A lot has changed since then. Google, the leading search engine, has become increasingly smarter. It often knows what we are looking for even better than we do (hasn't that happened to you?).
These changes at Google and rival search engines have made many of the practices that originally worked no longer valid. The problem is that, despite this, many of them continue to influence SEO strategies today.
In this article we will only touch on the five most important points within all these changes. So get ready to review your SEO strategy.
The 5 SEO myths you shouldn't believe
Content: well yes, but the more the better
Most people are aware that when it comes to content , quality matters more than quantity . However, it is often thought that it is important to create long content (because the length of the text will affect SEO) and that the more pages you create, the better the SEO result you will get.
However, this is not necessarily true.
It is true that long content is more shared and cited by other pages, as Buzzsumo explains . But this fact is closely related to the quality and importance of that content. For example, if the content is the result of interesting research, of course it will be cited and recommended. On the contrary, if you could have said the same thing with half the words, but what you did was pad it to make it longer… Well, you won’t get such good results.
On the other hand, there is the number of pages on your website. The same logic applies here. It is true that a small, outdated website is more likely to appear among the first results. But a site that does not help its users find the information they need will not do so either.
Remember, the goal of search engines when it comes to SEO is to help searchers. As long as you have useful and clear content for the user, search engines will treat you well.
Keywords: You will only appear in a search if you use the same keyword as the user
Add to this myth the repetition of the same keyword within the text as many times as possible.
At this point it is important to remember that search engines are becoming more intelligent and that searches have changed . It is no longer necessary to include the exact keyword in the text over and over again. Search engines understand the user's intention and give them relevant information.
For example, if I search Google for “make pizza dough,” the first results include words like “make” or “recipe.” Even though I didn’t search for these words, Google understands that I’m probably at home trying to find a recipe for making pizza.
Search with Google Keywords
Continuing with what we talked about in the previous myth, the most important thing is to have useful content. So, when you go to review a text, and you see that the use of a certain word or phrase does not facilitate reading and understanding, think about changing it.
If I'm the first, I've already achieved it
Okay, you're number one on the results page. Congratulations! But does this mean that everything has been achieved? That thousands of new customers will now flood your website?
While it's true that being among the first results will help you get more clicks, if you don't do it right you may not be there for long.
The important thing about appearing among the first results is to get more clicks. And within these clicks, ideally they should be from potential clients. That is why it is important to be clear about which topics you want to appear first for. Once again, if your content is not relevant or appreciated by users, the algorithms will not favor you for long or in the words of Alisa Meredith :
Ranking at the top for what? We all remember those ads that say, “Guaranteed to get to #1 on Google!” But they never said what for. Instead of obsessing about ranking, be helpful, then your readers will bring you more customers because they will share your content.
Having a secure site is not that important for SEO
Secure sites are those that use the HTTPS ( Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure ) protocol. This protocol uses encryption that allows sensitive information to be handled more appropriately than previous protocols.
Originally, this protocol was important for banks and e-commerce sites, but over time it has become increasingly relevant.
A while ago, Google started talking about the importance of using this protocol. And although this search engine usually reveals little about its search algorithm, there is no longer any doubt: having a secure site is essential to having good results on Google.
A few days ago, Google announced that in the next version of its Chrome browser, sites that do not use the HTTPS protocol will be marked as unsafe. This launch will take place in July of this year.
Treatment of HTTP Pages by Google
Source: Google
Optimizing content for mobile searches is not that important
Most online transactions and purchases gambling data turkey continue to occur on traditional computers, so why worry too much about optimizing a website for mobile searches?
According to the Think with Google blog , this is due to the poor experience that users have when using mobile sites. Too long waiting times, overly complex forms and generally poor UX design are the main factors that influence the decrease in purchases made through mobile devices.
mobile speed behavior
Source: Google
In 2015, Google launched an algorithm update that penalized websites that were not optimized for mobile searches. According to research from Hubspot , sites that were not optimized for mobile searches saw a 5% reduction in organic traffic.
So make sure your website is prepared to receive visits from mobile searches. This mainly means improving its loading speed, displaying relevant content and creating a simple and intuitive experience.
Now it's your turn
So, did you still believe any of these myths? If so, it's time to leave them behind and make changes to your SEO strategy to adapt to the new trends.
When it comes to SEO, nothing is definitive. What is true today may be a myth tomorrow. The important thing is to keep up with these changes.
And if there is one lesson to be learned from this whole story, it is that your entire SEO strategy should be focused on creating useful and relevant content for your readers .
Do you have any questions? Is there any myth that we haven't touched on that you want to ask us about? Don't think twice and write to us .
