SEO can be a complex concept to grasp, with a multitude of myths intertwined with general conversation surrounding the topic. These myths are often widely accepted and believed, due to the almost abstract nature of SEO work itself. Whilst some myths may appear obviously incorrect to some, this article hopes to save others from pouring their time and effort into methods that will never have any form of impact on their site’s SEO.
SEO Is Dying Out
The first, and perhaps the biggest, myth to be debunked in this article is that SEO is dying out.
This could not be further from the truth – as long as Google, amongst other search engines, continues to exist, SEO will always maintain its relevancy and continue to evolve. Perhaps what this myth stems from is the notion that some SEO techniques lose their efficacy with the introduction of new search engine algorithm updates, where other, new methods provide bigger returns on the investment of effort.
SEO is a One-Time Effort, Not Ongoing
In the world of SEO, there is a misconception that SEO work is complete after the foundational building blocks are established. However, SEO is not a one-time effort in any respect—it should always be ongoing, aligning with the most recent and updated search engine algorithm updates to ensure complete relevancy.
Continuous attention to keyword research should be given, depending on the amount of time dedicated to the site, and it should be updated every few months. These adaptations should reflect the changing monthly search volume trends, and the potential impact of this on the website’s organic traffic.
Keyword Research Isn’t Largely Important in SEO
Contrary to this belief, keyword research provides the building blocks to an entire SEO strategy, and is fundamentally critical to its success. Search engines index and rank content on sites largely using its keywords—thus, thoroughly researched and keyword-rich content (but not stuffed) will have a higher degree of visibility on the SERP, and attract the relevant organic traffic to the site.
As previously mentioned, the art of ‘keyword stuffing,’ is an outdated, but still widely believed, method of acquiring a higher SERP ranking. However, particularly with the introduction of Google’s ‘Helpful Content’ algorithm update, sites will be penalized for black-hat SEO techniques such as stuffing keywords into content and the white spaces in a page. Content that is well written, rich in targeted keywords, and that genuinely provides useful content to its users will inevitably rank better than its black-hat counterparts.
I Don’t Have to Optimize My Site for Mobile Users
This appears to be a common misconception for those sites who attract the majority of their users through a desktop platform—the importance of catering to mobile users isn’t always as obvious. However, with the rise of mobile usage in recent years, it is paramount for SEO success to ensure that sites are tailored with mobile users in mind, enhancing its accessibility.
Neglecting mobile optimisation can result in a poor user experience on mobile platform, leading to higher bounce rates, and a lower authority rating from Google.
SEO Guarantees Immediate Results
Lastly, the notion that putting effort into SEO will guarantee immediate results is inherently false. SEO is a craft, an ongoing process that requires consistent attention, monitoring, and adaptation. Aside from setting up the foundation SEO of a new site, SEO will never guarantee immediate results.
Even if you were to implement the best possible SEO strategy to your site, Google will still take time to crawl and index pages, and changes to rankings will not happen overnight. Time and patience are required to begin to see the rewards of your efforts; although there is no set timeframe, the competitive nature of the site’s target market will affect the ranking difficulty and the period of time it takes to see results.
How Can Verto Help?
Here at Verto, we understand that SEO can be a complex, confusing concept to grasp. We have a dedicated team of SEO specialists that can develop a tactical SEO strategy, and advise upon the best approach to take for your site.
When you choose Verto to manage your SEO, you are choosing ongoing support and complete transparency. We endeavor to provide all of our clients with a tailored, customised strategy. For more information and to see what Verto can do for your site, please contact us today.
