While Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a core component of any effective marketing strategy, there are many commonly held myths about SEO that can work against your objectives.
Here are seven SEO misunderstandings that simply aren’t true:
Keywords density boosts page ranking: Using keywords is important but a high percentage of keywords in your text does not guarantee results, in fact, too many keywords can drag the ranking down.
Social signal impacts ranking: Backlinks work to build your ranking, and social media supports links, but that doesn’t make social signal a factor for ranking. Social media equates to your reputation, not your ranking.
Links are irrelevant: Google rankings are driven by links, so links are very relevant. Links are the best metric for accurately judging the popularity of any content.
Content isn’t important: Wrong… Content is king, and it is the only factor that informs Google about the user experience.
2nd place is just the first loser: Being #1 on Google is highly desirable, but it’s not the only place that holds value, and if you rank somewhere in the top 3 you are doing something right. Don’t give up your efforts to get to #1, but don’t knock yourself too hard if you are sitting at #2 or #3.
Google Ads enhance your rank: Be careful not to buy into the notion that PPC campaigns will increase your visibility in organic search. Google ads may drive traffic to your page, but they have no effect on your rank.
SEO no longer matters: The drop in organic reach caused many marketers to choose paid media over SEO, but that doesn’t mean SEO isn’t important. On the contrary, SEO definitely works, it just requires patience and time.
Understanding the true factors of how SEO works will help you pursue the best strategies to market and grow your business.
Photo courtesy of Hank Welles, @montana_fishing_photos
