Search engine optimization (SEO) has been around for almost as long as search engines. Although it is a term many people have heard of, few truly understand what it means. And there’s no shortage of gossip and questionable advice on the subject. SEO myths are rampant- so what’s true?

Many aspects of SEO are self-explanatory. But others are less easy to navigate. For instance, what exactly is the right amount of keywords for a blog post? And how exactly do backlinks affect a page’s domain authority?

Getting the answers to these questions wrong will, at best, fail to improve your rankings on SERPs. But at worse, they can actively damage your marketing efforts and get your domain penalized by search engines.

Claim: On-Page SEO Still Matters

On-page SEO includes optimizing title tags, creating internal links, careful header placement, and streamlining a site’s navigation. But does any of this stuff still matter to search engines? Or do the likes of Google only care about who you are and who’s linking to you?

Verdict: Fact

Although some people place greater emphasis on off-page SEO today, it is an SEO myth that on-page work is no longer a factor. On-page SEO is a hugely essential factor in site rankings. So if you want more traffic, sales and conversions, you can’t overlook the basics.

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Claim: Aim to Get as Many Backlinks as Possible

A backlink is created whenever an external site links to one of your site’s web pages. And they are crucial to building domain authority. With this in mind, many web admins will do everything possible to obtain as many backlinks as possible. But is earning backlinks a numbers game?

Verdict: Fiction

Years ago, it would have been true to say that the number of backlinks you earned was of utmost importance. Another aspect of this SEO myth is that the source of said backlinks do not matter much. But search engines have since gotten a lot smarter. And they now focus more on the quality rather than the number of backlinks a site earns. Agencies such as Bend Cloud can monitor your backlinks and ensure you are getting the quality links you need.

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Claim: You Should Add as Many Keywords as Possible

If you’ve spent a little time reading about digital marketing, you’ve almost certainly heard about keywords. And they are undoubtedly crucial in optimizing on-page SEO and reaching your audience. So, it only makes sense that the keywords you get into your content, the better, right?

Verdict: Fiction

If you’re hoping cramming keywords into your content will impress Google, you will be sorely disappointed. While careful keyword placement is important, too many will make your content unreadable. Instead, we focus on using keywords to help users navigate your content. We also avoid forcing words into sentences where they don’t belong. Keyword jamming is a pervasive SEO myth, don’t fall for it!

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Claim: Smaller Businesses Can’t Utilize SEO

You’ve heard that SEO can help web content rank higher, but is it worth all the effort for your circumstances? After all, you’re only a small independent business owner. And there’s no way you could compete with all those big companies on Google’s front page. So, why bother?

Verdict: Fiction

Smaller companies in fact need SEO more than anyone! That’s why it’s crucial to target specific keywords and queries other brands aren’t, as doing so will get you in front of customers looking for solutions only your business can provide. In addition, local SEO is imperative if you want your local customers to find you!

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To Summarize

Of course, SEO remains crucial for any form of digital marketing. What is accurate to say is that SEO is constantly evolving. And as we’ve seen here, it’s vital to stay up to date with the best practices and know the difference between the many myths and the reality of using SEO.

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