Unless you have been living under one solid rock, it’s likely that you have dabbled in business discussions with the centre focus being your website’s SEO and rankings. However, it is quite common for business owners to have at least a few misconceptions and misinterpretations of how SEO is working in 2018.
Google updates are constant, so it is no surprise to see SEO, and the efforts surrounding its practice, be something that has evolved as well. Keeping up with all these changes can be difficult and time-consuming. As a business owner, it can seem quite overwhelming. Here, we find you the facts for 7 of the most common myths you are facing with your SEO strategy.
The Myth – Content Needs To Always Match Exact Keywords
The Truth: This is now outdated information. This is no longer an issue with Google, as it has become much more sophisticated over the years.
While Google cannot read content near as well as a human can, the algorithms are able to understand that similar things can have different names. Ultimately, the result of content created with less strict keywords makes writing much more natural and reader-friendly.
The Myth – Online Directories Are Harmful For SEO
The Truth: High quality, niche directories are “good” by all of Google’s standards. What this means for your business is that the publicity behind these sites can make up for where you lack in Google search rankings.
Directories also link to your website, list your business name, often provides the ability for users to leave reviews, and can deliver a respectable amount of organic traffic to your business.
The Myth – Keyword Optimization Is Crucial For Success
The Truth: This is another outdated idea and one that follows along similar lines as our last myth. Yes… you used to need your exact target keyword or phrase heavily optimized, meaning similar keywords would require completely separate content as posts or pages in order to target the way the same kinds of questions could be asked.
Again, since Google has become much more “human” in recognizing content, related keyword topics can still come up with searches that aren’t an exact match.
The Myth – The Website Homepage Needs A Lot Of Content
The Truth: The ability to have in-depth, quality content that also has a lot of quantity is certainly key with rankings, however, that doesn’t mean your website’s homepage needs to be a never-ending, winded wall of text.
A homepage is like a room with many doors. From here, you want your clients or customers to go somewhere else, like your shop page, blog, or “Contact” page… Not get stuck reading through exhaustive content and end up nowhere. Simple often ends up being much more user-friendly!
The Myth – A Secure Website Is Unessential
The Truth: If your business website isn’t using SSL encryption, you are likely seeing a higher user bounce rate. Google proclaimed, back in 2016, that its browser, Chrome, would flag any websites not starting with “https://” as unsafe.
The SSL is in place so as to prevent malicious interceptions, and it’s a pop-up notification page that tends to turn most users away. Luckily, you don’t have to jump through hoops to keep your site from looking sketchy. Acquiring an SSL certification is quite easy!
The Myth – Meta Descriptions Need To Match SEO
The Truth: Meta descriptions are the blurb of text under any website’s link in Google’s search results. If left undesignated, they are automatically generated by Google with some of the first pieces of content on your website. And, yes, meta descriptions really were a crucial part of ranking factors.
While outdated and “unimportant” for SEO, it’s still a good idea to come up with an appropriate meta description for your website, and one that isn’t the random gamble Google gathers. It’s important to work your website for what really matters… the people using it.
The Myth – There’s No Need To Optimize For Mobile
The Truth: You can’t escape it. Google uses mobile optimization as a ranking factor and it can hurt your SEO efforts if this is an area that doesn’t get enough attention to detail.
The average user audience is on their tablet or smartphone to view your site, and with more individuals relying on their smart devices to access the internet, having a mobile-friendly site is imperative.
Keeping Up-to-Date
Being sure your company maintains an effective SEO strategy is a crucial element to modern business in 2018. It requires a true commitment to quality and a close eye to details. If your business marketing methods aren’t SEO-friendly, you could notice a substantial lapse in organic customers, loss of potential clients and loss of precious time!
Keeping up with the ever-changing tides of SEO means always adapting your SEO strategy accordingly. While you may not be “in the know” with everything SEO, it’s important to at least be able to debunk the myths.