The Many Myths of SEO

Writing about SEO isn’t easy, especially when there are so many different views of optimization. These views include some of the awful shenanigans being passed off as… drum roll please… the all mighty Search Engine Optimization, not to mention the numerous myths of SEO that continue to confuse and mislead.

Debunking Outdated SEO Myths

It’s almost the end of 2010. What used to be SEO myths have been tried and tested. They failed. Many are just plain lies now. I’m sure many of you have seen the spammy emails… We get at least ten a week, and anywhere from three to ten SEO sales calls per month. To them, I say, at least research the people you’re contacting will you?

Staying Ahead in SEO

So it’s not easy to learn about SEO. I get that; it’s constantly changing. How can you learn about something that’s so elusive? You read, listen, test and, ultimately, make mistakes that teach you a thing or two. However, the biggest thing to walk away with from any information on SEO is that Content + Links + Activity equal PERPETUAL ACTIVITY. Fresh content, strong links and human activity will get you results.

Battling Spam and Evolving with Search Engines

Spam is the worst enemy of the search engines. Because there’s so much of it, most engines will continue to update their algorithms in order to fight an uphill battle. You have to grow and change with the search engines to get the reach you need.

With that in mind, let’s discuss some of the things “everyone” believes about SEO.

• Getting free Google traffic is a complex process. It takes tons of time, manual labor and infinite patience. You’d have to be a Buddhist monk for this kind of work.
• Google’s algorithms can’t possibly be understood by anyone short of God – and even he has problems.
• Google ranking is better left to those who spend ten hours a day researching and studying optimization. Ranking on your own is beyond your ability.

Now, it may be over simplistic, but SEO falls into three areas: content, links and activity. What’s on your site, who’s linking to your site (and who are you linking to), and what kind of activity is happening.

SEO Myths

As you step into the world of DIY SEO, keep these things in mind. Likewise, remember the following list of SEO myths. They aren’t true. Period.

Proper headings can get your page ranked…

Getting high rankings doesn’t depend on your use of headings. Do proper headings help? Yes – especially for readers. However, if you just have your headings done, but don’t do anything else, your rankings will tank. You can trust me or test it, but if you test it, please do yourself a favor. Test it on an insignificant page.

Submit your URL to thousands of search engines for better ranking…

Search engines don’t need your input. They don’t need you to go to their site, put in your URL and tell them the site is there. They’ll get around to indexing your site on their own. In fact, listing with the search engines can actually slow the process. A better use of your time is to be listed on a few popular, relevant sites.

Optimize for one keyword per page…

This is a waste of space and can ruin your content quality. Think about it. If you’re only using one keyword, your content will look spammy.

Instead, choose your primary keyword or phrase and then select supporting phrases. We’ve found that using three to five key terms per page has the best effect. The number one point to take away from this is “supporting” terms. Target the phrases you can, so that page can be found for several searches rather than just one term.

Again, test a page on your site. Optimize for a high number of keywords and watch the results. Cut down on the number of key terms until you get strong, relevant results. Testing each page this way may seem tedious, but your site will do much better in the SERPs. Avoid the SEO myth of focusing on a single keyword per page and instead aim for a balanced, multi-keyword approach.

Listen. If you’re tricking the search engines, then you’re also tricking your visitors. If you’re tricking your visitors, they won’t convert. True SEO is relevant content, quality backlinks and a busy site.

SEO can get your site banned…

Believe it or not, this is “somewhat” of an SEO myth as well. It’s only when your site sets up red “spam” flags that it becomes a worry.

You don’t need SEO…

This is one of my favorite ones; I argue about it with my editor. The truth is, it doesn’t matter if you’re in a niche market or not. Consider how many millions use search engines. Even if you get conversions from other areas, not targeting search engines can lose thousands of visitors and potential customers.

There’s no cookie-cutter method to learning SEO. The Internet is so fluid; what worked yesterday may not work today. This is one of the biggest reasons we constantly pushing testing. How do you know something will or will not work if you don’t test it first?

Don’t just look at an article and put things into action throughout your site. Try what you read on a page, first. If it works, great, try it on another page. Three times is the charm, as they say. However, if you haven’t tested before site-wide implementation, you may very well end up watching your website crash and burn.

One Final Thought

Despite this, spammy tactics and misinformation persist, making it challenging to stay updated. To succeed in SEO, focus on the core principles: fresh content, strong links, and consistent human activity. Remember, as search engines evolve to combat spam, you must adapt your strategies to maintain and improve your reach. Please, stop your nonsense about SEO myths, if you don’t know something don’t spew what you have heard others say. Read from the experts, don’t be afraid to ask questions after all we are here to answer them.