There are numerous SEO myths that have come up since search engines first came into existence. Some are based on an underlying misunderstanding of Google and the algorithms used by the major search engines. Others are based on outdated advice or the mistaken assumption that correlation means causation. In any case, the truth is that optimization will always lead to a rise in rankings – but not necessarily the desired one. We spoke to SEO Coy to get some of the most common SEO myths and how to avoid them:
Link building
The most prevalent SEO myths about link building revolve around the number of links. Some people worry that building more links than necessary will drive traffic away. In reality, more links only help your site look credible. However, more links do not necessarily mean better ranking. Some websites can get high rankings even if they have few pages. Regardless of the number of links, you should focus on quality and not quantity. Here are a few tips to improve your link building strategy.
First, focus on gaining links naturally. While building links, stick to the quality guidelines of Google and other white hat SEO practices. Make sure the link’s source is legitimate. Another important factor to consider when constructing links is the distributed worth of the links. While many people think that all links are equal, it is important to understand that footer links are worth much less than body links. When building links, use the most strategic text on the page as your anchor text.
Another common SEO myth is the belief that link building has a direct impact on organic rankings. While this may sound like common sense, it is a myth that has been around for years. Link building does not impact your rankings directly, but it does affect the number of links you have. If you build links to a low-DA site, you will likely have a lower authority score than you’d like. By assessing the quality of the link, you can increase your chances of boosting your organic rankings.
Duplicate content
When you are using a blog or website, you may have run into the problem of duplicate content. If your content is similar to someone else’s, search engines will be able to tell the difference and penalize you. But it is possible to avoid duplicate content issues. Here are some tips to help you get rid of these common mistakes. Listed below are some of the most common reasons why you should avoid duplicate content.
The biggest issue with duplicate content is that it can negatively impact your site’s ranking. This happens because Google has a way of determining if you’re doing it. But what if you’re not doing this? While it’s not a problem in and of itself, duplicate content can be difficult to fix. As you can see in the photo below, some people try to deceive search engines.
A common myth about duplicate content is that it will penalize your site for having duplicate content. But this is simply not true. Although duplicate content can make your website seem spammy, it won’t get you banned. Google will only penalize your site if it detects it’s copied from another website. Instead, it will recommend your content be original. It also understands that no website is 100% unique. So the myth about duplicate content still persists.
Backlinks
While backlinks are important for your website’s ranking, there are several myths about them. Not all links are beneficial for your SEO. It is important to remember that Google uses rankings to deliver the best possible results. So, you should get high-quality links only. You can ask your backlinks’ owners to make edits if you need to. In addition, do not place backlinks on low-quality sites.
One common misconception is that you need to use city names in your keywords. It does not look natural for a backlink to contain a city name because most people do not write like that. Google can also determine your location on your website through the IP address or physical address. You can use the name of your city in your on-page SEO strategy, but leave it out of backlinks. However, you can add it to your website to make it easier for Google to see where your business is located.
Meta keywords
There are many SEO myths, but there is a kernel of truth to each. In general, SEO myths are the result of untested, handed-down wisdom. Many factors have a minimal impact on website rankings, but overdoing it can harm your website’s rankings. Here are some myths to keep in mind:
Keyword density. There is no such thing as a “one size fits all” rule when it comes to keyword density. Having more than one keyword in a page is not sufficient for better ranking. Search engines rank pages based on the frequency of keywords, not on their word count. While using keywords is helpful, too much of a single term will be counterproductive. The right amount of content, however, will increase the likelihood of your website ranking higher.
Relevance. Google rewards relevance, not age. Older sites may rank better than newer ones, but it is not an absolute guarantee. The quality of content, technical performance, and local relevance can all improve your website’s ranking. In 2011, Google made a major update to its algorithm that rewards fresh content and a higher likelihood of accuracy. Therefore, if your website is more than 10 years old, the chances of it being ranked higher are good.
Sitemaps
Some of the myths surrounding SEO and sitemaps are true but you should be skeptical about the effectiveness of sitemaps in boosting your website’s search engine rankings. While a sitemap will increase your website’s visibility, it will not guarantee a top spot in search engine rankings. Google’s algorithm considers the quality of your website as a whole. While some pages may be A-grade, others may be purely functional and contain outdated content.
The main reason for building XML sitemaps is that they improve the indexing and crawling of your website. Although these XML sitemaps have no direct influence on search rankings, they will help Google crawl and index your site more efficiently. And while there are many factors that influence a site’s ranking, using a site map will boost crawlability and indexing efficiency. It’s still a myth to believe that a sitemap will guarantee a top ranking, but it’s certainly worth investigating.
For example, many eCommerce websites have a content calendar containing fresh blogs every week, new whitepapers every quarter, and press releases at every opportunity. They assume that Google will quickly find all this new content. The reality is that it takes up to two days to process 5.6 billion search queries daily. A well-written XML sitemap can help Google discover your content more quickly and efficiently. So, if you’re an eCommerce site, you should take a look at your XML sitemap.
Mobile site
Many people believe that mobile websites are better for search engine rankings than their desktop equivalents. However, these claims aren’t entirely true. The number of mobile queries per month is still relatively small compared to desktop searches, with some industries seeing as much as 30% of queries coming from mobile devices. Besides, mobile devices have limited screen sizes and are not always as fast as desktops. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to optimize a mobile site for search, and many of them are relatively easy to implement.
One of the biggest myths surrounding search engine rankings is that you need to pay more for organic rankings if you want to increase traffic. Although this is a mistake, the truth is that search engines provide extensive documentation about their algorithms, making it more difficult to manipulate their results by implementing different strategies. In fact, the more sophisticated the algorithms, the more likely your site will rank highly. Regardless, it’s worth your while to test your marketing tactics and avoid the common mistakes that can cost your site.
Site speed
If you’re one of the many marketers struggling to improve the speed of your website, you’re not alone. There are plenty of other SEO myths that hold you back as well. In this episode of SEO Mythbusting, Eric Enge, general manager of Perficient Digital, and Martin Splitt discuss the impact of page speed on SEO. As you can see, Google is becoming increasingly concerned about the speed of pages, and the speed of your site is an important factor in getting noticed by the search engine.
The first SEO myth about site speed is that Google ranks pages by their page-loading speed. This is simply not true. Google ranks websites on thousands of factors, including page speed. If your website isn’t loading quickly, visitors will move on to a competitor’s site instead. Hence, boosting your page’s speed will not only attract new visitors but also retain current users. While it’s true that your site might be beautiful and functional, it will be useless if it takes forever to load.
Another SEO myth about page speed is that you shouldn’t invest in optimization for its speed. Google’s algorithm takes page speed into account when ranking websites, and it’s vital for its success. However, page speed is not as crucial as you think, and many digital marketing tools can help you make it happen. There’s no need to spend a fortune on SEO – there are many ways to get started. You can start with a free trial version of the software today and see the results for yourself.