6 SEO Myths Every Business Owner Should Ignore Believing these six SEO myths will likely cause more harm than good to any business.
By Pulkit Agrawal Edited by Chelsea Brown
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Let us be honest, every business owner tries to keep up with the ever-changing Google algorithm. Why? Because nobody wants to be on the second page of Google. In SEO, quick victories with little effort are uncommon. There are SEO myths out there that will harm rather than help your business. Even today, there are still far too many myths circulating in the world of SEO. They are neither proven true nor do they follow a particular logic.
These SEO myths usually will cause more harm than good to any business. So, I have put together several myths that we should debunk for the good of our own businesses. Here they are below:
Related: 6 SEO Tips to Benefit Any Business
1. SEO is a one-time thing
It's a common misconception among business owners that SEO only needs to be done once. Once they have optimized a website, it starts to show up on search engine results pages (SERPs). In all honesty, that is where your real work starts. Once your website begins to rank, you must continue doing work to keep it there. Google's dynamic algorithms are to blame for this.
For sure, there are advantages to one-time SEO, and you can notice the results right away. But it won't last much longer if there is a lack of upkeep and competition from the market. To improve its search results, Google frequently rolls out new algorithms. As a result, if you don't keep your website optimized for the new algorithm, your rivals who do may outrank you.
2. Local SEO is not worth it
Let's say you're a small business owner struggling to increase your website traffic. If someone searches "candle shop near me," search engines will show them results closest to their local area. And what's better than utilizing data-driven local SEO strategies for your business that produce quick rankings, giving you a competitive advantage over your rivals by positioning your name, goods and services so that customers pick your business over your competition?
So, before you reject local SEO for your business, think again. Local SEO is effective at separating your local audience from the rest of the world. It primarily serves the needs of the neighborhood citizens. So, yes, focusing on local SEO is yet another essential strategy that helps you identify and reach your ideal client.
Related: Why Local SEO is the Key to Business Success
3. SEO means rankings
A key ranking factor is determining how relevant your website is, along with well-optimized content. However, if a user doesn't enter your website, it's not relevant, your content wasn't optimized for search engines, and that won't work for very long.
In order to be clear about this, we must recognize that SEO at this level must address the needs and intentions of users. And that is what will increase your ranking in the search engine. Google is shifting its focus to user intent in order to provide more precise and customized results.
The process of having a website appear naturally in search results on search engines is known as search engine optimization. The title, the meta descriptions, the chosen images for the content and the keywords used in context are all significant on-site SEO components if we approach SEO from an on-site perspective.
4. Repeated and lengthy keywords bring more traffic
Sorry to break it to you, but using the same keywords repeatedly will eventually lead to Google penalties. So, stop keyword stuffing, and your blog's traffic will increase by a factor of two.
The crucial step in the entire SEO process should be the optimization of targeted keywords and keyword research. While Google AdWords Keyword Planner has long been one of the most popular options, many agencies have suggested numerous other tools as SEO has progressed.
When it comes to SEO, keyword stuffing and long keywords are not the most important SEO component; keyword optimization must be the most significant one. But don't forget that context, not just keywords, conveys everything. It only recently began to have a significant effect on search results. Based on every user's unique search, Google will always provide more individualized results. Only the most pertinent pages are chosen after it searches through billions of pages.
Related: What Are 'Google Penalties,' and Why Do You Need to Avoid Them?
6. Social media does not help in SEO
If you are aware of the always-evolving Google updates, you should know that Google made some significant updates that make it abundantly clear that social media shares are now important for rankings.
Your rankings do not rise as a result of your social media following. It also doesn't imply that you should disregard social media, though. Focus on getting more social shares on your blog posts if you're looking for tested strategies to boost search engine traffic — because those shares count as positive votes in the eyes of Google bots.
It is true that Google's ranking algorithm does not use a direct ranking signal. Facebook and Twitter posts are treated by Google for search purposes just like any other web pages, but not necessarily as a ranking factor.
Why do people believe SEO Myths?
Myths about SEO are frequently discussed, but the bigger query is: Why do people believe them? When repeated frequently enough, SEO myths start to seem true. In our industry, false information frequently circulates. It is distributed everywhere — in blog posts, social media posts, podcasts and conference presentations.
Unfortunately, the response in SEO is frequently, "It depends." This is so that ecommerce SEO, news SEO, local SEO and enterprise SEO can all have different ideas of what constitutes an SEO best practices.
Remember to cross-check everything you read on the internet, and find solutions to bust these myths. Ask a professional or hire an SEO expert to be clear about what you should do when engaging in this vast area.
Having said that, you should also be aware of the updates. Finding the most recent algorithm updates and adjusting your SEO procedures while still focusing on your core tasks may sound difficult. If you want more exposure from your blog, concentrate on attracting devoted readers rather than providing search engine bots with content. Prioritize building relationships with people through blogger outreach, link out to other bloggers frequently, and produce better content that addresses the issues facing your audience. You choose what is best for your company and whether to use certain SEO tactics.
