Debunking 17 of the Biggest SEO Myths in 2024
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There’s a lot to wrap your head around when it comes to SEO. What best practices should you follow? Can you do it wrong? Should you hire an expert? What impact will it have on your website?
All these questions stem from the secrecy surrounding Google’s algorithm. The search engine is known to avoid revealing much, so the recent algorithm leak sent shockwaves around the industry. Still, it can be hard to know what’s rooted in truth and what’s a myth.
To help clear things up, I’ve reviewed 17 of the most popular SEO myths, debunking and explaining why you shouldn’t fret over these SEO lies in 2024.
1. Branded Keywords Are Harmful
Should you avoid branded keywords in your website content? Will they impact your site’s rankings? The answer is no.
Thankfully, Google recently confirmed on X that mentioning brand names in your articles is fine. The tweet said:
“No, you shouldn’t be afraid to mention the brand name of something you are reviewing. It’s literally what readers would expect you to do, and our systems are trying to reward things that are helpful to readers. How would you write a review of something and not mention what it is? This is something anyone can easily debunk themselves by simply searching on the results.”
After all, readers could easily get confused if a review page didn’t mention the product or brand name. As the tweet suggests, Google prefers content that prioritizes the reader’s needs.
2. Longer Content Is Better
Some argue that Google prefers long-form content – a lengthier page will surely beat the competition. Wrong! Google has repeatedly enforced that length is not a ranking factor, and the recent algorithm leak confirms this. The leak even suggests that shorter content is rated on originality rather than length.
Despite this, Semrush’s 2023 State of Content Marketing report suggests articles above 1.1k words perform better in organic search results. This could be because Google ranks helpful content, and delivering truly well-rounded answers to queries in less than 1,000 words can be hard. What is important is remembering to deliver genuinely helpful content, no matter the length.
3. Google Analytics Data Influences Rankings
There are rumors that Google considers a site’s Google Analytics data when determining rankings. Understandably, website owners panic and grow frustrated when they see high bounce rates or minimal page views. While this data doesn’t influence your rankings, the data provided can give you a good indication of areas that need improvement.
If the myth were true, it would be especially damaging for sites using alternatives to Google Analytics 4. GA4 users would have an unfair advantage in the SERPs, so I’m pleased to share that this is a total myth.
4. Respect Domain Age
Some say the age of your website has an impact on SEO. However, this has been debunked by Google many times, so it’s fair to say that Google doesn’t favor more established websites – though I’ll discuss Google’s Sandbox after this.
Older sites have plenty of factors working to their benefit. For example, the age of the site might mean nothing, but the experience and history that comes with an older site can boost the site’s overall performance. Plus, older sites generally have a greater volume of backlinks, contributing to the site’s competitiveness. With more resources and a larger budget, these sites can invest more time and money into SEO than newer sites.
5. The Existence of Google Sandbox
No, this isn’t a new playground at Google’s offices. The Google Sandbox refers to Google lumping new websites together in a category because they’re so fresh, removing the possibility to rank until the site is older. But is this an SEO myth?
Years ago, Google argued it didn’t exist, declaring that new websites are examined in the same way as established sites. However, the recent algorithm leak suggests the Google Sandbox does exist though it’s never been officially confirmed. If true, this would mean Google takes its time to understand a site’s purpose and quality before ranking it, putting younger sites at a disadvantage initially.
6. You Can Pay for Ranking
For some website owners, paying for ads is the right move for their business. PPC, or pay-per-click, advertising is where you only pay each time your ad is clicked on. But, should you spend money to influence Google’s rankings?
If you pay for Google Ads, this can give you visibility at the top of SERPs, but you can’t pay to improve your organic ranking since the search algorithm is entirely separate from PPC ad placements. Fluctuations in the rankings won’t impact the ad placements, but you can read more about SEO vs PPC in our detailed article.
7. Keyword Stuffing Is Okay
If you want to rank well, this SEO myth suggests you should add your target keyword into your content as much as possible. Some SEO professionals recommend a 2-5% keyword density, which translates into roughly 20 to 50 mentions in a 1,000-word article.
But should you really stuff your keyword into your article dozens of times? Google states that there’s no optimal density – instead, I recommend focusing on creating helpful content and the keywords will naturally find their way into the copy. You won’t want to come across as spammy just to up the keyword count, especially in the wake of Google’s June spam update.
8. Domain Authority Matters
Like domain age, does domain authority matter? This determines how trustworthy and reliable a site is, but domain authority isn’t something Google explicitly monitors.
Previously, Google used to display a PageRank score, but this was stopped back in 2013. Since then, domain authority has been largely measured by SEO tools, such as Moz, rather than Google. It can be a useful way to track the value of a page. With the Google algo leak, mentions of domain authority did appear but we’re not sure on details or how Google measures it. So, it’s certainly something to keep in mind, especially if you get frustrated by larger brands ranking above your site.
