A few days in the SEO world seem like “Groundhog Day” – a 1993 classic film where Phil Conners (played by Bill Murray) repeats the same day over and over again.
But instead of repeating the day, one question is asked over and over again. It usually goes something like this: what are some common SEO myths you always hear that need to be uncovered?
The topic of SEO myths and conspiracy theories is popular. We recently presented an article on myths here on Search Engine Land (11 search conspiracy theories, Google and Big Tech), and we’ve published a few others over the years. Therefore, we will not delve into actual myths or revelations here.
The bigger question is: why does your boss (and / or your co-workers and / or your team) keep asking you about these SEO myths? Or how did your client hear about some random, long-revealed tactic? Shouldn’t we know better?
Part of your job is to understand and teach them how search actually works – why E-A-T is not a ranking factor, why domain authority is not a metric used by Google, or why LSI keywords are a ridiculous concept.
Read on to learn more about the main reasons why people believe in SEO myths and how some SEO professionals deal with them.
1. Repetition
Myths about SEO sound credible if repeated many times. Misinformation is often spread in our industry. It is shared in presentations at conferences, in blog posts, on social media, in podcasts, and elsewhere. Before you commit, you have a myth (or a new SEO boogeyman).
So if you find yourself in this situation, what do you need to do?
Holly Miller Anderson, North America’s leading SEO product manager at Under Armor, put it this way: “Educate yourself. Don’t argue. “
“One of the best things SEO leads can do is be as proactive as possible in educating your organization and management team against the myths of SEO,” Anderson said. “The host talks as often as possible (i.e. lunch and learning style) about SEO myths and invites people to come and hear some myths, share those they have heard, and provide a variety of sources and evidence.”
This creates a safer space for people to express their opinion or understanding about SEO without being considered stupid, Anderson added. It also gives SEO management a forum to address myths in a harmless way.
2. Myths typically are the “easy answer”
SEO is “free traffic”. At least so many customers watch it. Sometimes SEO is oversimplified, to the point that customers think all you have to do is x, y, and z, and then you sit back and wait for all the rankings, traffic, conversions, and revenue.
Well, often the answers “too good to be true” turn out to be just the basics of SEO. Table inserts. Everyone is optimizing their meta tags, answering questions, creating mobile-friendly websites, and trying to create “great” content.
Sometimes, even worse, these “simple answers” can be tactics that could harm your customers. And that’s something you never want to ignore, said Himani Kankaria, founder of Missive Digital.
“I will tell them that I will not do this and that I will not allow my team to do this as doing the wrong things would cost the client and then cleaning up would also add costs,” Kankaria said. “On top of that, what is the assurance that cleaning up this mess would yield results?”
The only way to fight bad information is with better information, said Keith Goode, chief product officer of SEO at Cox Automotive.
“Developers and even some SEOs will sometimes discover bad advice in a blog from 11 years ago (e.g. creating a Rank) and won’t bother with additional research to find content they dispute or disprove,” Goode said. . “As a result, they will introduce a change on their websites that will cause side effects.
“The way I fight this kind of misinformation is to provide newer posts that dispel bad advice,” Goode added. “Better yet, I’ll show them an article that directly quotes a Google employee. Even better, if I find documentation for Google developers that contradicts the original claim, it will solve it. “
3. Information overload
You can find all kinds of information about SEO. There are an infinite number of help documents, articles, guides, studies, social media updates, e-books, courses, podcasts, videos and more and more. Talk about information overload!
But you know what else is easy to find? Misinformation about SEO.
Dave Davies, Head of SEO at Weights & amp; Bias, he pointed out, that most myths about SEO come from the core of the truth. He said he found it helpful to recognize this core and discuss why you didn’t use tactics in this scenario.
“Besides, some tactics worked, but not now, and providing that context works wonders,” Davies said. “Think of spam on a forum in the early 2000s or filling in keywords at about the same time. Come to think of it, SEOs really messed up the results back then. Sorry for that.”
Maria White, head of SEO at Kurt Geiger, said communication is the best way to deal with misinformation.
“First, I gather documentation from trusted sources (Google and SEO experts who do a lot of research, such as Barry Schwartz, Jason Barnard, Lily Ray and Marie Haynes),” White said. “Then I use the document to tell the client why this is not good practice and talk about the possible damage that myth or bad practice could cause to the outcome of the strategy.”
