Debunking Common SEO Myths
There is plenty of information out there regarding Search Engine Optimization, but is all of it true?
It’s no secret that Search Engine Optimization (SEO) should always be a top priority for your website, but figuring it out is easier said than done. The internet is full of helpful tips and hints, but the SEO game is always changing. In 2015 alone, Google announced two huge changes in their algorithm that affected millions of sites around the web. In other words, the SEO strategy you had in 2014 is already way behind where it should be for the coming year.
In this blog post we’re putting to rest many of the SEO myths you hear all the time. Most myths stem from archaic SEO tricks that used to be true, but have changed due to updated search engine algorithms and ranking methods. However, these so-called strategies often find their way into website owners’ heads and end up staying there. That’s why we’re here: to bring your SEO knowledge up to date.
We’ve taken five common SEO myths and set them straight:
Myth #1: Having tons of links is the most important SEO practice.
We can debunk this myth pretty easily by reaffirming that content is king when it comes to SEO. Sure, link building is still important when it comes to SEO (it still sits in the top five most important SEO factors for most people) but it doesn’t carry the weight that it did before.
With Google’s Penguin 2.0 update it was emphasized that the quality of links would far outweigh the actual number of links. So again this goes back to having quality content. Whether it’s through your original content or from link building, quality content is more important than the quantity of links.
Myth #2: My social media presence won’t affect my website’s SEO.
Google doesn’t access Facebook and Twitter analytics to influence search engine rankings. However, social media does in fact play a major role in today’s SEO. Social media platforms can help both search engines and potential visitors find your business online. Have you ever Googled a business online and found their Facebook page on the first page of the search engine results page? That’s because Google has indexed that page and used it in ranking.
In addition to helping Google find your website online, social media also helps with distributing your content to a wider audience. For example, if you write an informative blog post on your website, you can then create a Tweet and a Facebook post linking to back to the original article. This leads to new links being directed back to your site, and this can also get shared around social media, leading to a huge traffic boost to your site. More traffic = improved SEO.
Myth #3: My mobile site won’t affect my overall SEO.
This is dangerous thinking in 2016; making sure your site is mobile friendly must be a top priority for your website. In April 2015 Google rolled out an update that was referred to by many as “Mobilegeddon”. This update involved rewarding sites that had a mobile-friendly version, and subsequently penalized websites that weren’t mobile friendly.
Certain aspects such as font size or links being placed too close together could have an impact on the mobile version of your website. If your site isn’t considered to be mobile friendly, you could see a significant drop in search engine rankings.
Check out this blog post for more information about “Mobilegeddon”, or test your site here to see if Google considers it to be mobile friendly.
Myth #4: I did SEO once, I don’t need to worry about it anymore.
We already mentioned that SEO is always changing, so don’t think that just because you hired someone four years ago to boost your search engine rankings, you no longer need to worry about SEO.
Since SEO practices are always evolving, and it’s important to try and keep up with updates. Here are some of the latest updates that Google has released in the last couple of years:
RankBrain Fall 2015
Panda 4.2 July 2015
Mobile Update – “Mobilegeddon” April 2015
Pigeon July 2014
As you can see, Google is always changing in order to deliver the best search engine service possible. Make sure you keep up with the latest SEO practices!
Myth #5: I need to learn the “tricks” of SEO to outsmart Google.
There are many people who think there is some secret method out there that will put their website at the very top of the search engine results page. It’s almost like they think there’s something you can add to the HTML code that will automatically put you at number one. Don’t bother looking, it doesn’t exist.
Instead, focus on creating quality content that is relevant to your audience. Think about the keywords that your potential visitors might use to find your website, and then create content around those words. Build up your site with links to social media, create a business blog and upload videos that might be useful to your visitors. Link out to quality content on other sites that may also be useful to a client.
These are the kinds of things that will get you noticed by search engines. When you start seeing increased traffic to your site due to quality content, it won’t be long until you start climbing that SEO ladder. Instead of trying to “outsmart” Google (trust us, they’ve employed some of the world’s best engineers for a reason), shoot for better content that pertains to your target audience. This will get you noticed by Google far sooner than a tweak to the site’s code.
SEO is more important than ever before. Make sure you keep up with the times to ensure that your website ends up at top of the search engine results page.
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