9. Use LSI Keywords To Rank
This SEO myth suggests that LSI keywords can be used to boost rankings. LSI stands for latent semantic indexing – I know, yikes! To break it down simply, this is a method that computers use when retrieving and analyzing information to ensure the text is correctly understood. Words can have different meanings and connotations, so it’s crucial that search engines see the context behind the copy.
How does this work with your website? LSI keywords are words that are related to your target keywords, but aren’t direct synonyms. That said, LSI keywords are irrelevant in Google’s eyes. Writing useful content is what Google cares about, and you’ll naturally use keywords like this in your copy.
10. Duplicate Content Will Be Penalized
Sometimes, duplicate content is inevitable – there are millions of websites out there. So, is it fair for Google to punish websites for covering similar content to each other or even similar content across the same site?
As long as you’re producing useful and helpful content, duplicate content is okay. For example, we discuss Wix across multiple pages on our site, but it’s important to differentiate the content enough so Google recognizes what pages to prioritize in the SERPs.
Of course, websites that illegally copy from others should be penalized, but if you’re discussing the same topic, there’ll likely be some natural crossover. This is where fair competition comes into play – Google’s algorithm will favor quality content that matches the search query best.
11. Quantity Matters More Than Quality
You might think you need to publish content every single day, multiple times an hour, to show off your site to search engines. While it is important to publish frequently, you shouldn’t aim to fill a content quota by producing irrelevant content.
As I’ve mentioned a few times already, Google values content and sites that put the user first. If your content considers their needs and queries, that’s what matters. You don’t need to post every day – other factors will influence your ranking over content quantity and quality. For example, if two sites both post a high-quality article, things like backlinks and technical SEO could determine your SERP position instead.
12. All Backlinks Are Valuable
Do backlinks still matter? Are they as important as SEO professionals say they are? Backlinks are a key part of an effective SEO strategy and it’s important to build a network of links back to your pages.
However, not all links are valuable. Links are like pieces of a puzzle, but you might have a few extra pieces and not all of them fit together. Good backlinks signal to Google that your website and content are trustworthy, authoritative, and valued by others. If you gain bad backlinks from sites that lack credibility and aren’t related to your site at all, then it can damage your site’s profile. So, make sure any backlinks you get are useful to your readers, relevant, and don’t come across as spammy.
13. Put Keywords in Your URL
You’ve probably already heard it’s best to avoid using numbers or overly complicated language in your URL to keep things simple when people search for your site, but what about keywords? The myth of adding keywords to your URL to improve rankings shouldn’t be considered too highly.
While adding keywords to your URL can have a minor influence on the algorithm, it’s pretty minimal. Your URL should be relevant to your business and have the user or customer in mind – keywords shouldn’t be the priority when naming your site.
14. Don’t Worry About Mobile Users
Google rolled out mobile-first indexing back in 2016, meaning the search engine prioritizes the mobile version of your website over the traditional desktop version. With this in mind, you should consider your site’s mobile users since mobile responsiveness is a key ranking factor.
How well your site adapts and reacts to a user’s device is important. Thankfully, plenty of website builders, such as Wix and Squarespace, give you the capability to edit and preview your site across devices.
15. Prioritize High-Volume Keywords
Maybe you’ve seen a high-volume keyword and want to create content to target this audience – but is this a smart SEO strategy? For example, the high-volume keyword “website builder” gets roughly 74,000 searches per month.
It can be hard to compete and outrank established content when prioritizing high-volume keywords. While it isn’t impossible to do, you should consider low-volume keywords too. Naturally, these receive less traffic but they’re usually less competitive and easier to rank for. You’re more likely to see positive results.
16. Ignore Local SEO
You might think using local SEO isn’t worth your time, but it shouldn’t be overlooked. Local searches should show relevant results so it’s important to optimize your site for your area. For example, a customer might want to see bakery options in Boston, Massachusetts – if your location isn’t specified, or you haven’t set up a Google business profile, it’ll be hard to rank in specific areas.
I recommend using precise keywords or local domain names, such as .de for Germany, to target individuals in your location. This will also help tell Google and search engines what content to promote to local users.
17. Your SEO Work Is Complete
Finally, one of the biggest SEO myths is that you can do the work and call it quits. The search landscape is always evolving, whether it’s a core update from Google, algorithm changes, site speed drops, or ranking shifts. You might rebrand your business or your target market could change – whatever it is, there’s always room for SEO improvement and further optimization.
As you can see from these SEO myths, there’s plenty of uncertainty and false information out there. I recommend you regularly monitor your site’s performance and SERPs. Keep updating your content with fresh information, ensure your site is as helpful as it can be to readers, and keep your finger on the pulse when it comes to ranking changes.
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