7 Reasons Why People Believe SEO Myths

A few days in the world of SEO, it feels like “Groundhog Day” – the 1993 classic film where Phil Conners (played by Bill Murray) repeats the same day over and over again.

But instead of the day repeating itself, one question is asked again and again and again. It usually goes something like this: what are some common SEO myths you always hear that need to be debunked?

The topic of SEO myths and conspiracy theories is popular. We recently presented an article on myths (11 conspiracy theories on search, Google and Big Tech) here in Search Engine Land and published several others in the past few years. So we’re not going to get into any real myths or denials 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 client hear about some random, long-denied tactics? Shouldn’t they know better?

Part of your job is to understand and educate them on how search actually works – why E-A-T is not a ranking factor, why Domain Authority is not a metric that Google uses, or why LSI keywords are a ridiculous concept.

Read on to learn about the main reasons why people believe in SEO myths and how some SEO practitioners treat them.

1. Repetition

SEO myths sound believable when repeated enough times. Misinformation tends to spread in our industry. It is divided into 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 this situation, what do you do?

Holly Miller Anderson, lead SEO product manager, North America, at Under Armor, said, “Educate. Don’t argue.”

“One of the best things SEO leaders can do is be as active as possible in educating your organization and leadership team against SEO myths,” Anderson said. “A host talks as often as possible (i.e. lunch and learning style) about SEO myths and invites people to come in and hear some of the myths, share what they’ve heard, and provide different resources and evidence.”

This creates a safer space for people to express their opinion or understanding of SEO without being viewed as stupid, Anderson added. It also gives the SEO leadership a forum to deal with myths in a non-threatening way.

2. Myths typically are the “easy answer”

SEO is “free traffic”. At least, so many customers are looking at it. Sometimes SEO is oversimplified, to the point where customers think all you have to do is x, y and z and then sit back and wait for all the rankings, traffic, conversions and revenue.

Well, often the “too good to be true” answers show only SEO basics. Board games. Everyone optimizes their meta tags, answers questions, makes mobile websites, and tries to create “great” content.

Sometimes, even worse, these “easy answers” ​​could actually be tactics that could cause harm to your customers. And that’s something you never want to ignore, said Himani Kankaria, founder of Missive Digital.

“I will tell them that I will not do it and will not allow my team to do it because carrying out the wrong things will cost the customer, and then cleaning it up would also add a cost,” Kankaria said. “Besides, what’s the guarantee that cleaning up that mess would pay off?”

The only way to fight bad news is with better information, said Keith Goode, chief SEO officer at Cox Automotive.

“Developers and even some SEOs will sometimes discover bad advice on a blog from 11 years ago (e.g., PageRank sculpting) and won’t bother doing further research to find the content that challenges or disproves it,” Goode said. . “As a result, they will implement a change in their websites that produces unwanted effects.

“The way I’m countering this kind of misinformation is to provide more recent posts that dismiss the bad advice,” Goode added. “Better yet, I’ll show them an article that quotes Google directly. Better yet, if I can find the Google Developer documentation that contradicts the original claim, that solves it.

3. Information overload 

You can find all kinds of information about SEO. There are endless help documents, articles, guides, studies, social media updates, e-books, courses, podcasts, videos and more. Talk about information overload!

But do you know what else is easy to find? SEO misinformed.

Dave Davies, SEO lead at Weights & amp; Biases have pointed out that most SEO myths stem from a core of truth. He said he found that identifying that core and discussing why you didn’t engage in the tactics in this scenario is helpful.

“Additionally, some tactics have worked but not now, and providing that context does wonders,” Davies said. “Think of forum spam in the early 2000s, or keyword stuffing around the same time. Think about it, SEOs really messed up the results then. Sorry about that. “

Maria White, head of SEO at Kurt Geiger, said communication is the best way to deal with misinformation.

“First, I collect documentation from trusted sources (Google and SEO experts who do a lot of research, such as Barry Schwartz, Jason Barnard, Lily Ray and Marie Haynes),” White said. “I then use the document to let the client know why it is not good practice and talk about the potential harm that a myth or bad practice could have on a strategic outcome.”

4. It ranks well on Google, so it must be true

There is a belief that what ranks well on Google means that it is accurate and reliable. I’ve seen that happen a lot over the years. For example, when people cite statistics, they often type [keyword + statistics], look at the single result, find statistics, quote this summary post, and press publish.

Except, when you actually check the sources, you realize that someone once took a statement or statistic out of context, and it turned into something it never was.

But Google does not always rank the best or correct answers. Google’s algorithms are not able to fully determine accuracy.

