While many people say that SEO (search engine optimization) is a thing of the past and is of no use, specialists generate six-figure sums from organic traffic.
Whether you like SEO or not, there are certain things that will help you understand it better.
Here’s a list of 26 things you should never believe about SEO that will bring you closer to a better understanding of the industry. At the same time, it’s a list of things you shouldn’t believe.
Enjoy reading.
1/ SEO is Dead
SEO is the marketing foundation of every online store or blog in the world.
The higher your website ranks, the more robust traffic you’ll gain. And the more traffic you get, the greater the potential for earnings from your online business.
Algorithms change, but it doesn’t change the fact that SEO has been and will be the key to any good and long-term marketing campaign.
2/ SEO Done Once Lasts Forever
You’ve heard that too, haven’t you?
Unfortunately, nothing could be further from the truth.
It is an ongoing process, so just as your results require time and a lot of work, your effort or that of the chosen agency must be proportional.
Changes in Google’s policy, the development of individual sectors, increased competition—you must be prepared for all of this.
Of course, search engine optimization is not a single procedure but consists of many interconnected elements.
The more effort you put into achieving results, the sooner you’ll see them and feel the real impact that comes from search engine optimization.
3/ You’ll See an Effect in 2 Weeks
I wish it was the truth!
But it takes a few, good months.
And how much time exactly?
No one can predict the exact time. Not even Google itself.
In an ideal scenario, to find your page in positions that generate traffic, you should count on 3 to 6 months.
I said this with nonchalance, although specialists might argue even with that.
Everything depends on the industry you’re in, the history of the domain, the competitiveness of the keywords you’re targeting, and the quality and quantity of content.
In the case of content, both quantity and quality matter. The more, the better.
By following these methods, you will naturally speed up the process of organic positioning.
4/ Long Tail Keywords Don’t Work
Long keywords target a more specific or narrowed-down niche.
Not everyone will type in longer keywords.
However, those customers who know exactly what they’re looking for will type precisely such a phrase. And if you focus on this strategy, you’ll gain that customer.
Saying that long keywords don’t work is just as incorrect as saying that only short ones do.
To achieve high results, you need to combine both strategies.
5/ Short Keywords Will Bring You Traffic
Short keywords, often referred to as ‘head terms,’ can be powerful drivers of traffic to your website. While they’re highly competitive, their broad nature means they’re frequently searched for, offering vast potential for visibility.
Incorporating these concise phrases into your content strategy can lead to an influx of visitors.
Focus on long, alike short keywords to boost your rankings and find your website in really prominent positions.
6/ Google Finds Fresh Content and Index It
Google suggests regularly updating content to provide users with current information.
Once you add new content, Google will eventually index it. Moreover, use the Google XML sitemap generator plugin to accelerate this process.
This tool generates a sitemap upon new publications and notifies search engines.
You don’t have to wait to be indexed after a few months—prompt crawlers to skyrocket your results.
7/ Domain Authority Doesn’t Matter
Domain authority gauges a website’s credibility. A higher DA score can improve your site’s chances of ranking well on search engines.
So, what to do when your domain is brand new?
Use a 301 redirection: allow traffic to be directed to your domain from a domain that already has traffic and credibility.
8/ Best-named Domains Get High Rankings
12+ years ago, the domain name mattered.
Do you sell insurance? insure.com and you’d capture the market. But it wasn’t fair.
Google changed this policy to counteract monopolization.
If you’re relying on the domain name to win in the SEO market, you’ll unfortunately need to change your strategy, as that won’t work anymore.
Focus on website optimization, the quantity, and quality of content, and inbound links to your site.
These aspects will increase the organic growth of your website.
9/ Google Ranks Fresh Websites
Certainly—it’s correct.
Completely new content has certain advantages, while existing content that’s already indexed will better impact on your rankings.
It isn’t always necessary to produce new articles or posts; updating what you already have can boost its rank. Simply revising and updating your current material can give it a fresh appeal and take advantage of the freshness factor.
