Google make no secret that their algorithm is something that is for their eyes only – and this will never change. The problem with this, for the SEO community at least, is that it prompts a lot of assumptions. As we all know, these assumptions can quickly turn into misconceptions that are damaging to say the least.
Just like there are said to be hundreds of ranking signals, there are most probably hundreds of SEO myths doing the rounds as well. This is the reason behind today’s post, as we investigate some of the top and most damaging misconceptions that surround this form of marketing.
Myth #1 – Website builders are poor for SEO
Once upon a time, this may have been correct. Now, website builders are hugely developed and a lot work very well from an SEO perspective. Take the Webeden site builder tool; this is something that is renowned to optimize a website from the offset – meaning that it’s very suited to those individuals who have no prior knowledge of the field.
Gone are the days when these tools are bloated by code which means they struggle to be read properly by search engines. They are more advanced than ever before, but at no cost to Googlebot.
Myth #2 – You shouldn’t build links
Strictly speaking, you should never build links. However, if you were to look at the vast majority of sites in the SERPS you would quickly see that none follow this rule.
Umpteen studies have been conducted which show that building links is a guaranteed method to achieve higher positions. Sure, there are white hat and black hat ways of achieving this and most would suggest that you should stay away from the latter. However, in terms of building linkable content and finding people to cite it, this is something that should be part of any SEO strategy.
Myth #3 – Don’t worry about your meta descriptions
There’s a simple reason why this myth exists; strictly speaking, meta descriptions are not a ranking factor.
From a direct point of view, they do count though. They can entice more people to click on your search result listing, and studies have shown that higher CTRs do correlate with better rankings.
It’s for this reason you should be constantly attempting to tweak your descriptions, and ensure you push CTR as high as possible.
Myth #4 – Social media signals don’t count
Again, from a direct point of view, social media signals supposedly don’t count. If we look at the bigger picture, they can help you though. If a lot of people have shared a piece of content on your website, the likelihood of this gaining more links also increases. Sure, it’s more of a correlation rather than causation moment, but if you do develop content for social shares prepare to see an increase in links. As we all know, this should also prompt an increase in those elusive rankings for your website.
