Some people may call them SEO myths and others outdated information, but either way they can be detrimental to your online success with search engine optimization. Plus, you also have to consider that a lot of the information we find today is more opinionated than factual. So in order to combat the problem, today we’re going to talk about the 12 most common SEO myths wandering around cyberspace today.
#1- All Links are Equal- The person who believes he/she can go out and purchase thousands of backlinks and will be successful is sadly mistaken. It’s important to understand that some links are better than others, and poor quality links can have a negative effective on your overall rankings. This is why some people can have 50 backlinks that are of high quality and do better than someone with 2,000 backlinks.
2. Keyword Density is Important: Another one of the most common SEO myths is the myth of keyword density. There is no set keyword density that is guaranteed to provide you with success in the search engines. It’s about incorporating your targeted keywords and phrases in the right places, in the right ways while not overdoing it and making your content or website seem like spam.
3. META Keywords Still Work: While until recently there was still some debate on this, it’s now officially one of the SEO myths. Both Google and Yahoo! have publicly announced that they do not use META keywords for their ranking algorithms. In other words, you should no longer pay any attention to them or devote any time to including them. META descriptions and tiles however are still valuable.
#4- Web Directories are Highly Valuable- Ah yes, back in the day web directories were extremely valuable, but one of the SEO myths is that they still are today. Granted, you can still achieve success with highly credible directories, but the general ones are pretty much useless anymore.
#5- Blackhat SEO Won’t Get you Caught- It’s still amazing today that people believe they won’t be caught doing something that is illegal. What it comes down to though is no matter how big or small your company is, using illicit marketing tacts can keep you from being listed in the major search engines.
#6- SEO Success Happens Overnight- Even though we consider this one of the major SEO myths, most people are beginning to catch on to the longevity involved. The truth is SEO is an endless battle and mostly because of the fluctuation that takes place in the algorithms. If you or someone you know think this is a quick fix solution, you’ll end up being disappointed.
#7- Google is All that Matters- It used to be that everyone and their mom would focus on Google to build their business. While this might have worked years ago, it’s really too competitive now to hold the same benefits. Yes, Google is helpful but there are several individuals who use Yahoo, Bing and smaller search engines to attract clients. Nowadays you have to consider Facebook, Youtube, article marketing, ad various other ways to drive traffic to you.
#8- PageRank is Everything- Again, back in the day everyone focused on their PageRank more than anything else. One of the SEO myths of today is that this is still the most important thing. Keep in mind it does help your website achieve higher rankings, but it’s not the only factor. Since algorithms constantly change, your PR number will fluctuate throughout the year.
#9- Common Sense is More Important than Research- If you think something works online, it doesn’t necessarily mean everyone else believes the same thing. A prime example of this is through keyword selection. There are hundreds of different ways to find keywords and in order to find them you need to do research. If you don’t you can easily end up losing out in the long run.
#10- More Traffic is Always Better- If anyone throws these SEO myths at you, run the other way. The truth is you can have millions of visitors everyday, but without targeted traffic your sales will only be minimal. The idea is to have conversion rates that are off the charts, which means you need internet buyers not surfers. We recommend looking for targeted traffic first, then move on to expanding your base.
#11- Purchasing Links and Link Farms Always Work- This was really helpful years ago, but Google caught on to how people used blogs and websites as link farms. Nowadays they can actually hurt your website rankings rather than help them. Most importantly taking this route is often considered as “blackhat” which is definitely not good.
#12- Once you Achieve a Ranking, You’re Done- SEO myths are all over the place and they usually start with thinking you’re done when you finally get that ranking. However, you will find that SEO is an ongoing process that takes constant work. So if you just wrote 10 articles, submitted them to directories and added a few backlinks here and there, it’s only the beginning. In the end, if your competition is constantly working on their SEO strategies; why should you stop?
You will find that all of these SEO myths are a big reason why most people fail at their marketing strategies. Whether it’s the wrong information, it’s outdated, or you’re just being stubborn, each one of them could make your online success difficult to achieve. It’s all about using your time efficiently and hopefully staying away from all the schemes and pitfalls that cause you to fail.
Looking to find the best SEO services, then visit www.SmartMediaInnovations.com to find the best advice and information on increasing your website’s search engin rankingsright now.
Visit Easy Directory Submissions for all of your Link Building Service needs.