Revive your content to enhance its current relevance and impact.
10/ National SEO over Local SEO
Let me surprise you.
National SEO boils down to local SEO.
Why and how?
Positioning for a selected country (national) is like running local SEO campaigns, but on a larger scale. In this case, we consider cities (selected ones) from the entire country, not just a specific area.
Do you want to be visible throughout the country? Of course—think globally, act locally.
11/ Innocent Black-Hat SEO Will Boost Your Rankings
- Cloaking
- Link Farm
- Spammy Links
- Keyword Stuffing
- Private Blog Networks (PBNs)
These are the best examples of black-hat SEO techniques. Say NO to all of them.
Everything that can be labeled as “black-hat SEO” is against Google’s policy, and your website will be penalized.
SEO requires more time than ad campaigns, but over time, it will generate more traffic for you than paid ads, and this time investment will pay off on its own.
However, BH techniques won’t be beneficial anytime.
12/ Duplicate Content Causes a Penalty
Duplicate content does not lead to a direct penalty from Google.
It can cause search engines to show only one version of the content in search results, potentially reducing visibility for duplicate pages.
Address duplicate content issues to ensure optimal search engine performance and user experience.
Once Google perceives that you overdo its rule—you won’t conquer the rankings.
13/ Short and Sweet Posts Work
Just as for Google, so for your user—the longer the posts, the better.
The best posts are those that have about 1,500 to 3,000 words.
And they are the best because:
- Google boosts these posts in rankings.
- They decrease the bounce rate: your visitor wants to keep reading it.
- They allow you to expand on the topic of the post, not constrain it to the bare minimum.
Don’t settle for 300–500 words. Set an absolute minimum of 1,500 words for each post, and stick to that limit.
14/ Infographics Don’t Generate Backlinks
Did you know that posts with infographics are linked 150% more often than those without them?
It’s true—we, as people, have been accustomed to images since the beginning of humanity.
Our mind processes sound 30x faster than text, and images even up to 60x faster!
By adding infographics to your posts, you draw and increase the attention of your readers, and your posts will be re-linked more often, building a foundation of backlinks.
15/ Keyword Research Doesn’t Work Out
In-depth keyword research is fundamental, regardless of the industry you want to optimize in.
Research helps you and other marketing geeks understand what their target audience is using and tailor their content accordingly.
Conducting thorough keyword research will enhance your visibility on search engines, driving more organic traffic to your business online.
Save your time and money—begin with the basics.
16/ SEO Doesn’t Bring You Robust Traffic
The first organic position on Google generates 27.6% of total traffic.
Out of 100,000 queries for a phrase, your site will be visited by 27,600 potential buyers.
Do you still think that SEO doesn’t bring you significant traffic?
In fact, SEO generates the best traffic. Invest in search engine optimization to attract the best clients.
17/ You Can Get #1 Ranking Guarantee
There is no algorithm that can guarantee positions on Google (and that’s a good thing!).
No one can promise you a ranking, not even Google itself. Even if you wanted to be in the 100th position on Google—you can’t get that guarantee!
However, if you hear of an agency that insists on guaranteeing you a position at any cost, don’t trust them and don’t engage in collaboration. Get together only with a trusted partner.
SEO is a game of many cards; it’s impossible to predict the timing or its outcomes.
18/ Mobile Optimization Doesn’t Matter
Prepare for the fact that most of your audience will use a phone to check what you offer.
If your content isn’t optimized for mobile, it will harm the user experience.
Nowadays, 59.16% of website traffic comes from mobile devices. The vast majority uses phones instead of computers to find relevant information.
To attract and retain phone users, mobile optimization is key.
Ensure that your content is well-optimized for mobile. Then, your site will draw in both phone and desktop users.
19/ Image Naming is Obsolete
Naming images consistently can enhance your website’s rankings.
