Whether you are just starting your SEO career or are a highly experienced marketing manager, it is important that you know all the basics of SEO. Making the wrong decision about your site can cost time, lost business and money to your business. Although Search engine Optimization continues to change, there are half truths and myths that should be put to rest. Here are the 10 most egregious myths and misconceptions about SEO:
1. SEO Is Cheap/Free
This myth is marketed by companies providing a cookie cutter, cut rate approach to SEO. Their packages often include obsolete techniques like article submissions, directory submissions and other free submissions. The quality of sites that accept such submissions differ from fully awful to completely terrible. Just like you can observe this, so can the search engines too. The saying “you get only what you actually pay for” applies to SEO..
2. SEO Is An IT Function
AS SEO requires web development and modifications, it requires support from IT. However, SEO should be actually driven by the strategies, goals and budgets of marketing as it is an important marketing channel.
3. SEO Is Spam
If done properly, SEO is not spam. Many SEOs do an excellent job making their customers’ sites more relevant, accessible, fast and useful.
4. All Links Are Good Links
Links are an important piece of SEO pie. Unluckily, not all the links are equal. The search engines assess the trustworthiness and value of every link to create a link profile for your site. If your site shows low trust and low value links, search engines will then assume your site as low value and rank accordingly.
5. SEO Techniques Are Guarded Secrets
A reputed SEO agency must be willing and able to explain their procedure and techniques thoroughly before starting SEO for any client. The risks of allowing any agency go wild with your business are far too good to permit for the secret SEO techniques.
6. SEO Is A Onetime Thing
As Internet is changing constantly, SEO can’t be a onetime thing. You need to change your SEO strategies from time to time to match with constant Internet changes.
7. Great Content Is Everything
Great content is just the first step. Once you have good content, you need to spread the words and make people read and link with your content.
8. SEO Is A Single Effort
Based on your business size, SEO involves many teams to become successful. When starting an SEO engagement, realize that senior marketing, leadership, copywriting, PR and IT teams will all play a role in SEO success.
9. Well Designed, User Friendly Sites Don’t Blend With SEO
An excellent, simple to use site, full of SEO integrity can’t happen by itself. Ensure to get your web development and SEO teams work together on Day 1 of your new project.
10. Meta tags are vital for high ranking
This is no longer the case. All the key search engines have definitively stated that Meta Descriptions tags and Meta Keywords aren’t used for ranking search results.
1. SEO Is Cheap/Free
This myth is marketed by companies providing a cookie cutter, cut rate approach to SEO. Their packages often include obsolete techniques like article submissions, directory submissions and other free submissions. The quality of sites that accept such submissions differ from fully awful to completely terrible. Just like you can observe this, so can the search engines too. The saying “you get only what you actually pay for” applies to SEO..
2. SEO Is An IT Function
AS SEO requires web development and modifications, it requires support from IT. However, SEO should be actually driven by the strategies, goals and budgets of marketing as it is an important marketing channel.
3. SEO Is Spam
If done properly, SEO is not spam. Many SEOs do an excellent job making their customers’ sites more relevant, accessible, fast and useful.
4. All Links Are Good Links
Links are an important piece of SEO pie. Unluckily, not all the links are equal. The search engines assess the trustworthiness and value of every link to create a link profile for your site. If your site shows low trust and low value links, search engines will then assume your site as low value and rank accordingly.
5. SEO Techniques Are Guarded Secrets
A reputed SEO agency must be willing and able to explain their procedure and techniques thoroughly before starting SEO for any client. The risks of allowing any agency go wild with your business are far too good to permit for the secret SEO techniques.
6. SEO Is A Onetime Thing
As Internet is changing constantly, SEO can’t be a onetime thing. You need to change your SEO strategies from time to time to match with constant Internet changes.
7. Great Content Is Everything
Great content is just the first step. Once you have good content, you need to spread the words and make people read and link with your content.
8. SEO Is A Single Effort
Based on your business size, SEO involves many teams to become successful. When starting an SEO engagement, realize that senior marketing, leadership, copywriting, PR and IT teams will all play a role in SEO success.
9. Well Designed, User Friendly Sites Don’t Blend With SEO
An excellent, simple to use site, full of SEO integrity can’t happen by itself. Ensure to get your web development and SEO teams work together on Day 1 of your new project.
10. Meta tags are vital for high ranking
This is no longer the case. All the key search engines have definitively stated that Meta Descriptions tags and Meta Keywords aren’t used for ranking search results.