With hundreds of ranking factors that are continually changing, it’s no surprise that there are a lot of SEO misconceptions out there. To set the record straight, here are the most common SEO misconceptions we have come across, along with the explanations as to why they just aren’t true. Let's take a look at some common SEO misconceptions.
FALSE: Visits Affect Rankings
One of the biggest SEO misconceptions is that the amount of visitors your website has will affect your spot on the SERPs. But that is not the case. If it were, new content would never be able to gain an honorable position because it hasn’t had any visitors yet. Google pays attention to how long someone stays on your website, how many pages they view while they are there, and what your bounce rate is. They want to see that your content is valuable enough for people to stick around and read it—they don’t care how many people are doing so.
FALSE: A Google Ads Campaign Can Improve Rankings
When you run a Google Ads campaign, you can gain valuable real estate on the SERPs, but these are paid spots, and they are labeled as such. They are very different from organic search rankings. However, a Google Ads campaign is an invaluable tool for targeting specific traffic to your site, which can get you more page views and better bounce rates. Google Ads is also a great way to run keyword tests to see which keyword phrases you should focus your attention on when optimizing your site.
FALSE: Meta Descriptions Are a Ranking Factor
Another common SEO misconception is that meta descriptions affect your ranking, but it isn’t true. Title tags will absolutely play a role in your rankings, but meta descriptions are simply the little snippet that shows up under the title tag on your search results. That being said, meta descriptions are still extremely important when it comes to actually getting clicks—and your click-through rate does affect your ranking.
FALSE: Keywords Are Everything
Many people believe that keywords are the most important ranking factor, but in reality search engines cares more about the topics you are covering. When you turn your attention to the topic, the keywords will come naturally, so Google will know what you are talking about without you having to keyword stuff.
FALSE: You Can Rank Higher If You Know the Right People
Is this really one of the SEO misconceptions people are talking about? Who places where on the SERPs is determined by Google’s algorithms, period. They are constantly working to have the most proficient algorithm to show each searcher the very best site for what they are looking for, and true white hat SEO techniques are the only way to show them. And while we’re at it, no, ranking positions cannot be purchased either.
A lot of these SEO misconceptions are just honest mistakes with the best intentions, but if you follow them, you will be spending time on the wrong ranking factors. Remember, there is no trick that will get you to the top of the SERPs overnight. To truly rank highly, you must put in effort and give it time. Invest the time to optimize your SEO strategy. For help, contact Zero Gravity Marketing today.
Tim Dugan
