meta description.
Meta description
Your meta description should accurately describe the content of your page. The meta description appears in SERPs below the title tag, so make sure it’s accurate and compelling enough for users to want to visit the page. Google may change the description based on the search query, but you should still write a unique description for every page.
Length: Keep meta descriptions to no more than 150–160 characters as Google typically truncates descriptions beyond that length in SERPs.
Also, don’t add any keywords in the description that you haven’t used on the page, or promise something that the page doesn’t offer, as both practices are spammy and misleading.
Meta description examples
Here are two meta description examples for this blog post:
Poor meta description: SEO, SEO content, SEO writing tips, mistakes to avoid, how to rank on Google
Good meta description: Follow these SEO best practices for beginners. Learn five mistakes to avoid when writing SEO content and meta data.
5. Don’t use generic headings—include specific keywords for SEO
Write keyword-rich headings and subheadings
Make sure your headings are specific, keyword-rich, and accurately describe the content of each section. This helps users easily scan the page and helps Google determine what each content section is about. While it’s easy enough to include keywords in the title of your article or blog, don’t neglect the subheadings.
Avoid headings that are generic, too broad, missing keywords, or could be about anything, e.g. “What to look for,” “What you’ll learn.”
Use H-tags accordingly
Be sure to use H-tags for each heading as Google uses them to determine how your pages are structured.
The main headline of your page should be the H1. Use only one H1 per page.
Use H2, H3, etc., tags for subheadings in a logical hierarchy so the sections are clearly organized. Also avoid skipping levels; e.g., don’t jump from the H1 to an H3 without an H2 in between, as Google will read this as a disorganized page.
H-tags vs font sizes
If you want to change the font size of a heading, don’t make the mistake of changing the H-tag purely for cosmetic reasons; this will label the H-tags out of order and will hurt your SEO.
If you need to change the heading font size in a CMS, such as WordPress, adjust the typography settings instead.
Improved accessibility
H-tags also improve accessibility because they allow screen readers to easily scan and navigate the page using the headings. Better accessibility means better SEO as Google values user-friendly sites with good UX (user experience).
Weak vs. strong SEO headings
Examples for a white noise machine blog
Let’s say I’m writing a blog or web article about white noise machines. The article needs an H1 (main title of the article) and subheadings (H2, H3, etc.) to guide the user through the content and clearly tell Google what each section is about.
If I’m creating an outline for the blog, I want to determine the headings to make sure they incorporate keywords.
Weak SEO – too broad, vague, missing keywords
(H1) White Noise Machines
- (H2) What types to look for
- (H2) Types of sounds
- (H2) Which brand should I choose?
I’ve updated my headings below to be more specific.
Good SEO – specific, easily scannable, keyword-rich
(H1) White Noise Machines: How to Choose the Best One for You
- (H2) Sound machines for travel vs. home
- (H3) USB-powered white noise machines for travel
- (H4) Battery life
- (H3) Plug-in options for home office or bedroom
- (H3) USB-powered white noise machines for travel
- (H2) Volume and sound quality
- (H2) Sound options
- (H3) Fan sounds
- (H3) White noise sounds
- (H3) Nature sounds
- (H2) Top white noise machine brands
Examples for this SEO blog
Here’s another example for subheadings that could apply to this blog post about SEO.
Generic headings (bad)
(H1) SEO Tips and Tricks
- (H2) What you’ll learn
- (H2) Why it’s important
- (H2) Don’t use this field
- (H2) Be specific
Keyword-rich headings (good)
(H1) SEO Writing Tips for Beginners
- (H2) SEO tips to improve your website content
- (H2) Better accessibility also improves SEO
- (H2) Don’t use the meta keywords tag
- (H2) Use specific keyword-rich headings
With the updates I made above, my subheadings are now SEO-optimized.
In addition to writing good, valuable content and incorporating keywords organically, be sure to follow these SEO writing tips to avoid some common—and lesser-known—SEO mistakes for beginners.