4. It ranks well on Google, so it must be true
There is a belief that what ranks well on Google means that it is accurate and trustworthy. Over the years, I’ve seen this happen a lot. For example, when people quote statistics, they often enter [keyword + statistics], look at the number one result, find statistics, summarize that post, and click on the post.
Except when you actually check the sources, you find that at some point someone took a statement or statistic out of context and it turned into something that never was.
But Google doesn’t always rank the best or correct answers. Google’s algorithms cannot fully determine accuracy.
Fortunately, many SEO experts follow every bit of information that Google releases about SEO. Among them is Marie Haynes, whose agency documents everything Google says in blog posts, special posts, videos, Hangouts, forums, and anywhere else.
“We store the data internally,” Haynes said. “For most SEO topics, whether they are myths or not, we can support our recommendations with a link showing what Google recommends.”
Aleyda Solis, founder of Orainta, has a similar approach.
“I am referring to Google’s official documentation on the topic where it is explained, if any, or I am looking for a quote from a Google representative from the Q&A or event where this topic was discussed and clarified, along with my explanation / reflection on the case from “real life” by how it actually works, if available, so they can see for themselves. “
5. Lack of critical thinking
SEO checklists only take you that far. Your job is to gather and process all the information, arguments, and data you can before you take action. After all, the goal is to do what is best for your brand, company, or customers.
So ask everything. Be skeptical. Examine who, what, where, when, why, and how of everything you read, watch, or hear.
Most of your customers are simply not capable of thinking critically about SEO. They do not have our experience, knowledge and data. And while it may be difficult, it is sometimes important to be honest, especially if the situation requires a radical change of mindset, said Kaspar Szymanski, co-founder of SearchBrothers.
“Most clients appreciate that my only motivation, even when I point out the shortcomings of their current SEO approach, is to help them and make their sites more visible for relevant queries,” Szymanski said. “What is not generally understood is the fact that the ultimate visibility of an organic search depends on signal input. Search engine optimization is basically the management of this signal input. The best advice that customers can easily take is to manage what comes into search engines to get the best possible result. ”
6. The source seems legit
For those of us in the industry for a few years now, we’ve seen some popular personalities and websites that have posted some questionable, misleading, or completely misleading information.
Therefore, we should come up with better information than positive alternatives to learning, says Bill Slawski, director of SEO research at Go Fish Digital.
“Unfortunately, there’s a lot of misinformation in the world and some SEOs are much more interested in writing popular click baits rather than something that might be more accurate,” Slawski said. “These authors can sometimes be successful in terms of payment from tool makers, but they are not helpful to SEO clients who want successful businesses.”
Every medium or publishing site occasionally gets misinformation. Most reputable people admit and correct their mistakes. This is not always the case in SEO. Some people, when they fix them, will ignore or – worse – stubbornly insist on their harmful content.
What should you do when dealing with a click bait or misinformation? Find out where they came across the information. Then target them to two or three easily verifiable resources that are extremely credible, said Michael Bonfils, global director of SEM International.
“My usual answer is, ‘I wish it was that easy,'” Bonfils said.
7. It’s considered “best practice”
In SEO, sometimes the frustrating answer is often “dependent”. This is because what is considered to be the best SEO practice in SEO in e-commerce may be different from SEO news or a local SEO or SEO company.
No two websites, even in the same market, are exactly alike. Some strategies and tactics may work for multiple sites, but the results will inevitably vary. Some SEO “best practices” may turn out to be “worst practices” for some sites.
One solution is to focus the conversation on your existing goals and tactics, said Jes Scholz, head of marketing at Ringier.
“Remind them how well the current strategy works and implementing such a current strategy along with a myth is not possible, either due to resource constraints or conflicts in the strategy or whatever it is,” Scholz said. “Then give them strength by ending with the question of how to proceed.”
Davies said it’s actually good to ask ourselves.
“We all test all the time. Even though I was well informed, my instincts were sometimes wrong, ”Davies said. “Basically, even though you’re 9 times out of 10 you might be right, test and find that someone can eventually pay out big dividends.”
