30Apr

5 Common Myths About SEO

With 81% of people researching products online before making major purchases, it is becoming more and more important for your website to rank higher on the search engine results pages.  There is always talk about shortcuts or easy ways to improve your Search Engine Optimization (SEO), but a lot of these “solutions” are ineffective. Some of the most common misconceptions about SEO are…

  • Myth #1: Keywords are most important. Many people still think that stuffing their website with commonly searched keywords will guarantee top rankings on search engines. This was once true, but is now an outdated thought process. Search engine algorithms have become more sophisticated. While keywords that are commonly searched for among your industry are important to have present on your website, quality content is now key. If the keywords are relevant to your dealership and products, then your website should contain them naturally. It’s not necessary to try to stuff your website with them. Keyword stuffing also makes your content difficult to read for consumers and could detract from the effectiveness of your website. Google even suggests that websites should their make pages primarily for users, not for search engines.
  • Myth #2: The more links, the better. It is true that links from other websites to yours can increase your search rankings. However, it is quality over quantity that matters. Spamming links on other websites is not effective and does not send a positive message about your brand. Purchasing links should also be avoided at all costs and even major businesses have fallen into this trap, like J.C. Penney did in 2011. Search engines will penalize websites that are caught purchasing links, and these businesses will have to earn their top ranking all over again.
  • Myth #3: SEO will work overnight. Just because you update your website and put up great content does not mean that your dealership will gain the top organic ranking the next day. SEO produces more long-term results that grow as your website improves and as more people interact with it. Be patient. Your optimization work will pay off and will provide longer lasting results for your dealership.
  • Myth #4: Money can buy everything. No matter what, money can not influence organic rankings. There is no possible way to pay to get a higher spot on organic rankings. Even companies that advertise with Google AdWords have no advantage in organic rankings because they function as separate entities. This means that organic search results are an even playing field for all businesses, no matter how small or large.
  • Myth #5: It’s okay to reuse content. Be unique! Don’t simply copy and paste any information onto your website. Yes, some information needs to be uniform, such as equipment specifications, but take advantage of the opportunities to be unique on other parts of your website like your homepage and about us sections. You can make these sections more useful to those who visit your website and original content looks better to search engines.

At the end of the day, the easiest way to boost your search engine ranking is to improve your website with good content.  There isn’t a  magical shortcut or quick fix that will boost your SEO overnight. Instead, work on really making your website better. Make sure your featured information is up-to-date and fresh, your content is clear and easy to read, and that you’re offering useful information to keep people returning to your website.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Commercial Web Services
COMMENT (1)
The Synergy of SEO and SEM: Why They Work Better Together | Commercial Web Services Blog / May 7, 2015

[…] keywords in naturally though, and not go overboard with keyword stuffing them.  Contrary to many myths about SEO, this can actually decrease your […]

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