Search engine algorithms, which determine website rankings, change constantly. Between trends, standard methods and best practices, as search evolves, so does search engine optimization. Because of SEO’s constant changes, it is easy to believe almost anything you hear about it. We all want to follow best practices and try new trends for an up to date, first-of-its class website however, it’s important not to believe everything you read.
The fast paced movement of SEO makes it very easy to confuse, ignore and even apply specific SEO myths that may harm or simply do nothing for your website. In order to avoid those pitfalls, lets dispel a few common SEO myths.
Separating Fact From Fiction
1. Social media doesn’t affect SEO.
Social media doesn’t play a role in a sites ranking however, it does have the ability to assist in the success of a website. If we take into consideration what social media can do, such as drive traffic and encourage user engagement, using such a tool to your advantage can be helpful. Consistently updating your social media channels and linking to your site has the potential to drive your search results in a positive direction.
2. Not having meta descriptions doesn’t harm SEO efforts.
Missing meta descriptions doesn’t take a sites ranking from page one to three, but the small description can help gain user click through. Regular site crawls will help to find missing meta descriptions. Making sure that each description is unique to its page doesn’t hurt either.
3. Keywords should be repeated frequently through site content.
Keywords play a large role in SEO, so large that many believe that high-ranking keywords need to be placed repeatedly throughout site content. While it’s true that keywords should be reflected in site content, the number of times should be limited. It’s recommended that keywords should be in your site’s meta description and title tag once and in site content around two to three times.
SEO changes all of the time, which makes it difficult to keep up with best practices and maintain a search friendly site. Are you interested in learning more about SEO facts and myths? Contact Starkmedia today to learn how to implement the best SEO practices to your website.
