Some days in the SEO world, it feels like “Groundhog Day,” a classic 1993 film in which 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 and over and over again. This is usually something like this: what are the common SEO myths that you always hear and that need to be refuted?
The topic of SEO myths and conspiracy theories is popular. We recently introduced an article on the myths of Search Engine Land (11 conspiracy theories about search, Google, and Big Tech) here, and we’ve published several others in recent years. So we are not going into real myths or deconstruction 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 customer hear about some random, long-rejected tactics? Shouldn’t they know better?
Part of your job is to understand and educate them about 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 term.
Read on to learn about the main reasons why people believe SEO myths and how some SEO practitioners deal with them.
1. Repetition
SEO myths sound enough to recur credibly. False information tends to spread in our industry. It will be distributed in conference presentations, blog posts, social media, podcasts and more. Before you know it, you have a myth (or a new SEO boogeyman).
So if you find yourself in a situation like this, what should you do? Read also : How to stay current in the SEO industry.
Holly Miller Anderson, North America’s leading SEO product manager at Under Armor, put it this way: “Educate. Do not argue.”
“One of the best things SEO sales can do is be as proactive as possible in training your organization and management against SEO myths,” Anderson said. “The host talks about SEO myths as often as possible (ie during lunch and learning) and invites people to listen to some myths, share what they’ve heard, and provide a variety of resources and evidence.”
It creates a safer space for people to express their opinions or understandings about SEO without being considered stupid, Anderson added. It also gives SEO leaders a forum to deal with myths in a non-dangerous way.
2. Myths typically are the “easy answer”
SEO is “free traffic”. At least so many customers watch it. Read also : SEO Company Seeks New Content Partners for Increasing Access to Publisher Websites and Top SEO Blog and Content Writing Services. Sometimes SEO is too simplistic, so customers think all you have to do is x, y and z and then sit down and wait for all the rankings, traffic, conversions and revenue.
Well, the answers to “too good to be true” often turn out to be just SEO basics. Table bets. Everyone optimizes their meta tags, answers questions, makes mobile-friendly sites, and strives to create “great” content.
Sometimes, worse, these “simple answers” can be tactics that can hurt your customers. And this is something you will never want to ignore, said Himani Kankaria, founder of Missive Digital.
“I tell them that I will not do this and will not allow my team to do it, because implementing the wrong things would cost the customer and cleaning it would also increase costs,” Kankaria said. “Besides, what’s the guarantee that clearing this mess will bring results back?”
The only way to fight bad information is better information, said Keith Goode, Cox Automotive’s chief SEO officer.
“Developers, and even some SEOs, sometimes find bad advice (like designing PageRank) on a blog 11 years ago and barely do any more research to find content that challenges or disproves it,” Goode said. . “As a result, they are implementing changes to their sites that are causing unwanted effects.
“The way I fight this kind of misinformation is to offer more recent posts that refute bad advice,” Goode added. “Better yet, I’ll show them an article that directly quotes a Google employee. Better yet, if I find any Google Developer documentation that goes against the original claim, it will resolve it.
3. Information overload
You can find all kinds of information about SEO. There are endless help documents, articles, guides, surveys, social media updates, e-books, courses, podcasts, videos and more. See the article : Manchester Seo Company Becomes First Carbon-negative Digital Agency. Talk about information overload!
But you know what else is easy to find? SEO misinformation.
Dave Davies, of Weights & amp; Prejudices have pointed out that most SEO myths come from the core of the truth. He said he had found it useful to identify the core and discuss why you had not used tactics in this scenario.
“Besides, some tactics worked, but not now, and creating that context works wonders,” Davies said. “Think of forum spam in the early 2000’s or keyword stuffing around the same time. When you think about it, SEO was very confusing at the time. Sorry about that. “
Maria White, Kurt Geiger’s head of SEO, said that communication is the best way to combat misinformation.
“First, I gather documents from trusted sources (Google and SEO experts who do a lot of research, like Barry Schwartz, Jason Barnard, Lily Ray and Marie Haynes),” White said. “I then use the document to tell the client why this is not good practice and to talk about the potential harm that a myth or bad practice could have on the outcome of the strategy.”