The solution can be as simple as running a test.
“Find a set of pages where you could try something with clear signs of the search effect, but hopefully it’s a bit business-like (pages with its impressions but low clicks often come to mind),” Davies said.
What to do when faced with these SEO myths?
The key is not in breaking the myth, but in how to break the myth, said Ryan Jones, vice president, SEO, Razorfish.
“You have to let your co-worker / client down easily. It’s possible that the myth years ago was good advice or common theory and they just weren’t up to date, ”Jones said. “Maybe they hired bad SEO before. You don’t want them to feel guilty about it, but you want to give them proper advice going forward. You have to do it gently, but there is also time and space. “
In other words, you can save “well actually …” and a combative tone for your next argument on Twitter.
“Don’t derail a major conversation to get down to the SEO weed debate. In this case, further e-mail or conversation may be needed, “Jones added.” Never lose track of a major project / discussion goal and don’t miss the forest behind the trees. “
Corey Morris, chief strategic officer at Voltage, said it’s important to be kind when dealing with any myths or misunderstandings when a client or contact has misinformation about how SEO works.
“Take an educational approach,” Morris said. “By looking at broader aspects of how Google works, what it rewards, and why things are included (or not) in it, I can find an anchor with them.”
Kevin Rowe, vice president of strategy and product at PureLinq, has a standardized approach that includes, in part, a three-question litmus test to determine benefits and assess risk against goals. These questions are:
“It’s really important to treat a client like they’re logical people who have good ideas and aren’t uneducated in SEO,” Rowe said. “Just because we’re experienced SEO doesn’t mean we always have the best answer.”
What if the client is stubborn about the idea? Jason Barnard, founder and CEO of Kalicube, said you may need to stop working with them.
“Why waste time?” Barnard said. “There’s no shortage of smart business owners in the world who don’t treat SEO as one trick-quick-one-win-every-time-effortless. Let’s work with clients who want to integrate SEO into a broader digital, business-focused strategy. “
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About The Author
Danny Goodwin is the senior editor of Search Engine Land. In addition to writing daily about SEO, PPC and more for Search Engine Land, Goodwin also manages a list of Search Engine Land experts. It also helps program our series of conferences, SMX – Search Marketing Expo. Prior to joining Search Engine Land, Goodwin was executive editor of the Search Engine Journal, where he led editorial initiatives for the brand. He was also an editor at Search Engine Watch. He has spoken at a number of major search conferences and virtual events, and has gained his expertise from a number of publications and podcasts.
What are the disadvantages of SEO?
Here are some disadvantages of SEO strategies:
- The results are not immediate – you need patience and wait for SEO to take effect. …
- RPIs aren’t fast either – the return on investment doesn’t show the next day.
- SEO work can be expensive – using the right SEO strategies costs money.
What are the disadvantages of Google search? Limited functionality compared to other website creators. Not a really good site for business – not enough customization. Apps are limited to Google apps only. Apps outside of Google applications may not be useful.
What is SEO advantages and disadvantages?
While the benefits of implementing SEO are clear, there may be disadvantages that will play an important role in your decision-making process. These include looking at SEO as a long-term investment and not as a short-term solution, with no guarantees of results and risk of playing in a highly competitive SEO market.
What’s the advantages and disadvantages?
As nouns, the difference between a disadvantage and an advantage is that the disadvantage is a disadvantage or an undesirable property; fraud, while advantage is any condition, circumstance, opportunity, or means that is particularly conducive to success or any desired goal.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of a search engine?
The search engine obtains information from the web that follows “one page for all”, which is not flexible to users. WEAKNESSES • When different users make the same query, a typical search engine will return the same result. It becomes difficult for the user to obtain relevant content.
Is Investing in SEO worth it?
SEO is worth it if you have the right strategy in place and are working with a partner who knows how to achieve results. About 93% of the online experience starts with a search engine, and the closing rate of potential SEO clients is much higher than with traditional marketing. So SEO provides an impressive return on investment (ROI).
Is SEO worth it in 2020? While some traditional marketing methods may be becoming obsolete, SEO is here to stay in 2020. Whether you invested in SEO early or just starting out, it can still be a major driver of traffic and lead to your site.
Is SEO worth 2021?
