Seven reasons why people believe SEO myths
- SEO |
A new article on Search Engine Land says here are seven reasons why people believe in SEO myths and misinformation - and what to do when these situations arise.
Some days in the world of SEO, it feels like "Groundhog Day" - the classic 1993 movie where Phil Conners (played by Bill Murray) repeats the same day over and over. But instead of the day repeating, one question gets asked over and over and over. It usually goes something like this: what are some common SEO myths you always hear that need to be debunked?
Some days in the world of SEO, it feels like "Groundhog Day" - the classic 1993 movie where Phil Conners (played by Bill Murray) repeats the same day over and over. But instead of the day repeating, one question gets asked over and over and over. It usually goes something like this: what are some common SEO myths you always hear that need to be debunked?
- Repetition: SEO myths sound believable when repeated enough times. Misinformation tends to spread in our industry. It's shared in conference presentations, in blog posts, on social media, on podcasts and elsewhere. Before you know it, you've got a myth (or a new SEO boogeyman).
- Myths typically are the "easy answer": SEO is "free traffic." At least, that's how many clients view it. At times, SEO is oversimplified, to the point where clients 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. Sometimes, these "easy answers" could actually be tactics that could inflict harm on your clients. And that's something you never want to ignore, said Himani Kankaria, founder of Missive Digital. "I'll tell them that I won't be doing it and won't be allowing my team to do it as implementing the wrong things would cost the client, and then cleaning it up would also add cost," Kankaria said. "On top of that, what's the guarantee that cleaning up that mess would bring back results?"
- Information overload: You can find all sorts of information about SEO. There are endless help documents, articles, guides, studies, social media updates, ebooks, courses, podcasts, videos, and on and on. Talk about information overload! But you know what else is easy to find? SEO misinformation. Dave Davies, lead SEO at Weights & Biases, pointed out that most SEO myths originate from a kernel of truth. He said he has found that identifying that kernel and discussing why you haven't engaged the tactic in this scenario is helpful. "Additionally, some tactics did work but don't now, and providing that context works wonders," Davies said. "Think forum spam in the early 2000s, or keyword stuffing at about the same time. Come to think of it, SEOs really messed up the results back then. Sorry about that."
- It ranks well on Google, so it must be true: There's a belief that what ranks well on Google means that it is accurate and trustworthy. I've seen this happen plenty through the years. For example, when people quote a statistic, they often type in [keyword + stats], look at the number one result, find a stat, cite that roundup post and hit publish. Except, when you actually check the sources, you realize that somebody at some point took a statement or statistic out of context, and it morphed into something that it never was.
- Lack of critical thinking: SEO checklists only take you so far. It's your job to gather and process all the information, arguments and data we can before taking action. After all, the goal is to do what's best for your brand, business, or clients. So question everything. Be skeptical. Examine the who, what, where, when, why, and how of everything you read, watch, or hear.
- The source seems legit: For those of us who have been in the industry for several years, we've seen some popular personalities and websites that have published some questionable, misleading, or downright incorrect information. So we should produce better information as positive alternatives to learn from, according to Bill Slawski, Director of SEO Research at Go Fish Digital. "Sadly, there is a lot of misinformation in the world, and some SEOs are much more interested in writing popular clickbait rather than something that may be more accurate," Slawski said. "These authors can sometimes be successful in terms of being paid by toolmakers, but aren't helpful to SEO customers who want successful businesses."
- It's considered "best practice": In SEO, frustratingly at times, the answer often is "it depends." That's because what is considered SEO best practice in e-commerce SEO can 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 will inevitably vary. Some SEO "best practices" may prove to be "worst practices" for some websites. One solution here is to steer the conversation toward your existing goals and tactics, said Jes Scholz, group chief marketing officer at Ringier. "Remind them how well the current strategy is working and doing both the current strategy along with the myth isn't possible, either due to resource constraints or strategy conflicts or whatever it may be," Scholz said. "Then give them the power by ending on a question of how to proceed."
-
MikeFriedman -
[ 2 ] Thanks
SignatureThe SEO Pub ForumsFor SEO news, discussions, tactics, and more.{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11712094].message }} -
-
Randall Magwood -
[ 1 ] Thanks - 1 reply
Signature==>> Free book reveals make money with affiliate marketing{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11712462].message }}-
MikeFriedman -
Thanks
SignatureThe SEO Pub ForumsFor SEO news, discussions, tactics, and more.{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11712551].message }} -
-
-
Randall Magwood -
Thanks
Signature==>> Free book reveals make money with affiliate marketing{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11712627].message }} -
-
hyperjerkseo -
Thanks - 1 reply
{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11713425].message }}-
DABK -
Thanks
{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11713427].message }} -
-
-
yournightmare -
Thanks
{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11715445].message }} -