Run any SEO audit tool on any website and you'll get a list of hundreds of "issues." Missing alt text. Title tags 5 characters too long. Pages without meta descriptions. Score: 67/100.
It looks terrifying. Most of it doesn't matter.
Here's the truth: Google's algorithm is designed to rank the best content for users, not the content that ticks the most technical boxes. A site with great content and imperfect technical SEO will crush a technically perfect site with mediocre content.
Let me separate the mistakes that actually hurt rankings from the ones you can safely ignore.
Mistakes that actually destroy rankings
These are the issues that genuinely prevent you from ranking. If you're making these mistakes, fix them immediately.
1. Targeting keywords you can't win
This is the #1 ranking killer I see. Businesses target competitive head terms they have zero chance of ranking for, then wonder why SEO "doesn't work."
What this looks like:
- A new site trying to rank for "CRM software"
- A local business trying to rank nationally for "best accountant"
- A startup competing with Wikipedia and Forbes for informational terms
Why it matters:
You could have the best content in the world. If the top 10 results are billion-dollar brands with millions of backlinks, you're not outranking them.
How to fix it:
Start with keywords where you can realistically compete. Look for:
- Long-tail variations
- Question-based keywords
- Location-specific terms
- Niche subtopics
Win easy keywords first, build authority, then expand to harder targets.
2. Not enough content
The second most common reason SEO fails. Most businesses dramatically underestimate content volume required.
What this looks like:
- Publishing 15 blog posts and expecting to rank
- Having fewer pages than competitors ranking above you
- No topical depth — surface coverage of many topics instead of comprehensive coverage of a few
Why it matters:
Google evaluates topical authority. A site with 100 articles about email marketing signals expertise that a site with 5 articles can't match.
How to fix it:
Audit your content against competitors. If they have 10x your volume on key topics, that's your gap. Either produce more content (consider automation) or narrow your focus to topics you can comprehensively cover.
3. Blocking Google from accessing content
Technical issues rarely matter, with one exception: if Google can't access or index your content, nothing else helps.
What this looks like:
- Robots.txt blocking important pages
- Noindex tags on pages that should rank
- Login-required content Google can't see
- JavaScript that renders content Google can't parse
Why it matters:
Content that's not indexed can't rank. Period.
How to fix it:
Check Google Search Console's Coverage report. Look for:
- "Excluded" pages that should be indexed
- "Crawled - not indexed" issues
- Any pages blocked by robots.txt or noindex
Related reading:
- Why Your SEO Isn't Working — Diagnosing deeper problems
- How to Do an SEO Audit — Finding real issues
Mistakes that matter somewhat
These issues can impact rankings, but the impact is usually modest. Fix them when you have time, but don't panic about them.
Slow page speed
Yes, speed matters. No, a 2.8 second load time isn't killing your rankings.
When it matters:
- Load times above 5 seconds (severe impact on user experience)
- Significantly slower than top competitors
- Mobile speed especially poor
When it doesn't matter much:
- You score 75 instead of 95 on PageSpeed Insights
- Load time is 2.5 seconds instead of 1.5 seconds
- Your Core Web Vitals are "needs improvement" not "poor"
The fix: Get to "good enough." Sub-3-second load time on mobile, passing Core Web Vitals. Perfect scores are nice but not necessary.
Duplicate content issues
Duplicate content matters, but Google handles it more gracefully than people think.
When it matters:
- Same content accessible at many different URLs without canonicalization
- Systematically duplicated pages (e.g., filters creating thousands of duplicate pages)
- Copying content from other sites (plagiarism)
When it doesn't matter much:
- Minor duplicate content (similar product descriptions, boilerplate text)
- Content syndicated with proper canonicals
- Having www and non-www both accessible (Google picks one)
The fix: Use canonical tags to indicate preferred URLs. Don't stress about minor overlap.
Poor mobile experience
Mobile-first indexing is real. But "poor mobile experience" covers a wide spectrum.
When it matters:
- Content literally broken on mobile (can't read, can't navigate)
- Critical functionality missing on mobile
- Mobile users bouncing immediately
When it doesn't matter much:
- Slightly smaller fonts than ideal
- Not perfectly optimized touch targets
- Minor layout differences between mobile and desktop
The fix: Make sure your site works on mobile. It doesn't need to be award-winning UX to rank.
Missing or weak meta descriptions
Meta descriptions don't directly affect rankings. They affect click-through rate, which indirectly affects rankings.