4. It ranks well on Google, so it must be true
It is believed that what is well present on Google means that it is accurate and reliable. I have seen it a lot over the years. For example, when people quote statistics, they often enter [keyword + statistics], look at the number one result, find the statistics, quote the summary, and click publish.
Except that by actually checking the sources, you realize that at some point someone took the statement or statistic out of context and it turned into something it never was.
However, Google does not always determine the best or correct answers. Google’s algorithms cannot fully determine accuracy.
Fortunately, many SEO professionals keep track of all the information Google publishes about SEO. Among them is Marie Haynes, whose agency documents everything Google says in blog posts, specific announcements, videos, hangouts, forums, and more.
“We store information internally,” Haynes said. “For most SEO topics, whether it’s myths or not, we can support our recommendations with a link that shows what Google recommends.”
Aleyda Solis, founder of Oraint, takes a similar approach.
“I will refer to Google’s official documentation on the subject, if any, or I will seek a quote from a Google representative for the Q&A or event where this topic was discussed and explained, along with my explanation / reasoning on it, and” real life “example of how it actually works when it ‘s available so they can see it for themselves.
5. Lack of critical thinking
SEO checklists only take you that far. It is your job to gather and process all the information, arguments and data we receive before taking action. After all, the goal is to do what is best for your brand, business, or customers.
So ask for everything. Be skeptical. Find out who, what, where, when, why and how about everything you read, watch or hear.
Most of your clients just can’t think critically about SEO. They have no experience, knowledge or data. And while it can be difficult, it’s sometimes important to be straightforward, especially when the situation calls for a radical change in thinking, said Kaspar Szymanski, co-founder of SearchBrothers.
“Most clients appreciate that my only motivation, even if I point out the shortcomings of their current SEO approach, is to help them and make their websites more visible for relevant queries,” said Szymanski. “What is not widely understood is the fact that ultimately the visibility of an organic search is related to the input of the search engine. Search engine optimization is essentially about managing that signal input.
6. The source seems legit
For those who have been in the business for many years, we’ve seen some popular personalities and websites that have published questionable, misleading, or completely incorrect information.
According to Bill Slawski, Director of SEO Research at Go Fish Digital, we should therefore produce better information as a positive alternative to learn from.
“Unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation in the world, and some SEOs are much more interested in writing a popular click lure than anything that could be more specific,” Slawski said. “These authors can sometimes be successful because they are paid by tool makers, but they are not useful for SEO clients who want successful businesses.”
Every media or publishing site receives incorrect information from time to time. Most reputable ones will admit and correct their mistakes. This is not always the case with SEO. Some people, when they are corrected, ignore it or, worse, stubbornly stick to their harmful content.
What should you do if you have to deal with click bait or incorrect information? Find out where they got the information. Then direct them to two or three easily controllable resources that are extremely reliable, said Michael Bonfils, CEO of SEM International.
“My usual answer is, ‘I want it to be that simple,'” Bonfils said. “But really, that’s what we do and how it works.”
7. It’s considered “best practice”
In SEO, the sometimes frustrating answer is often “it depends”. This is because SEO, which is considered the best practice for e-commerce SEO, may differ from news SEO or local SEO or corporate SEO.
Even in the same market, no two websites are exactly alike. Some strategies and tactics may work for multiple websites, but the results will inevitably vary. Some SEO “best practices” may be “worst practices” for some websites.
One solution here is to steer the conversation towards your existing goals and tactics, said Jes Scholz, Marketing Manager at Ringier Group.
“Remind them how well the current strategy is working, and it is not possible to fulfill both the current strategy and the myth, either due to limited resources or strategic conflicts, or whatever,” Scholz said. “Then give them strength, ending with the question of how to move forward.”
Davies said it was actually good to question himself.
“We all test all the time. As a knower, I think my instincts are sometimes lost,” Davies said. dividends. “
The solution may be as simple as running the test.
“Find a set of pages where you can test something with clear signs of search impact, but hopefully it’s lower than business (pages with its impressions but few clicks are often remembered),” Davies said.