Fortunately, many SEO professionals track every bit of information that Google says about SEO. Among them is Marie Haynes, whose agency documents everything Google says in blog posts, specific ads, videos, hangouts, forums, and anywhere else.

“We keep the information inside,” Haynes said. “For most SEO topics, whether they are myths or not, we can support our recommendations with a link showing what Google recommends.”

Aleyda Solis, Founder at Orainti, takes a similar approach.

“I am referring to the official Google documentation on the topic where it is explained, if any, or looking for a quote from a Google representative of a question or event where that topic was discussed and explained, along with my explanation / reasoning on it and” real life “an example of how it actually works if available so they can see for themselves.”

5. Lack of critical thinking

SEO checklists only lead you so far. It is your job to gather and process all the information, arguments, and data we can before we act. After all, the goal is to do what’s best for your brand, business, or customers.

So question everything. Be skeptical. Examine the who, what, where, when, why, and how of everything you read, watch, or hear.

Most of your clients are simply not capable of critical thinking about SEO. They do not have our experience, knowledge and data. And while it can be difficult, it is sometimes important to be blunt, especially if the situation calls for a radical change in thinking, said Kaspar Szymanski, co-founder of SearchBrothers.

“Most clients appreciate that my only motivation, even when I show the flaws in their current SEO approach, is to help them and make their websites more visible for the relevant issues,” Szymanski said. “What is not widely understood is the fact that ultimately organic search visibility is about signal input. Search engine optimization basically manages that signaling. The best advice customers willingly accept is to manage what search engines enter to achieve the best possible result. “

6. The source seems legit

For those of us who have been in the industry for several years, we have seen some popular personalities and websites that have published some dubious, misleading or completely wrong information.

So we should produce better information as positive alternatives to learning, according to Bill Slawski, Director of SEO Research at Go Fish Digital.

“Unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation in the world, and some SEOs are much more interested in writing a popular click-through rate rather than something that may be more accurate,” Slawski said. “These authors can sometimes be successful in terms of paid toolmakers, but they don’t help SEO clients who want successful businesses.”

Every media outlet or publisher sometimes gets the wrong information. Most famous confess and correct their mistakes. That doesn’t always happen in SEO. Some people, when corrected, will ignore it or – worse – stubbornly stand by its harmful content.

What do you do when you have to deal with clichés or misinformation? Find out where they found the information. Then direct them to two or three easily verifiable resources that are extremely credible, said Michael Bonfils, global managing director of SEM International.

“My usual response is, ‘I wish it was that easy,'” Bonfils said. “But really, this is what we do and how it works.”

7. It’s considered “best practice”

In SEO, frustrating at times, the answer is often “it depends”. This is because what is considered SEO best practice in e-commerce SEO may be different from news SEO or local SEO or enterprise SEO.

No two websites, even in the same market, are exactly the same. Some strategies and tactics may work for multiple websites, but results inevitably vary. Some SEO “best practices” may prove to be “best practices” for some websites.

One solution here is to direct the conversation to your existing goals and tactics, said Yes Scholz, a group chief marketing officer at Ringier.

“Remind them how well the current strategy works and make both the current strategy along with the myth impossible, whether due to resource constraints or strategic conflicts or whatever it may be,” Scholz said. “So give them the power, ending a question of how to proceed.”

Davies said it’s really good to question ourselves.

“We all test all the time. No matter how skilled I think I was, my instincts were wrong at times,” Davies said. “Basically, for 9 out of 10 times you might be right, trying and finding that one can pay big dividends over time.”

The solution can be as simple as doing a test.

“Find a set of pages where something could be tested with clear signs of a search effect but hopefully low in business (pages with him impressions but low clicks often come to mind),” Davies said.

What to do when faced with these SEO myths?

The key is not whether to break the myth, but how to break the myth, said Ryan Jones, VP, SEO, Razorfish.

“You have to leave the co-worker / client easy. It’s possible that the myth may have been good advice or common theory years ago and they just weren’t up to date, “Jones said.” They may have hired bad SEO before. You don’t want to make them feel guilty about it, but you want to give them proper “You just have to be more discriminating with the help you render toward other people.”

In other words, you can keep the “well actually …” and combative tone for your next Twitter argument.

“Don’t derail a larger conversation to get into the weird SEO discussion. A follow-up email or conversation can be guaranteed in that case,” Jones added. “Never lose track of the larger goal of the project / discussion and don’t miss the forest behind the trees.”

Corey Morris, chief strategy officer at Voltage, said it’s important to be kind when dealing with any myths or misunderstandings when a customer or contact has misleading information about how SEO works.

