If you’re looking to improve your website’s search engine rankings, you’ve probably come across a lot of advice about SEO. However, not all of that advice is accurate. There are plenty of persistent myths about SEO that just won’t seem to go away. In this post, we’ll debunk some of the most common SEO, so you know what actually works when your site is being optimized.
Myth #1: Meta Keywords Still Matter
One very outdated SEO myth is that you need to stuff your meta keywords tag full of relevant keywords in order for Google to understand what your page is about. Here’s the truth – Google hasn’t used the meta keywords tag for ranking purposes in many, many years. The search engine is sophisticated enough now to understand page content without relying on meta keywords. In fact, loading up your meta keywords tag can sometimes look like keyword stuffing to Google and actually hurt your rankings. Instead, focus on using your target keywords naturally.
Myth #2: You Need to Submit Your Site to Search Engines
Another common myth is that you need to manually submit your website to search engines like Google and Bing in order for them to index your content. This used to be an important step back in the early days of SEO when search engines didn’t crawl the web as effectively. However, today the major search engines do a very good job of finding websites on their own without needing submission. As long as your site is online and has quality content, the search engines will eventually find you without SEO companies submitting your site.
Myth #3: More Inbound Links Always Help Rankings
It’s true that getting quality websites to link back to your site can give your rankings a boost by improving your domain authority. However, not all links are created equal when it comes to SEO value. Google is very adept at detecting artificial or manipulative link-building practices. The search engine has penalized many websites for unnatural linking schemes. When it comes to link building, focus on earning links organically from reputable sites through creating high-quality content.
SEO has evolved a lot over the years, making many previously held best practices obsolete or counterproductive. By understanding modern SEO techniques and avoiding relying on debunked myths, you can develop an effective strategy to improve your website’s search visibility. According to LYFE, a lack of SEO may actually increase how much you pay for ads by as much as 400%. When you’re ready to get started with professional assistance from SEO companies, reach out to Ugly Mug Marketing!
