The thing about search engine optimization (SEO) is that it has had several changes over the years. What may be true about SEO before may no longer be applicable today. And while some SEO myths are harmless, others can end up affecting your website’s ranking. So, it’s best to be aware of these common SEO misconceptions and stop following them.
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SEO Isn’t Relevant Anymore
Some like to believe that SEO is a dying art and that its relevance today is questionable. However, this is not true. SEO still matters and can affect the success of your business.
The logic behind this common misconception is that despite using popular keywords in their content, many businesses still fail to rank high on search engines. However, the lack of success isn’t because SEO is dead, but rather because the competition is much fiercer now.
Ranking high on search engines doesn’t just require the use of popular keywords. It also involves other factors, such as web design and digital marketing.
Image Alt Tags Don’t Matter
Many businesses seem to believe that image alt tags aren’t really necessary. But they can actually affect your ranking.
You see, the search engines use the image alt text to learn what the image is about. So, some businesses try to use keywords in the alt text to hopefully improve their ranking. When their images show up on the search engine results, users can then click on it, leading them to the appropriate website.
Backlinks Don’t Matter
While it is true that the number of backlinks won’t ensure a high search engine ranking, that doesn’t mean that backlinks don’t matter at all anymore. Rather, it just means that the focus should be more on the quality of the backlinks instead of the quantity.
Backlinks are still necessary because they basically indicate that other websites support your content. Since they can help you build credibility, they can also help bring more traffic to your website. You just need to get support from the right domains to increase your chances of success.
Rankings Are Based on Domain Age
It is not automatically true that the older your domain age is, the higher your ranking will be. While domain age is indeed a factor, it is not the only thing that determines your website’s ranking.
The reason many people believe this common misconception is that many older domains tend to rank higher on search engines. But this is simply because they have had more opportunities for backlinking through the years.
Just because a website is old does not mean it will automatically rank high. If they did not put in the effort to build on their backlinks, there’s no reason for them to be on the first page of the search engine results. This means a younger website can still rank high if they make use of SEO techniques and best practices.
Final Thoughts
Knowing the truth behind these common SEO misconceptions can help you understand why many people believe them and what you should be doing instead. When you start to ignore and stop following these myths, you can move forward and improve your ranking.
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