You have probably heard them all before. SEO is just a matter of doing this and tweaking that. Well, there is a little bit more to doing it right. Avoid these 6 SEO myths at all costs and you will be on the right track.
1. SEO is easy.
Maybe for the pros who do it every single day, all day long. Even then, there’s a learning curve and to keep up with the curve, the learning must always continue. That said, search optimization isn’t necessarily a hard thing-it just requires experience, applied knowledge, and the time to make it all happen.
2. SEO is built in to my theme.
Don’t believe it. While many website themes advertise their “SEO-friendliness,” all this really means is that they are ready to be SEO optimized. Without taking an all-inclusive approach of optimizing the complete finished site (with all content), it’s impossible to really optimize in any way. Optimizing the site code is one thing, but optimizing the entire package is another ballgame altogether. Plus, this is another good reason to avoid using theme or template-based sites.
3. SEO is just a matter of Meta-tags.
Not so. Meta-tags are relevant and do play an important role in a site’s overall SEO-factor, but it’s just one small piece of the overall pie, so to speak. In 1998, optimizing Meta-tags only was a great way to get ranked highly. In 2010, it’s really just an incidental factor.
4. SEO requires me to get hundreds of incoming links.
Maybe, maybe not. Having just a couple really great quality backlinks is usually better than having dozens of irrelevant, low quality incoming links. The key to liking and SEO is to maintain a balanced link profile that aims for all kinds of links with all kinds of anchor text. Links need to be natural.
5. SEO is simply a matter of producing lots of content.
Having more content certainly helps…when it’s well-planned and brings something of value to the visitors. But just adding lots of filler content in hopes of boosting search engine rankings is really not a very wise strategy.
6. SEO means I need to use an artificially high keyword density in my website copy.
Don’t force keyword density in articles. While representing your targeted keyword phrases solidly in your copy is a good thing, there’s also a fine line where being helpful crosses over to being spammy. Never focus primarily on a percentage, number, or keyword density-aim first to create really high-quality content that’ll be appreciated by your visitors.