“Take an educational approach,” Morris said. “By looking at the broader aspects of how Google works, what it rewards, and why things are (or aren’t) included in it, I can find an anchor point with them.”

Kevin Rowe, VP of strategy and product at PureLinq, has a standardized approach that includes, in part, a three-question test to prioritize and assess risk versus targets. These questions are:

“It’s really important that you treat the client as if they are logical people who have good ideas and are not ignorant of SEO,” Rowe said. “Just because we’re an experienced SEO doesn’t mean we always have the best answer.”

But what if a customer is stubborn about an idea? Jason Barnard, founder and CEO of Kalicube, said you might have to stop working with them.

“Why waste time?” Barnard said. “There’s no shortage of smart business owners in the world who don’t treat SEO as a one-trick-quick-and-easy-win-every-time effortlessly. Let’s work with clients who want to integrate SEO into a broader digital business strategy.”

New on Search Engine Land

About The Author

Danny Goodwin is the Editor-in-Chief of Search Engine Land. In addition to writing daily on SEO, PPC, and more for Search Engine Land, Goodwin also manages Search Engine Land’s list of experts on a topic. He also helps program our conference series, SMX – Search Marketing Expo. Prior to joining Search Engine Land, Goodwin was Managing Editor at Search Engine Journal, where he led editorial initiatives for the brand. He was also an editor at Search Engine Watch. He has spoken at many major research conferences and virtual events, and has been sourced for his expertise through a wide range of publications and podcasts.

SEO just isn’t as difficult as people pretend it is; you can get 95% of the effort with 5% of the work, and you absolutely do not need to hire a professional SEO to do it, nor will it be difficult to start classifying for well-chosen key terms.

Are keywords important for SEO 2021?

In 2021, keywords are still relevant and useful in SEO, but they are not the most important factor. This is because SEO is much more complex than putting keywords on a page. Also, because SEO is always changing with search engines constantly updating algorithms, marketers need to change how they use keywords.

Are keywords still important for SEO? Keywords are necessary for SEO because they help to communicate to search engines what your page is about. Between your on-page and off-page SEO, these keywords are embedded in different ways to support your optimization efforts.

What is the ideal word count for SEO in 2021?

For SEO, the ideal length of blog posts should be 2,100-2,400 words, according to HubSpot data. We averaged the length of our 50 most read blog posts in 2019, which gave us an average word count of 2,330.

Is 500 words enough for SEO?

Simply put: 500-700 word articles is not enough. They get nothing for users, and almost nothing for Google. They’re better than nothing, but if you’re serious about your organic traffic, you need to seriously consider upgrading to a serious solution that gets real results.

What is a good word count for SEO?

There is no best word count for SEO. However, we recommend targeting at least 1,000 words for standard blog posts, 2,000 for long-form content, and 300-500 for news or product pages. Ultimately, you should try to cover the topic in a meaningful and thorough way without using fluff or repetition.

Is 1000 words enough for SEO?

You have a higher chance of ranking on Google if you write long, high-quality blog posts of 1000 words or more. We have experienced this too; we’ve written quite a few articles that are over 2500 words – our Shopify SEO ultimate guide has almost reached 9000!

Is keyword density still important 2022?

So now it’s 2022 and some people are wondering if keyword density is an SEO-Google search ranking factor. The answer is still no, according to John Mueller, a Google search lawyer. This appeared on Reddit just days before the end of 2021.

Why is keyword density important?

Keyword density is a fundamental aspect of on-page SEO. Used properly, it can help attract search engines and increase the visibility of a page on search engine results pages (SERPs). If ignored, it can save a page rank or even result in a search penalty, removing it from SERPs altogether.

Is SEO still relevant in 2022?

Will SEO still be important in 2022? Yes of course. Although some SEO tactics that were effective in the past have ceased to work, SEO has continued to evolve. Constantly reinventing itself to try to better match the user’s intent, cutting through the spamming, ineffective tactics to get better.

Does keyword density still matter?

The short answer is yes. It does matter. In fact, there is a term for this called keyword density.

Is SEO still worth it in 2021?

The short answer is SEO is very effective – not only to generate traffic but also leads and sales. Don’t worry. The long answer includes research and data, not just empty statements. Most SEOs get too caught up in search-specific metrics such as SERPs (search engine results page), rankings, and organic traffic.

How SEO will change in 2021?

Google Page Experience Update One of the biggest announcements about SEO changes coming from Google this year, the Page Experience Update basically confirms that the user experience will become an SEO ranking signal sometime in 2021.

Is SEO still relevant in 2021?

SEO still remains important and essential in 2021 if you want your business to have an effective online presence.

Why do you need SEO in 2021?