Name your image descriptively, example: ‘how-to-do-seo.jpg’.
It should be relevant to both your post’s theme and the image content.
Remember to use hyphens to link words. Other characters can cause issues with servers and browsers.
20/ Copying Other’s Content is Fine
Not so long ago, it was a common practice, but trust me: don’t do that.
Using someone else’s content on your site will never rank your page.
Copying will never make you an expert, and no one will trust you.
And ultimately—plagiarism is legally punishable.
Using someone else’s content as inspiration is a great idea, but not copying it.
Be original and focus on your ideas; this way, you’ll build a unique brand.
21/ The More Guest Posters the Better
Guest posting is still one of the best methods for acquiring backlinks to your website.
However, too many guest posters on your website can be counterproductive.
If your next guest poster is someone just starting with blogging, make sure the content on your site is authentic and credible.
An excess of content can lead to copying from the internet, plagiarism, and taking advantage of the desire to rank one’s own site.
Guest posting—sure, but done reasonably.
22/ Social Media Doesn’t Affect SEO
Social signals can influence search results.
Shares and likes increase visibility and show Google’s bots that your website is credible and essential.
Active profiles drive adequate traffic to one’s website.
At the end of the day—social engagement will boost domain authority.
23/ All Meta Descriptions Need Keywords
Meta descriptions, while not a direct ranking factor for search engines, serve as an important tool for enticing users to click on your search result.
But do they all need descriptions? No. You can focus on the entire SEO process to gain the desired results.
Of course, meta descriptions are one of these factors to boost and accelerate your organic growth efforts and capture users’ attention.
The final call is yours—you can do it, but don’t have to.
24/ Loading Speed Doesn’t Matter for SEO
It couldn’t be lied more.
3 facts proving how crucial website speed is:
1/ 40% of users leave a website if it doesn’t load within 3 seconds.
2/ A 1-second lag in page loading can lead to a 7% drop in conversions.
3/ If an online shopping site earns $100,000 daily, a 1-second delay in page loading might lead to an annual loss of $2.5 million in sales.
Page speed is fundamental.
If you want to increase sales and attract more users to your site—focus on its speed.
25/ Linking Internally is Outdated
Internal linking helps your visitors find more of your content that’s relevant to them, keeping them engaged on your website for longer.
Your readers can easily navigate from the page they’re reading to another, which increases their interest, and as a result, boosts your sales.
And how does Google view this?
A well-developed base of internal links is just as useful as external ones. Google will notice this and give a little bump to the rankings of those specific pages and their keywords.
However, to maintain a balance, try to include your link on your site, on average, every 500 words. Of course, if you do it more frequently without overdoing it, wouldn’t be harm done.
26/ Using Only Google Analytics is Enough
To obtain raw data—sure. To optimize your work, not so much.
I know that many marketers and high-level agencies use two main tools: SEMrush and Ahrefs.
Undoubtedly, they are the best or certainly top-tier in the market, but not everyone can afford them, especially in the beginning.
One thing you must know—without tools, you won’t create good SEO.
Therefore, invest in a highly effective and affordable tool that will boost your rankings: Senuto.
This is a Polish tool, dedicated to specialists & beginners who want to skyrocket their results.
I use it, and it helps a lot.
And you — would you add anything else that you don’t believe in SEO?
Don’t hesitate to comment in the section below. And if you liked it, share it with your friends.
Also, if you’d like to cover something in private, hit me up on LinkedIn or X.
Thank you!
Simon
Author Profile
- Simon Gorlak is a Digital Marketing Expert with over 8 years of experience. He specializes in 3 areas: SEO, Lead Generation on LinkedIn, and Email Marketing. Simon's blog gathers knowledge that helps Marketers & C-level to increase profits from their online businesses. Also, his content helps to reach the most difficult customers, make others' content to be read & purchased. Besides digital marketing, Simon speaks 4 languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Polish & works as a Head of Business at an Indian Start-up.
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