So is SEO still a good investment in 2021 and beyond ?! Short answer: YES! SEO is more important than ever! It is still one of the strongest digital marketing strategies that delivers long-term results.
Does SEO Still Work 2021?
Don’t be fooled: SEO isn’t dying, but evolving into much more than it was years ago. If you’ve already discussed whether to invest in SEO for your business or not, read on to why SEO in 2021 isn’t dying, but actually succeeding.
How SEO will change in 2021?
Updating the Google Site Experience One of the biggest announcements of SEO changes coming out of Google this year, the Site Experience Update essentially confirms that the user experience will at some point in 2021 become a signal for SEO ranking.
Is SEO Still Profitable?
Yes! SEO companies are profitable. In terms of SEO company ownership, one of the best parts of setting up an SEO company is recurring revenue. Ensuring SEO results requires consistent action, and by providing ongoing monthly SEO services to your clients, you are likely to make a solid profit.
Is SEO still worth it in 2021?
The short answer is that SEO is very effective – not only for generating traffic, but also for potential customers and sales. do not worry. A long answer involves research and data, not just empty statements. Most SEOs are too caught up in search-specific metrics such as SERP (search engine results page), rankings, and organic traffic.
Is SEO worth it in 2022?
Local SEO will succeed in search results: Local SEO will be effective in online marketing in 2022 and even if the pandemic disappears, studies and research show that people prefer to work and study at home and are likely to do so after the pandemic.
Is SEO a good investment?
SEO is not only necessary for your business, it is one of the biggest investments you can make. You can think of SEO as investing money in 401K for your business – it’s money that will eventually gain value and stay in your account.
Is SEO a waste of money?
SEO is not dead. This is not a waste of money if and when done correctly. On the other hand, the grass is not greener; it is greener where it has been watered. If you take care of your website, it will take care of you!
How much should you invest in SEO?
The average cost of project-based SEO services ranges from $ 1,000 to $ 1 million and more. Smaller businesses using local SEO could spend about $ 1,000 a month on a project. Larger companies at the enterprise level can expect to pay millions of dollars a month.
Is it time to switch to a new SEO tool?
The answer is that we should never stop our critical analysis. Innovation is an ongoing process, especially in this rapidly changing industry. Therefore, your basic SEO tool you choose should keep up with the pace and constantly update its capabilities.
Is SEO worth 2020? The short answer is that SEO is very effective – not only for generating traffic, but also for potential customers and sales. do not worry. A long answer involves research and data, not just empty statements. Most SEOs are too caught up in search-specific metrics such as SERP (search engine results page), rankings, and organic traffic.
Is a SEO tool necessary?
Conclusion. SEO tools are not only useful for tracking your ranking or conducting keyword research. You can gain valuable insights into your competition, how your SEO efforts pay off, and whether you are creating a solid return on investment for your clients.
Can you do SEO without tools?
I believe you can do SEO without any tools other than Google itself. It will go slowly because you will not have access to certain competition data, but I believe you will have an advantage that many people do not have.
Does SEO really matter?
Whether you invested in SEO early or just starting out, it can still be a major driver of traffic and lead to your site. SEO is especially useful for locally oriented companies, those who want to reach more users with their content, and companies that hope to adopt a multi-channel approach.
Does SEO Still Work 2020?
The reality is that SEO is still important in 2020, although many practices and methods have changed. For example, Google’s BERT update for 2019 has lit a fire under SEO experts to focus more on content optimization based on search purpose rather than keywords.
Is SEO still relevant in 2022?
Will SEO still be relevant in 2022? Of course. Although some SEO tactics that have been effective in the past have ceased to work, SEO has continued to evolve. It is constantly being invented to try to better suit the user’s intentions, to reduce unwanted, ineffective tactics to make it better.
Is SEO Dead 2020?
SEO is not dead, it is just changing. Of course, clickthrough rates are declining and Google continues to adjust its algorithm, but this is to be expected. Google has made it easy for you to target your ideal customer through SEO or paid ads. Before they came, it was much harder.
Is SEO relevant in 2022?
Is SEO still important in 2022 (or 2022)? Definitely. It has become more sophisticated, its focus has changed (from keyword stuffing to user intent), and it’s harder to rank it in Google’s SERPs. But he is definitely here to stay.