Basically, SEO is key because it makes your website more visible, and that means more traffic and more opportunities to convert prospects into customers. Take a look at the SEO tools you can use for optimal ranking.

Is SEO dead in 2022?

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 that is to be expected.

Is SEO a dying industry? Make no mistake: SEO is not dying, but it is evolving to much more than years ago. If you’ve been discussing whether or not to invest in SEO for your business, read on to learn why SEO isn’t dying – but actually thriving – in 2021.

Is SEO still relevant in 2022?

Will SEO still be important in 2022? Yes of course. Although some SEO tactics that were effective in the past have ceased to work, SEO has continued to evolve. Constantly reinventing itself to try to better match the user’s intent, cutting through the spamming, ineffective tactics to get better.

What are the SEO trends for 2022?

Top 5 Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Trends of 2022

• Artificial Intelligence Will Play A Bigger Role In SEO. …
• Change to Long-Form Content. …
• Mobile Friendship is Critical for Google Rankings. …
• Content Should Comply with Google’s EAT Principle. …
• Effective SEO Must Include Video.

Why is SEO important 2022?

In 2022, investing in SEO for your brand is crucial to ensuring good performance and overall success. More than necessary, it is a priority. It allows us to optimize the visibility of our website in search engines, making it easier for our consumers and potential audience to find us on the web.

Is SEO worth it in 2022?

Local SEO will thrive in Search Results: Local SEO will be effective in online marketing in 2022 and even if the pandemic disappears, studies and surveys say people prefer to work and study at home and are likely to do so even after the pandemic.

How SEO will change in 2022?

Google’s algorithm is improved by recognizing content with the most relevant and reliable information. By 2022, expect that SEO ranking will be more competitive with providing high quality content that is helpful to internet users.

Will SEO exist in 5 years?

SEO will not be eliminated within the next five years because social media and search engines will more than likely merge. Facebook has already started doing this: they average more than 1.5 billion searches a day. Twitter did the same; they joined in partnership with Google.

What are the SEO trends for 2022?

Top 5 Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Trends of 2022

• Artificial Intelligence Will Play A Bigger Role In SEO. …
• Change to Long-Form Content. …
• Mobile Friendship is Critical for Google Rankings. …
• Content Should Comply with Google’s EAT Principle. …
• Effective SEO Must Include Video.

Will SEO exist in 5 years?

SEO will not be eliminated within the next five years because social media and search engines will more than likely merge. Facebook has already started doing this: they average more than 1.5 billion searches a day. Twitter did the same; they joined in partnership with Google.

Will SEO become obsolete?

As long as search engine results pages exist, SEO will never be outdated. As long as the algorithm continues to crawl our websites, we will always need SEO professionals. Organic search will always be a channel that can provide tremendous value to any business.

Is SEO a good career 2021?

Yes, SEO is a good career in 2022 because it gives you access to a variety of opportunities. You can work internally, accept clients and even start and grow websites that you own. In addition, the three most popular websites, Google.com, YouTube.com, and Amazon.com, are also the largest search engines.

Does SEO have a future?

The future of SEO will be brand integrity and leveraging partnerships and relationships to build credibility and popularity. The importance of PR and gaining traction online through other websites and media hubs will be valuable for SEO success.

How much does SEO increase traffic?

More than 50% of traffic around the web has entered websites by clicking on them in the organic search results. This means that websites that invest in SEO receive more than 50% of all traffic through the Internet. And if they rank on the first page, they see more than 90% of that traffic.

Is SEO worth it 2020? The short answer is SEO is very effective – not only to generate traffic but also leads and sales. Don’t worry. The long answer includes research and data, not just empty statements. Most SEOs get too caught up in search-specific metrics such as SERPs (search engine results page), rankings, and organic traffic.

What is the ROI of SEO?

By definition, SEO ROI calculates the return on investment of your SEO efforts. A website will have a positive return on investment if the organic revenue generated by your SEO campaigns is higher than their cost.

How do you calculate ROI for SEO?

Companies can calculate the return on investment of SEO by looking at search engine rankings, organic website traffic, and goal completions, and then using the ROI SEO formula: (Investment Gain – Cost of Investment) / Cost of Investment.

What is the average ROI on SEO?

So in fact, the average return on investment in SEO for an electronics company is around $ 2.75 for every dollar you spend.

What is a good ROI percentage for SEO?

Industry	Advertising Expense Return (ROAS)	ROI
Construction	7.40	681%
e-commerce	3.65	317%
Financial Services	11.10	1,031%
Higher Education and College	10.40	994%

How SEO improve traffic in 30 days?

