Debunking the Biggest SEO Myths

When it comes to SEO, there are plenty of myths going around—so if you’re not well-versed in SEO practices, it’s easy to fall for one or more of the common myths. How search engine algorithms work is a mystery even the best tech detective will have problems unraveling. 

If you rely on the best SEO services Westminster, CO, you probably don’t need to worry about falling for a myth. However, it’s still a good idea to be at least familiar with some of the common SEO myths.

Demystifying Common SEO Myths

Since trying to figure out how search engine algorithms rank websites is pretty much impossible, it’s easy for myths to get started and spread. To help guide you, here’s a closer look at some of the biggest myths surrounding SEO strategies.

Optimal Keyword Density

Whether you’re a content writer or a business trying to boost your website in search engine rankings, you know keywords are a crucial element of your strategy. 

You spend countless hours researching relevant and high-ranking keywords using both free and subscription-based tools. You have a list of keywords to insert into your content. 

Now the question is what percentage of keywords should you use? Also known as keyword density, you probably believe you should have a keyword density of anywhere from 2% up to 5%. If you’re not sure how to find your keyword density, there’s a handy formula.

You take the number of times the keyword appears in the content divided by the total number of words. For example, if your content is 1000 words and the keyword appears 20 times, your keyword density is 2%. So, should you increase the keyword density or leave it alone?

Guess what? Keyword density doesn’t play a huge role in search engine rankings. Google has been trying to get this message across for years. The search engine giant has even gone so far as to release a video back in 2011. The entire video is devoted to explaining how the number of keywords on a webpage really doesn’t affect SERP (search engine results page) rankings.

What search engines do pay attention to is how the keywords are used in the content; they look for relevant keywords that make sense without sounding spammy. In other words, search engines aren’t counting how many times you insert a keyword.

You Should Always Use LSI Keywords

If you’re not familiar with LSI keywords, don’t worry though; neither of these are search engines. Yes, this is a myth. So, what are LSI keywords? LSI is the acronym for latent semantic indexing. Yes, this is a mouthful so it’s no wonder search engines don’t pay attention to this metric.

Using LSI keywords, you search for words that go with your original keyword. However, LSI keywords aren’t synonymous. An example is if your website is trying to rank high for credit cards. Your LSI keywords may include terms like interest rate, finances, and credit score.

If these words are relevant to your content, go ahead and use them. What you don’t want to do is insert random words hoping to score higher results on a search engine page.

Only Focus on High-Volume Keywords

If you’re handling your SEO needs in-house, your team may be focusing on higher-ranking keywords. An SEO service will probably use another strategy. A common myth is you can only boost your search engine rankings when you use the top-ranking keywords—you know, the ones with high-volume results. 

So, how do you know if a keyword is at the top of online users’ search results? You can check keyword rankings using any number of online tools, including one from Google.

While there’s nothing wrong with wanting to use a keyword millions of online users are searching for, it also comes with problems. To get into the action, your website is going to need to beat out a lot of competition, and this isn’t always easy. Sometimes, even when your content is optimized and you have plenty of authoritative backlinks, your site is still only getting a small share of the online traffic.

Instead of following this SEO myth, try using some of the lower-ranking keywords. The competition is dramatically reduced, and with an optimized website, you can still move up in the search engine rankings.

Long-Form Content Produces the Best Results

If you’re a content writer or website owner, you may occasionally struggle to produce relevant, informative, and engaging text when the word count is 1,000 and higher. Some topics are almost impossible to cover in long-content form. There are times when it’s best to keep the page short, simple, and to the point.

Surprisingly, search engines don’t really care about word count—but this isn’t a metric that they usually check. With that being said, it also doesn’t mean you can post pages of content with 50 words or less. If your website is dedicated to providing word definitions, then go for numerous pages of short content. Otherwise, keep the content length appropriate for the topic.

Meta Descriptions Are Crucial

Meta descriptions are probably something your SEO team spends time carefully crafting. A meta description is a short snippet, usually around 105 characters giving a brief explanation of the page’s content.

A common myth is that search engines use meta descriptions as a ranking feature. Before you throw your hands up wondering why so much time is spent creating a meta description, take a deep breath. Meta descriptions aren’t pointless. Google and other search engines do pay attention to meta descriptions. While a great meta tag may not move your site up in the rankings, it does provide a useful site description.

Search engines often use meta tags in their SERP results. This makes it easier for online searchers to know if your website meets their needs.

SEO Isn’t Entirely a Myth

While there are plenty of myths surrounding SEO, it doesn’t change the fact it’s a vital marketing tool to take advantage of.

From helping your website show up higher in search engine result pages to letting consumers know your webpage has what they’re looking for, SEO plays a vital role. However, to avoid falling for a myth, it’s often best to outsource your SEO needs to professionals.

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