What to do when faced with these SEO myths?
The key is not to break the myth, but to break the myth, said Ryan Jones, vice president of SEO at Razorfish.
“You need to easily downplay your co-worker / client. It’s possible that the myth may have been good advice or a common theory years ago and they just haven’t been aware of it, “said Jones.” They may have hired bad SEO in the past. You do not want to make them feel guilty about this, but you want to give them appropriate advice in the future. You just have to do it gently and there is a time and a place. ”
In other words, you can record a “good actually …” and fighting tone for your next Twitter dispute.
“Don’t take the bigger conversation off the rails to get into the weed SEO debate. In that case, the aftermath or conversation may be justified, ”added Jones. “Never lose sight of the bigger purpose of a project / discussion and don’t miss the forest behind the trees.”
Corey Morris, strategy manager at Voltage, said that if a client or contact has misleading information about how SEO works, it’s important to be kind when dealing with myths or misunderstandings.
“Take an educational approach,” Morris said. “When I look at the broader aspects of Google’s performance, what it rewards, and why things are (or aren’t) there, I’ll find an anchor with them.”
Kevin Rowe, PureLinq’s Vice President of Strategy and Product, uses a standardized approach that includes a three-question litmus test to prioritize and assess risks to goals. These questions are:
“It’s really important that you treat the customer as if they were logical people with good ideas and not educated in SEO,” Rowe said. “Just because we’re experienced in SEO doesn’t mean we always have the best answer.”
But what if the customer 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 is no shortage of smart business owners in the world who don’t see SEO as one trick-quick-and-easy-win-all-time-and-effort. We work with clients who want to integrate SEO into a broader business-centric digital strategy.
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About The Author
Danny Goodwin is a senior editor at Search Engine Land. In addition to writing about Search Engine Land SEO, PPC and more, Goodwin also maintains a list of Search Engine Land subject matter experts. He also helps to program our conference series SMX – Search Marketing Expo. Prior to joining Search Engine Land, he was an executive editor of Goodwin Search Engine Journal, where he led brand editing initiatives. He was also the editor of Search Engine Watch. He has spoken at many major search conferences and virtual events, and has gained experience in a number of publications and podcasts.
No. SEO is not dead in 2022. SEO is still a very powerful digital marketing strategy. SEO will continue to change as Google updates its algorithm, but this is to be expected.
How can I improve my SEO 2021?
How To Improve Your SEO Rankings In 11 Steps
- Track metrics with Google Analytics.
- Optimize your existing content according to SEO best practices.
- Create new content based on keyword research.
- Diversify your backlinks portfolio.
- Structure the content so that it is a highlighted snippet.
- Image optimization.
- Make sure your site is mobile-friendly.
What is your number one SEO tip for 2021? Longer content is now needed to get good SEO results: “Longer content tends to be higher in Google’s search results,” according to a study by Brian Dean of Backlinko, who analyzed 11.8 million Google search results for this tip. The average Google first page result is 1,890 words.
Is SEO still relevant in 2021?
SEO will still be relevant and important in 2021 if you want your business to be effective online.
Is SEO worth it in 2021?
The short answer is that SEO is very effective – not only in generating traffic, but also in generating leads and sales. Do not worry. The long answer contains research and data, not just empty statements. Most SEOs are too busy with search-specific metrics like SERPs (search engine results page), rankings, and organic traffic.
Why do you need SEO in 2021?
In short, SEO is crucial because it makes your website more visible and means more traffic and opportunities to turn potential customers into customers. Learn about the SEO tools you can use to get the optimal ranking.
How SEO has changed in 2021?
Google Page Experience Update One of the biggest announcements of SEO changes coming out of Google this year, the Page Experience Update essentially confirms that at some point in 2021, the user experience will become an SEO ranking signal.
Is SEO dead in 2021?
Don’t be fooled: SEO doesn’t die, but it develops much more than it did years ago. If you’ve been discussing whether or not to invest in SEO for your business, read on to find out why SEO isn’t going to die in 2021, it’s actually booming.
Does SEO Still Work 2021?
