Search engine result pages (SERPs) are very secretive about how their algorithms work regarding ranking websites. This leads to many myths and misconceptions about SEO and how it works. With SEO being such a key component of any digital marketing strategy, it is important to know what is true and what is false about the process.
Whether you are developing an SEO strategy of your own or are considering hiring a digital marketing agency, you should be aware of the misconceptions that are out there. Understanding the true power of SEO can have a lot of benefits to your business, so you should learn as much as you can about the myths to get the most out of your digital marketing campaign.
In this guide, we will outline the myths regarding SEO and debunk them so you know exactly what you should expect out of your strategy.
You Don’t Need Keyword Research
One big misconception regarding SEO is that you don’t have to conduct keyword research. Simply choosing a relevant keyword and running with it will not be efficient, as good keyword research will help you see valuable data that will help you decide whether to include the keyword on your website. If you have no data surrounding your keyword, you won’t have a good idea of whether or not it’s worth including.
Conducting keyword research can also help you find additional keywords that will help you with ranking. When finding new keywords, it’s important to understand when people are searching for keywords to determine when to publish something new or update an existing website on your page. This will allow you to get the most benefits out of your keyword research.
The More Keywords the Better
Perhaps the most common myth about SEO; the more keywords you have on your page the more your ranking will improve. This isn’t the case. Integrating the keyword into your work too much will lead to keyword stuffing. This is a negative ranking factor that can harm how high up the rankings your website is.
Google and other search engines can penalise your website if you use too many keywords, as it doesn’t see it as a valid technique and it goes against guidelines. A Google penalty can have negative effects on a website’s search rankings, so you need to ensure that you are aware of any guideline changes that come through algorithm updates.
Yoast has a content feature that allows users to analyse keyword density so that they know if a keyword is used too frequently or not enough. You should aim for a keyword density that is around 1 or 2% for the best results. It’s very important to place keywords in places that make sense and not force them in for better search engine rankings.
All Backlinks Are Great
Backlinks are a massive part of an SEO campaign, as they direct traffic to your website. This can be very important in obtaining higher rankings. However, there is a big misconception that any backlink is good for your website, as some backlinks could harm your rankings. If an untrustworthy site links to your website it can diminish your credibility and decrease your search engine rankings.
If you have too many links from untrustworthy sites, search engines could be made to believe that you are buying links, which is considered a black hat SEO technique. This will lead to penalisation of your website.
If you are actively trying to obtain backlinks, you must ensure that these are from credible sites and industry authorities. Disavowing or removing bad backlinks can be done and will help your rankings. Digital marketing agencies that do SEO in Manchester will be one of the most knowledgeable in this field, as it’s one of the first places in the UK to have professional SEO agencies.
Content Doesn’t Matter
It’s often thought that if you target the right keywords and use them the optimal amount of times then it doesn’t matter what is put into the content. However, the quality of the content on the page is very important and can help you obtain higher search rankings. No matter how well you optimise the page with keywords, if your content is lacking quality then you will not experience any good rankings for your page.
Google and other search engines will look at how well your page impacts user experience. If valuable information is presented to the user it will help with rankings, as it increases the chance of the user staying on your site for a longer period. This sends a positive impression to Google.
The layout of your content and how pleasant it looks will also play a part, as users are more likely to stay on a visually appealing page. That’s why you should include content on your site that is for your audience and not for search engines.
Local SEO is Not Worth It
The misconception that local SEO is only for businesses that rely on walk-in clients is quite common amongst e-commerce companies in particular. Even digital businesses will still benefit from incorporating a local SEO strategy into their campaigns. It’s a great way to reach your target audience and desired clients.
In-person reliant businesses like restaurants can boost their visibility within the area they are based. For example, a restaurant in London will focus on search terms like “best restaurants in London” in hopes of ranking higher on SERPs. However, if you run an online business and are living in the London area you can also take advantage of this kind of keyword to rank higher too.
Local SEO offers a variety of techniques to achieve better ranking results, such as content optimisation, local citations, Google Maps presence, and Google Business Profile listings. All of these can significantly help businesses with SERPs, which can improve visibility and increase traffic for any kind of business.
SEO is a One-Time Fix
It’s a common myth that you only need to run an SEO campaign once and everything will be fixed. This isn’t true, as it’s an ongoing process that requires constant attention. Every aspect must be reviewed and managed at regular intervals, such as on-site content, backlinks and technical structure. This is because the Google algorithm is constantly changing and affecting rankings.
You should see results from the first stages of an SEO campaign, but for long-term results, it must be managed accordingly. It could take several weeks or months for results to show. The longer you run and manage an SEO campaign, the more traffic leads and sales you should notice for your business. This is not only essential for business and brand growth but also for businesses to maintain a loyal customer base.