Is building links in SEO still effective in 2022? Are backlinks still important in 2022? Definitely. If you want to manage a successful, long-term SEO strategy, backlinks cannot be ignored. The more high quality and relevant backlinks a site has, the more traffic it will receive from Google.
What kind of SEO trends look for 2022?
Best SEO Strategies for 2022 Check out your core online vital values and invest in improvements. Targeted keywords with long questions for people also ask. Create groups of keywords to rank for multiple single-page queries. Use AI content tools, but as an add-on.
Is SEO still relevant in 2022?
Will SEO still be relevant in 2022? Of course. Although some SEO tactics that have been effective in the past have ceased to work, SEO has continued to evolve. It is constantly being invented to try to better suit the user’s intentions, to reduce unwanted, ineffective tactics to make it better.
What will be the trending SEO technique in 2021?
Give it a major edge in your 2021 SEO strategy. Also build brand awareness to increase brand search queries. Brand inquiries are a hidden ranking factor that will help you rank higher and establish yourself as a trusted brand on Google. You may even want to perform a content audit for this.
Is SEO important in 2022?
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the key to successful digital marketing strategies. SEO can help your site rank higher on search engine results pages (SERP), allowing for greater visibility and organic search traffic.
Is SEO worth it in 2022?
Local SEO will succeed in search results: Local SEO will be effective in online marketing in 2022 and even if the pandemic disappears, studies and research show that people prefer to work and study at home and are likely to do so after the pandemic.
Does SEO have a future?
The future of SEO will be brand integrity and the use of partnerships and relationships to enhance credibility and popularity. The importance of PR and gaining traction online through other websites and media centers will be valuable for SEO success.
How is SEO going to change in 2022?
As we approach 2022, we see potential acceleration of updates to Google’s algorithms and further advances in artificial intelligence and natural language processing, placing even more emphasis on providing the best user experience.
Is SEO still relevant in 2022?
Will SEO still be relevant in 2022? Of course. Although some SEO tactics that have been effective in the past have ceased to work, SEO has continued to evolve. It is constantly being invented to try to better suit the user’s intentions, to reduce unwanted, ineffective tactics to make it better.
How is SEO evolving?
There has been a major change in SEO, forcing brands to earn rankings with quality user-focused content or face search penalties. Major Google updates have imposed stricter rules on keywords, content quality, and over-optimization. This had a strong impact on the indexing of the results.
How to improve SEO? A website that is rich in content, authoritative, unbiased, and helps visitors learn more about what interests them is more likely to attract links from other sites, which improves your search engine optimization. Improve your authority and credibility by adding relevant links to the text.
How has SEO evolved over the years?
One of the biggest changes in SEO in the last few years has revolved around local search, as local searches have become more frequent and also more specific. … SEO can now optimize content ranking for location-specific keywords to help them reach their target market.
How has SEO changed in 2021?
Updating the Google Site Experience One of the biggest announcements of SEO changes coming out of Google this year, the Site Experience Update essentially confirms that the user experience will at some point in 2021 become a signal for SEO ranking.
Does SEO improve over time?
According to 82% of surveyed experts, SEO takes an average of 6 months to show an increase in traffic, while the full results of good SEO strategies are visible after 12 – 24 months. With the top 3 pages on Google receiving 75.1% of your traffic, expect your SEO results to grow over time as your rankings improve.
How has SEO changed 2021?
The latest and most recent update will come in March 2021, when Google launches the default option for all default indexing sites on mobile devices. This means that the way your website is indexed and the content handled may change in March.
Is SEO still relevant in 2021?
SEO remains important and relevant in 2021 if you want your business to have an effective online presence.
Is SEO static or evolving?
SEO is constantly changing and always will be, but despite the challenges, there are still many opportunities for those who want to succeed in this field.
Does SEO change over time?
One of the biggest changes in SEO in the last few years has revolved around local search, as local searches have become more frequent and also more specific. With a new focus on local search, local businesses have additional opportunities to reach their target audience.
Does SEO have a future?
The future of SEO will be brand integrity and the use of partnerships and relationships to enhance credibility and popularity. The importance of PR and gaining traction online through other websites and media centers will be valuable for SEO success.