Keeping up with the latest SEO trends and guidelines can feel like a full-time job. Right when you think you’ve got it all figured out, a new algorithm is introduced and you’re back to square one again. We understand that as a busy, working professional your time is valuable. We’re here to help! Today we’re breaking down what’s actually important right now in the world of Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
Let’s dive in! Here are 3 SEO myths you should leave behind in 2016:
SEO Myth #1: The More Inbound Links to My Website, the Better
Not every incoming link to your website has a positive impact. Search engines are not fans of spammy referral links. When your website is consistently offering great, useful information, quality referral links will happen organically as people begin to share and then re-share your content. It’s never a good idea to seek out spammers to drive false traffic to your website. Google’s algorithms have become more and more intelligent and they can easily vet out sites who seek not-so-legitimate website traffic, and rank them lower.
The best way to build quality incoming links to your site is by creating meaningful business relationships with other influencers in your industry, referencing valuable articles or resources and by simply creating valuable content that people find beneficial. Don’t be afraid to reach out to reputable thought leaders and ask them to share your content on their blogs, websites, and social media.
SEO Myth #2: Repetition is Key for an Effective Keyword Strategy
Although it’s important to identify which keywords you want to incorporate throughout your content, the days of keyword stuffing are officially over. In fact, Google will “ding” your website if it suspects that you have purposefully stuffed inaccurate or misleading keywords throughout your content. The golden rule with keywords is to be sure you’re developing information for your readers, not for search engines.
Bottom line: identify which keywords you’d like to associate with your brand and then strategically develop content that hits on these terms and topics. Don’t overuse certain keywords and do not awkwardly cram them into your content – this will negatively affect your visitors’ experience.
SEO Myth #3: The More Pages a Website has, the Higher its Rank
When it comes to the size of your website, bigger does not necessarily mean better. If your goal is to create numerous pages for your site in hope that it will get indexed more often, search engines have already figured you out and will not grant you the SEO brownie points you were aiming for. In an effort to prevent people from creating an unnecessary amount of pointless pages and subpages, search engines will not index every page on your site. Google will also remove superfluous pages from their existing index to prevent them from being crawled.
Additionally, if you’re concentrating on adding a large number of new pages to your site purely for SEO ranking purposes, you’re probably not dedicating enough time to your content strategy and ensuring that each page provides quality content that is important and relevant to your target audience.
By creating quality content consistently, visitors will find your website. Ultimately, there are no short cuts or quick fixes when it comes to executing a SEO strategy effectively. Remaining ‘in the know’ when it comes to algorithm updates and SEO guidelines is vital to the success of your business online.
To chat about an SEO strategy for your company, reach us at info@mixmainemarketing.com or (207) 622-0110.
