Five SEO Myths 2015

SEO or Search Engine Optimization is an ever changing discipline.  The SEO tricks used by the “internet gurus” of the early 2000s have been rendered obsolete thanks to search engines constantly tweaking and enhancing their search algorithms and the emergence and exponential growth of content marketing, social media, etc.

As a marketer I find it quite challenging to juggle my daily tasks while keeping up with all the new SEO changes. I constantly find myself reading different articles in the blogosphere that contradict each other when it comes to SEO. That is why we have compiled 5 SEO myths you should not fall for!

Myth 1: The More Pages My Website Has, The Better

It is a myth that the larger the footprint of your website the better it will rank. This is because not all the pages you publish get indexed and if they get indexed it does not necessarily mean they will drive qualified traffic and leads.

Those companies that happen to have lots of pages on their website tend to overlook the quality of that content, which can end up hurting their rankings. That is why you should try to publish only want is most relevant and avoid stuffing your website with irrelevant content.

As Jeff Ferguson from Fang Digital Marketing says “While the number of pages you have increases the chances of showing up for various searches, the rules of quality content on a properly build site with quality inbound links still apply.”

Myth 2: SEO and Inbound Marketing Do Not Mix

This could not be further from the truth! At its core, inbound marketing focuses on turning strangers into people who do business with you.  On the other hand, SEO is a specific tactic that focuses on improving a business’s visibility in search engine results.

Combine the 2, and SEO can help you immensely amplify your inbound marketing efforts. When thinking about inbound marketing SEO is crucial especially in the first stage of the inbound methodology: attracting the right visitors to your site.

Myth 3: My Homepage Needs To Have a Bunch of Content

A homepage full of copy will overwhelm the visitor.  Think of your homepage as the “gateway” to your business, in other words it is your chance to make your first impression by communicating with your customers and telling them your story.

Your homepage should clarify your location, what you do, and what action visitors should take.  In other words, aim for a clear and concise homepage. Save the bulk of the content for later.

Myth 4: Keywords Need To Be An Exact Match

Your website should be aimed at humans and not search engine spiders. Keywords do not have to be repeated word for word through the piece of content. Instead, you want to use a keyword or a few of them on the headline that should clearly explain what a piece of content is all about.

Don’t waste your time trying to find the perfect couple of keywords to use all over your site, Google hates it when you over optimize for machines.  The content on your site should be varied enough to meet that search criteria while still sticking to one overarching theme.

Myth 5: Google Will Never Know If I Have Bad Sites Linking To Me

Yes they will! Google knows everything, don’t try to outsmart Google or else your website will be penalized.