Don’t be fooled: SEO doesn’t die, but it develops much more than it did years ago. If you’ve been discussing whether or not to invest in SEO for your business, read on to find out why SEO isn’t going to die in 2021, it’s actually booming.
Is SEO relevant in 2021? Using and sharing organic search outweighs the growth of other channels. In 2019, organic and paid web traffic dominated. For Google and other search engines, SEO will be even more important in 2021 as organic search continues to rise above other search traffic.
How long does SEO take to Work 2021?
Unlike other popular marketing channels, SEO does not work immediately. Most professionals expect to see results in as little as 2 months, but it can take up to 12 months for SEO to work. Although each company’s SEO strategy is different, most companies can expect significant results in 6 to 12 months.
Is SEO worth learning in 2021?
The short answer is that SEO is very effective – not only in generating traffic, but also in generating leads and sales. Do not worry. The long answer contains research and data, not just empty statements. Most SEOs are too busy with search-specific metrics like SERPs (search engine results page), rankings, and organic traffic.
How long does SEO take to show results in 2021?
The short answer is 4-12 months. The longer answer is related to all the factors we discussed that are related to your SEO strategy. If you target low-competition keywords, you can start seeing results in 4-6 months.
Is SEO still in demand?
There is a great demand for SEO professionals as companies need search engine optimization to compete in most niches.
Is SEO still a good career? ‘Yes. SEO is a good career option as it is one of the most coveted career opportunities in the field of digital marketing. There are several organizations in the world that hire SEO professionals to create better content and thus produce more business leads.
Is SEO still worth it in 2021?
The short answer is that SEO is very effective – not only in generating traffic, but also in generating leads and sales. Do not worry. The long answer contains research and data, not just empty statements. Most SEOs are too busy with search-specific metrics like SERPs (search engine results page), rankings, and organic traffic.
How SEO will change in 2021?
Google Page Experience Update One of the biggest announcements of SEO changes coming out of Google this year, the Page Experience Update essentially confirms that at some point in 2021, the user experience will become an SEO ranking signal.
Why do you need SEO in 2021?
In short, SEO is crucial because it makes your website more visible and means more traffic and opportunities to turn potential customers into customers. Learn about the SEO tools you can use to get the optimal ranking.
Is SEO still relevant in 2021?
SEO will still be relevant and important in 2021 if you want your business to be effective online.
Is SEO in high demand?
SEO experts are definitely in demand. More and more companies are realizing that launching a website is just the beginning of building their online presence. And that they need someone who can take care of the website, the content, the links, the social media.
Is SEO a good career for future?
SEO is a good career path. You can be a freelance SEO or join a company as a full time SEO expert. There is a high demand for SEO experts in the market today and the trend is expected to continue in the future.
Do SEO jobs pay well?
| City | Santa Monica, CA. |
|---|---|
| Annual salary | $ 76,350 |
| Monthly fee | $ 6,362 |
| Weekly fee | $ 1468 |
| Hourly rate | $ 36.71 |
Is SEO a good career 2022?
Yes, SEO is a good career in 2022 because it gives you access to different opportunities. You can work in-house, receive customers, and even create and develop your own websites. In addition, the three most popular websites, Google.com, YouTube.com and Amazon.com, are also the major search engines.
Is SEO in high demand?
Is SEO a growing field? Yes, SEO is a growing field where SEO skills and digital marketing are still in high demand. According to LinkedIn alone, there were more than 47,000 job vacancies matching the keyword “SEO” in 2019 alone, and given the increased digitalisation in 2020, those numbers are likely to increase.
Will SEO exist in 5 years?
SEO will not be lost in the next five years as social media and search engines merge more than likely. Facebook is already doing this: they do an average of over 1.5 billion searches every day. Twitter has done the same; they joined Google.
Does SEO have a future?
The future of SEO is brand integrity and the use of partnerships and relationships to increase credibility and popularity. The importance of finding an online attraction through PR and other websites and media centers is valuable for SEO success.
Is SEO worth it for small business?
Even if you decide to invest money in SEO, your ROI can more than double if your marketing campaign is well organized. So, the simple answer is “yes”, SEO is worth it to any small business, even those who do not operate online.
