Proven strategies deliver results. At the same time, marketers looking for shortcuts or who are not willing to put in the work end up falling for myths that result in disappointments. Some of these myths cause you to engage in illegal SEO practices, resulting in penalties and eventually being banned from different platforms.
The myths are so convincing that you are likely to miss the trap. Luckily, SEO experts have debunked the myths and provided viable alternatives that will still deliver the results you need. Here are common SEO myths and how to escape their trap while still achieving the best results.
The Hummingbird Changed the Future of Keywords in Search
It is true that Google overhauled its search algorithm, altering the results you get during a search. Most marketers viewed the Hummingbird update as pushing aside the keyword at the expense of the search experience. As a result, some have ignored search engines, ending up in pages at the back of the queue.
Notice that the Hummingbird update was different from Panda or Penguin. As a result, ignoring keywords becomes an expensive mistake. The truth is that keywords are still pushing websites to the first page.
Do not ignore keywords and their place in search results. Hummingbird has, in fact, made it easier because you can now focus on a lower keyword ratio instead of spamming your articles with keywords. Understand search intentions so that your keywords can deliver the best experience by matching your content with these intentions.
Penalty for Duplicate Content
That Google will penalize you for duplicate content is one of the most common myths you will encounter about SEO. There are ranking implications whenever search spiders find duplicate content and these implications are the clearest sign that you should avoid duplicate content. But the issue does not end there.
Duplicate content is only detrimental to your ranking if you have copied. Search engine spiders crawl the web to identify who uploaded the content first. The only penalty you get is the inability to rank as high as the original owner of the content. Do not waste time chasing websites that have copied your content. Put your resources and time into creating new content that pushes your brand ahead instead of worrying about penalties that will not affect you anyway.
PPC Ads Boost Your Ranking
The fact that you have spent money on paid advertisements will not in any way determine your ranking during an organic search. The reason is simple; the algorithm for paid ads differs from those of organic searches. Consequently, your money ends where advertising ends.
Ranking during organic searches depends on other factors aside from paid ads. Factors such as keyword, the architecture of your website, user experience, and loading speed take precedence. As a result, you must work on these factors to rank highly on organic searches.
It is worth noting that user experience resulting from paid ads counts during organic ranking. Once a person clicks onto your website, his actions like commenting on pages, sharing, and clicking on other pages will boost your ranking during an organic search. It means that you have to give your website and content a multipronged approach so that organic SEO tactics complement the paid SEO efforts.
Good Uses Domain Authority in Ranking
Google used to indicate page ranking with a number between one and ten. The trend stopped in 2013, bringing an end to the much-hyped PageRank. Still, the need to know how well you are performing compared to other websites did not disappear. In fact, it grew exponentially as more businesses went online. Consequently, many ranking platforms emerged.
By 2016, Google confirmed that it was not using PageRank in its algorithms. The score given is used to determine the ‘value of a page.’ However, Google is not a party to such ranking numbers.
But does this mean that ranking is irrelevant? Not at all! You must constantly check using the available tools to see how well you are performing compared to your competition. While the numbers do not matter to Google for ranking purposes, they give you an idea of measures you need to take to boost your digital marketing results.
Longer Content Ranks Better
The myth about the length of your content is the easiest to debunk. Long or short content has no direct connection with your ranking. Content works to your advantage only when it is quality. It allows you to build links and keep readers longer on your page.
Final Word
While you might not know everything about SEO and digital marketing, it is important to verify all the information you come across. Only use proven tactics, especially avoiding the illegal ones. When your SEO strategy is above board, you will enjoy the best value for money.
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