SEO Diaries Part 1
Another Story About an SEO Expert Missing a Major Mistake on Her Website
Welcome to the real and honest blog, where I’m not afraid to admit my mistakes and keep it real. Because let’s be honest—no one’s perfect, and sometimes we all need to take a step back to see what’s really going on.
So here’s my story.
I had to ask for help from my peers. Yep, swallow my pride and put myself out there, knowing there was a chance I’d get laughed at. How could I do SEO for a living and not see what was wrong with my own website?
The issue? My bounce rate.
For some reason, people were leaving my site quickly after landing on it. It made no sense. The site loads fast, the content is engaging, and I blog every week. The data showed people actually read my articles, so clearly, they’re interesting. But my homepage had the worst bounce rate.
Sure, my homepage was a bit unconventional—you had to scroll a little more than usual to see my offers—but otherwise, it was fine. Or so I thought.
I shared my site with web designers and SEO nerds and asked them to be honest but not brutal (a bruised ego isn’t fun). The feedback? My pop-ups were killing it. Somehow, I had two pop-ups—one for my newsletter and one for my SEO services. How could I miss that?!
Even though they weren’t taking over the screen, they were annoying enough to drive people away.
And I don’t blame them.
On top of that, there were some minor alignment issues. Nothing huge, but enough to make the site feel a little off.
Luckily, the fix was easy. I spent a day tweaking the layout, turning off pop-ups completely, and cleaning up my code just for good measure. Now, everything’s running smoother, and my bounce rate is already dropping.
A Quick Reminder About SEO and Accessibility
If you’re working on your site, don’t forget - SEO isn’t just about keywords, meta tags, and site speed. Accessibility is a huge deal.
Use clear headings, simple navigation, and a layout that’s easy to follow.
Make sure your site works for everyone—people on mobile devices, using screen readers, or trying to browse without frustration.
On mobile, leave enough space around buttons and links so people don’t accidentally click the wrong thing.
Oh, and don’t sacrifice readability for the sake of a trendy, minimal look. If people can’t read your text, your design is useless.
Also, check your cookie banner. It should be clear, easy to close, and link to your privacy policy.
Why You Should Always Get a Second Opinion
Even if you’re DIYing your website and following all the tips from your favourite bloggers and YouTubers, get someone to take a look. Sometimes, it’s a tiny thing messing everything up. Trust me, I’ve been there.
You can run a free audit on a platform like SEMrush, but a professional SEO audit is way more tailored to your site. Yes, it costs something, but if you’re serious about improving your SEO, it’s worth it. Plus, if you hire an expert to help, they’ll probably give you a deal.
Grab My Free SEO Checklist
Since I was deep in analytics over the holidays, I put together a simple SEO checklist to make things easier for us project lovers. It’s free and super handy if you’re trying to tackle SEO on your own.
The Bounce rate is going down
Since making those tweaks, my bounce rate has already dropped by 7%—and it’s only been four days! Small changes can make a big difference.
EDIT: Here is my chart, you can see the bounce rate is extreme, it’s almost 100%. But as soon I implemented minor changes, it went down and it continues dropping.
Take care of your website and it’ll take care of you.
Good luck, and I’ll see you in the next article!
PS: Are you craving a flat white right now? :D