12 Ways to Increase Traffic to Your Website in 30 Days

• 1 Build an email list. …
• 2 Blog rules. …
• 3 Engage with audiences on social media. …
• 4 Use social media ads. …
• 5 Create an account at StumbleUpon. …
• 6 Do an SEO review of your website. …
• 7 Do more guest blogging. …
• 8 Use internal links.

How long does it take for SEO to improve?

While it is absolutely accurate to say that there is no definite answer to how long it will take before you start seeing organic improvements in your SEO efforts, most subject matter experts agree that it usually takes four to six months: â € œGenerally, websites can see. results in 4 to 6 months.â € â € “SEO Mechanic.

How long does it take to get traffic from SEO?

According to 82% of experts surveyed, SEO takes 6 months to show an increase in traffic on average, while the full results of good SEO strategies are visible after 12 – 24 months. Since the top 3 pages on Google receive 75.1% of traffic, expect your SEO results to grow over time as your rankings improve.

How can SEO be used to generate more traffic?

SEO can increase your web traffic by making sure that your website appears in relevant searches, thus attracting visitors. So-called Organic SEO is the process of getting natural placement on search engine results pages (SERPs).

Is SEO still relevant in 2021?

SEO still remains important and essential in 2021 if you want your business to have an effective online presence.

How SEO has changed in 2021?

Google Page Experience Update One of the biggest announcements about SEO changes coming from Google this year, the Page Experience Update basically confirms that the user experience will become an SEO ranking signal sometime in 2021.

Why do you need SEO in 2021?

Basically, SEO is key because it makes your website more visible, and that means more traffic and more opportunities to convert prospects into customers. Take a look at the SEO tools you can use for optimal ranking.

Is a career in SEO worth it?

Yes, SEO is a good career in 2022 because it gives you access to a variety of opportunities. You can work internally, accept clients and even start and grow websites that you own. In addition, the three most popular websites, Google.com, YouTube.com, and Amazon.com, are also the largest search engines.

Is SEO highly required? SEO experts are certainly required. More and more businesses are realizing that launching a website is just the beginning of building their online presence. And that they need someone who would be able to take care of the website, content, links, social media.

Is SEO an in demand job?

However, with the increasing complexity of learning algorithms and user behaviors, there is a clear upward trend in demand for SEO professionals. These evolving career options for those who want to work in SEO (or are looking to hire high quality SEO experiences) are diverse and meaningful for the marketing field.

Do SEO jobs pay well?

People with the job title SEO Specialist benefit the most from companies with 201-500 employees, earning $ 66,750 on average.

Is SEO still a good career?

‘Yes. SEO is a good career choice because it is among the most sought after careers in the field of Digital Marketing. There are several organizations around the world, hiring SEO professionals to generate better content and thus produce more business leads.

Is SEO career hard to get into?

If you want to work in SEO, it’s quite possible with a little hard work and a little wisdom — even if you don’t have agency experience. But there is no excuse to go to an SEO interview and have nothing to show for it. You should be able to demonstrate skills or use of technology.

Is SEO still a good career?

‘Yes. SEO is a good career choice because it is among the most sought after careers in the field of Digital Marketing. There are several organizations around the world, hiring SEO professionals to generate better content and thus produce more business leads.

Does SEO have a future?

The future of SEO will be brand integrity and leveraging partnerships and relationships to build credibility and popularity. The importance of PR and gaining traction online through other websites and media hubs will be valuable for SEO success.

Can SEO be a good career?

SEO is a great career choice if you are passionate about digital marketing and “everything online”. It is certainly a career of continuous learning and development, great financial reward potential, and attracts those with a competitive streak.

Are SEO jobs well paid?

The average salary for an American SEO professional is $ 60,548 per year. 2. Companies based in CA, CT, NY and NJ pay the highest annual salaries for SEO professionals (average salary of $ 72.6k / year). Those in UT, PA and IL pay the least (average salary of $ 48.7k / year).

Do SEO jobs pay well?

People with the job title SEO Specialist benefit the most from companies with 201-500 employees, earning $ 66,750 on average.

Are SEO jobs well paid?

The average salary for an American SEO professional is $ 60,548 per year. 2. Companies based in CA, CT, NY and NJ pay the highest annual salaries for SEO professionals (average salary of $ 72.6k / year).

Is SEO a good career?

Search Engine Optimization Career Opportunities’ Yes. SEO is a good career choice because it is among the most sought after careers in the field of Digital Marketing. There are several organizations around the world, hiring SEO professionals to generate better content and thus produce more business leads.

Are SEO jobs in demand?

SEO professionals are in high demand as companies need search engine optimization to compete in most niches.