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There is a lot of information that surrounds search engine optimization (SEO). Some of this information is true, and some are myths. Some of these SEO myths need to be discussed as they are important and need clarification. The myths listed here are ones that need to be adequately discussed and then resolved. We, as owners and SEO agencies, need to make sure that we properly review myths instead of perpetuating them.
We’ll discuss the myths that SEO is a one-time project, that SEO is fair, that Google hates your website, and social signals contribute to SEO. Each of these myths has been circulated around to both website owners and SEO agencies. It’s vital that we cast light on these myths and clear the air once and for all. Let’s break down these myths so that they finally get laid to rest.
[popup_anything id=”13985″]SEO Myth Busting #1 – SEO Is Not a One-Time Project
Okay, fair enough, this SEO myth isn’t circulated around SEO agencies because they want a recurring fee from clients. This is a misconception with website owners, however, and one that needs to be addressed. The thought behind this myth is that once you’ve cleaned up a website for any issues that could cause SEO issues and optimize those aspects that enhance SEO, you’re done. That’s not the case at all, because search engine optimization is continuously evolving, and we need to focus on keeping a website up to date.
SEO and White Label SEO is an ongoing effort that helps to enhance a website both for ranking purposes and for user experience. This is an investment opportunity where the energy spent can create a good return on investment. Just like any other investment opportunity, you want to make sure that you give attention to it. As an SEO consultant, I find the best way to improve a website for SEO is to have the support of the website owner to ensure that I have all the necessary resources and that we’re on the same page when it comes to achieving the same objectives. We’re a team, and that makes the investment much more likely to be a success.
Myth Busting #2 – SEO Isn’t Fair
A major misconception is that when it comes to search engine optimization, everyone is working on the same level playing field, and that’s just not true. Each website is different, and as such, each website has its own hurdles that need to be overcome. Some site platforms work better for initial SEO than others, and overall, there are different on-page and off-page SEO signals for each website. It’s not possible to compare each site on the same playing field as you cannot truly compare apples to apples.
[bctt tweet=”A major misconception is that when it comes to search engine optimization, everyone is working on the same level playing field, and that’s just not true.” username=”ThatCompanycom”]Let’s also touch base on the fact that new domains get an initial boost from Google. Google does this to give a new domain a chance to play against the competition to see how well it performs in the search results. Once this test is completed, Google will place the website where it should be, and those sites that have done well will stand a much better chance at achieving good rankings sooner rather than later. Otherwise, the site will drop in the rankings to where Google believes the website should be ranked, and the site may struggle to get to where it needs to be.
Myth Busting #3 – Google Doesn’t Hate your Website
Google can get a bad reputation with many SEO companies and websites, but that doesn’t mean that it’s true. Google uses over 200 signals and learning software within its algorithm, which means that if your site’s not ranking, it’s likely because you’ve done something wrong or have overlooked something that is causing you issues. As such, Google doesn’t hate your website, and likely doesn’t even acknowledge its existence even if it may seem like it. What you need to do is audit your website and determine what could be the actual culprit for your poor rankings.
In addition, you want to double-check Google’s Search Console to make sure that you haven’t been hit with a manual penalty based on a possible hacked website. If you see that there’s an issue, remember that it’s not a vendetta against your website, but a serious and legitimate issue that needs your immediate attention. Once fixed, you can submit a reconsideration request, and Google will review and remove the manual penalty. We’ve had to deal with this a few times with clients, and once we take care of the issue shown in Google’s Search Console and inform Google of the change, the site gets cleared by Google and immediately jumps back to the ranking positions it was at and in some instances, better positions.
Myth Busting #4 – Social Signals Are Not an SEO Factor
Let’s make this very clear, social signals help you in many ways, but SEO is not one of them. Social Signals are a Myth. There may be an indirect benefit to SEO from social signals, but in and of themselves, they are not. For those not familiar, social signals include any sort of social media engagement, including links from social media websites. From a marketing standpoint, social signals are extraordinarily beneficial, and white label social media management campaigns can help to drive traffic to a website, which can help an SEO company see how calls to action are performing. It can help show Google that the site is seeing traffic.
Google won’t admit that popular websites get a boost, but it does appear that way. We want to make sure that Google sees sites as being relevant and social signals can help with that. In addition, linking to blogs and other new pages on a site can help build up the brand if done correctly. Brand recognition is vital for any website and shouldn’t be taken lightly. However, brand recognition is itself not an SEO signal but can help drive organic traffic.
Summary
SEO is not a science, but an art form where all the pieces need to come together to create something beautiful. However, if we let myths get in the way, then these pieces will never correctly fit as they have been bent. What I mean here is that we need to be careful when we hear something repeated, as we may never honestly know if it’s something we should pay attention to. What we need to do is evaluate each potential myth to see if there is any merit to them. If we find them lacking, then we need to try and squelch these SEO myths. Want to learn some facts? Read: What is Rankbrain?
[bctt tweet=”SEO is not a science, but an art form where all the pieces need to come together to create something beautiful.” username=”ThatCompanycom”]So, we learned that the myth that SEO is a one-time project just isn’t so, because there’s always some new avenue to look at and our competition isn’t going to stop working on their website optimization. We also learned that SEO isn’t fair, and that thinking it is will only cause frustration. We also learned that Google doesn’t hate our website, but they make an excellent scapegoat. Lastly, we identified that social signals are a myth, they are essential, but not as a factor for SEO. Each of these can be tested to see if what has been said here is true. Some myths may take longer than others to identify as false, but that doesn’t mean we should stop
Written by: Doyle C.
