The world of SEO can be mighty confusing, especially if you are new to the game. There are rules that must be followed, and if you have the best strategy, you can rise to the top. But what makes SEO hard to navigate for the beginner is that there is so much false information out there. SEO myths are everywhere—some of them come from colleagues, friends, obscure blogs, or your twice removed cousin who used to ‘do seo.’
How are you supposed to differentiate between the SEO facts and the SEO myths? Well, you could put everything you hear to the test, a long trial and error with your own website to see what actually works, or you could read this post. Good choice. Here are the top four SEO myths you need to know about:
Here’s what usually happens: So-called SEO experts promise small business owners they can get #1 in search results for the low price of only $49.99. It seems worth a try, so the naïve entrepreneur pays up, only to be extremely disappointed in the results. Since an unethical “marketer” burned them, they assume that all SEO is a scam. But this is nothing more than an SEO myth. First, no one can guarantee the first spot in search results, and second, you won’t get the SEO results you want for $50. But if you are willing partner with a real SEO expert (like us), you will most certainly get results. SEO is a proven strategy, but it takes a heavy time investment and commitment. In other words, it requires a lot more time, expertise and effort than anyone would do for $50.
One of the biggest SEO myths we come across is that people think they can just pay for our SEO services one time and see the search engine ranking they want for years to come. But that would only work if you have ZERO competition. Google makes a big deal about showing the most relevant information to their users, and you know what’s not relevant? That blog post from three years ago. Not only that, but Google’s algorithm is constantly changing, and so should your SEO efforts.
Once Google started cracking down on the black hat SEO link building that destroyed so many sites, many people started to spread the word that link building was bad. It’s time to set this SEO myth straight: Illegitimate, dishonest link building is absolutely terrible; however, white-hat link building is one of the most important SEO strategies out there. When you have inbound links to your site from trusted, reputable sources, it lets search engines know that you have important things to say.
This is one of the most understandable SEO myths we run into, because it’s true that Google doesn’t consider Facebook likes or retweets to determine your ranking. That being said, if you think social media doesn’t play a role in your place on the SERPs, you are sorely mistaken. Why? Because you use social media to build relationships and share your blog posts—both of which lead to more traffic to your site. More people are aware of your content, so more people will link to it. And you know what greatly impacts your SEO? The amount of web traffic and inbound links your site receives.
When you want to keep the SEO myths separate from SEO reality, we are here to help. Contact us today to find out more.