Is Paid SEO Worth It? The short answer is that SEO is very effective – not only in generating traffic, but also in generating leads and sales. Do not worry. The long answer contains research and data, not just empty statements. Most SEOs are too busy with search-specific metrics like SERPs (search engine results page), rankings, and organic traffic.
Is SEO a waste of money?
SEO is not dead. It is not a waste of money if and when it is done correctly. The grass on the other side is no greener; where it is watered, it is greener. If you take care of your website, it will take care of you!
Is search engine optimization a waste of money?
So how do things really work out and is SEO a waste of money? In short, the answer is no, but it also largely depends on your budget and goals as a business. We’ll cover this topic in a future post that focuses on finding the best SEO company and the most affordable company.
Is SEO worth the money?
SEO is useful if you have the right strategy and work with a partner who knows how to get results. About 93% of the web experience starts with a search engine and the SEO lead rate is much higher than with traditional marketing. Thus, SEO offers an impressive return on investment (ROI).
Is SEO worth it in 2020?
While some traditional marketing methods may become obsolete, SEO will remain until 2020. Whether you invested in SEO early or are just getting started, it can still be a major driver of traffic and traffic to your website.
Does SEO work for small business?
So does SEO work for small businesses? It should come as no surprise that the answer to this question is yes. Search engines use sophisticated algorithms to provide people with exactly the results they need, which means you can compete with other small businesses as well as large corporations by providing useful content.
How much does SEO cost for small business?
How much can you expect to spend on SEO? If you hire a top SEO company to run a local campaign, you will pay $ 500.00 per month. A national or international campaign requires a minimum budget of $ 2,500 to $ 5,000 per month. Some companies offer a “trial package” at a lower price, without a contract.
How much should a small business pay for SEO?
How much can you expect to spend on SEO? If you hire a top SEO company to run a local campaign, you will pay $ 500.00 per month. A national or international campaign requires a minimum budget of $ 2,500 to $ 5,000 per month. Some companies offer a “trial package” at a lower price, without a contract.
How much does SEO cost in 2021?
This study also showed that the average monthly cost of SEO services ranged from $ 2,500 to $ 5,000 per month. 31 percent paid over that range, up to $ 50,000, and only 18% paid less than $ 1,000.
How much should I charge for SEO clients?
The average SEO cost for US SEO agencies is $ 100-250 per hour. SEO costs for US agencies often range from $ 2,500 to $ 10,000 per month. The average SEO plan costs $ 2,819 per month (per Ahrefs). Overseas SEO companies can charge $ 10- $ 50 per hour.
How do I budget for SEO?
In general, most SEO experts charge $ 3,000 to $ 10,000 a month for a recurring investment. The national or international SEO budget should never be less than $ 5,000 per month, and a local SEO campaign can run between $ 500 and $ 2,500.
Will SEO be automated?
SEO is a laborious process that cannot be fully automated. If you’re selling an automated solution, don’t think that you need to do a lot of extra work to maximize your website’s ranking in Google.
Will SEO exist in the future? Yes, SEO has changed dramatically in recent years and nowadays it has become almost impossible to play search engine and manipulate their results. SEO is now considered a long-term investment for companies, the results of which will gradually become apparent over time.
Is SEO part of marketing automation?
As with many elements of a content marketing campaign, marketing automation and SEO merge in both directions. SEO leads to marketing automation leads, while marketing automation can improve SEO.
What is considered marketing automation?
Marketing automation is a technology that automatically manages marketing processes and multi-channel campaigns across multiple channels. With automated marketing, companies can target customers with automated messages via email, web, communication and text messaging.
Is SEO a marketing strategy?
Search engine optimization or SEO is an extremely important digital marketing strategy that involves making your website and business visible to search engines. Basically, SEO is an umbrella term that describes any technique used to elevate your website higher in the search results for keywords related to your business.
Is SEO a part of digital marketing?
The Importance of SEO (Search Engine Optimization) SEO is part of digital marketing and is actually a set of tools and best practices that help websites rank higher in search engines.
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