When it matters:
- High-traffic pages with generic or missing descriptions
- Descriptions that don't match search intent
- Competitors with more compelling snippets stealing your clicks
When it doesn't matter much:
- Low-traffic pages without descriptions
- Slightly suboptimal description length
- Google rewriting your description anyway (happens often)
The fix: Write good descriptions for your top 20-50 pages. Let the rest go.
Mistakes that don't matter (despite what tools say)
These are issues SEO tools flag as problems but that have negligible ranking impact. Don't waste time on them.
Missing alt text on decorative images
What tools say: "27 images missing alt text!"
The reality: Alt text matters for images that convey information. Decorative images, icons, and design elements don't need it. Screen readers skip decorative images anyway when properly marked.
What to do: Add alt text to meaningful images (photos, infographics, screenshots). Ignore decorative images.
Title tags slightly too long
What tools say: "Title tag is 65 characters, should be under 60!"
The reality: Google truncates long titles in search results. That's it. Being 5 characters over doesn't hurt rankings. The title still gets indexed in full.
What to do: Keep titles readable and compelling. Don't obsess over character counts.
Multiple H1 tags
What tools say: "Page has 2 H1 tags, should only have 1!"
The reality: Google's John Mueller has explicitly said multiple H1s are fine. HTML5 allows multiple H1s in different sections. This hasn't been an issue for years.
What to do: Nothing. Use heading structure that makes sense for your content.
Missing H1 tag
What tools say: "No H1 found on this page!"
The reality: It's slightly suboptimal but won't tank rankings. Google understands page structure from many signals.
What to do: Add an H1 for best practice, but don't panic if some pages lack them.
Low "content score" or "SEO score"
What tools say: "SEO score: 67/100. Needs improvement."
The reality: Tool scores are made up. Google doesn't use them. A page with "67 SEO score" can outrank pages with "95 SEO score" easily.
What to do: Ignore scores. Focus on content quality and user satisfaction.
Pages without internal links
What tools say: "23 pages have no internal links pointing to them!"
The reality: This might matter if those pages are important. For many pages (old blog posts, utility pages), it's fine.
What to do: Make sure important pages have internal links. Don't stress about every orphan page.
Keyword density issues
What tools say: "Keyword density is 0.8%, should be 1-2%!"
The reality: Keyword density hasn't been a meaningful ranking factor for over a decade. Google understands semantics, not keyword percentages.
What to do: Write naturally. Include relevant terms because they're relevant, not to hit a percentage.
The meta-mistake: Obsessing over optimization
The biggest SEO mistake isn't any single technical issue. It's prioritizing optimization over creation.
I've watched businesses spend months:
- Running audit after audit
- Fixing minor technical issues
- Optimizing existing content
- Debating keyword placement
...while producing zero new content.
Meanwhile, competitors publishing consistently (even imperfectly optimized content) capture rankings and traffic.
The ratio that works:
- 80% of effort on creating content
- 15% on promotion/links
- 5% on technical optimization
Most businesses flip this. They spend 80% on optimization and 20% on creation. It's backwards.
How to prioritize SEO fixes
Critical (fix immediately):
- Pages blocked from indexing that should rank
- Site completely broken on mobile
- Severe speed issues (5+ second loads)
- Targeting impossible keywords
Important (fix this month):
- Thin content on key pages
- Missing title tags and descriptions on important pages
- Broken internal/external links
- Major duplicate content issues
Nice to have (when you have time):
- Perfect Core Web Vitals scores
- Optimal title tag lengths
- Complete alt text coverage
- Schema markup implementation
Probably skip:
- Perfect SEO tool scores
- Exact keyword density
- Minor technical warnings
- Issues affecting <1% of pages
The bottom line
Google's algorithm tries to surface the best content for users. The sites that rank well are the ones that:
- Create genuinely useful content
- Cover their topics comprehensively
- Build authority through quality and links
- Don't break basic technical requirements
They're NOT the sites that:
- Have perfect PageSpeed scores
- Hit exact keyword densities
- Fix every tool warning
- Obsess over meta tag lengths
Fix the mistakes that actually matter. Ignore the noise. Spend your energy on content and authority.
That's how SEO actually works.
Related reading:
- How to Do SEO Yourself — Focus on what matters
- Is SEO Dead in 2026? — What Google actually cares about
- Why Your SEO Isn't Working — Real diagnosis of ranking problems