In the fast-paced and ever-evolving world of digital marketing, SEO myths seem to multiply faster than search engine algorithms change. As we head into 2024, it’s more important than ever for digital marketers, startups, and SEO professionals to separate fact from fiction.

Whether you’re a startup with a new website or looking to refine your strategy, avoiding these common SEO myths can save you time, effort, and a lot of frustration. 

To this day, there are plenty of SEO myths running rampant in the online space as people seek out the best ways to improve organic traffic. SEO myths are the result of misinterpreted data, outdated practices, and lies.

So let’s dive into the top misconceptions that could be holding you and your business back from SEO success in the immediate and long-term.

The Most Common SEO Myths

SEO myths are everywhere. For startups and small businesses hoping to boost online visibility, getting to know these myths can help you avoid wasting time on unnecessary practices that no longer matter.

The list below covers some of the most common SEO myths we still hear in 2024.

Ideal Keyword Density

For ages, many SEO professionals and agencies believed in the idea of an optimal keyword density for blog articles. This is essentially the amount of times a keyword appears in an article displayed as a percentage.

Many believed the optimal keyword density to be between 2-3%, with some claiming 4-5% gets you the best results.

But Google itself has come out and denied the need to focus on keyword density. Now, this isn't to say that keyword stuffing is a good idea, in fact, it remains a terrible strategy for organic search ranking in 2024.

When you're writing blog posts and articles, do so naturally, and don't overthink the keywords. Most of the time when writing about a specific topic, your target keywords will appear naturally and read organically - unlike articles that force keywords in unnatural spots.

There are SEO tools out there to assist, such as the SEMrush SEO Writing Assistant or SurferSEO, but the best ranking method is to create high-quality, engaging and informative content surrounding your topic and keywords.

SEO is a One-Time Process

The idea that once you've executed a successful SEO campaign, you're sorted, is entirely off the mark. Search engines frequently update their algorithms, and competitors are constantly optimising their content. As a startup or small business, you don’t have the luxury of sitting around waiting. 

Regular updates to your website's content, backlink profile, and technical SEO are crucial to maintaining and improving your rankings. Ignoring this continuous process can lead to a decline in search visibility over time, even if your initial results were extremely positive.

If an SEO agency promises you quick results and mentions nothing regarding it being an ongoing process, look elsewhere. The only way to consistently rank in search engines is to understand the ever-changing search engine algorithms - as such, your SEO efforts are forever.

You can use tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console to monitor your website's traffic over time showcasing metrics such as impressions, clicks, and click-through rate.

Only Target High Volume Keywords

Targeting only high-volume keywords is a common SEO myth because it overlooks several critical factors that contribute to effective search engine optimisation.

High-volume keywords are usually highly competitive, and dominated by established websites with strong domain authority, making it extremely challenging for new or smaller sites to rank well. So it wouldn't make sense for your startup to compete with established websites for ranking on high-volume keywords.

This level of competition often requires substantial resources and time, which may not be practical for every business. Additionally, high-volume keywords tend to have broad search intents, meaning users searching for these terms may have a variety of reasons behind their queries.

This diversity in intent makes it difficult to create content that satisfies all potential user needs, potentially leading to lower engagement and conversion rates.

On the other hand, focusing on more specific, lower-volume keywords—known as long-tail keywords—allows for better alignment with user intent.

For example, if you're a company that sells shoes, the keyword "shoes" is going to have a ridiculously high volume as well as a high level of competition. Targeting a long-tail keyword like "hiking shoes for sale" would make far more sense, as you won't be fighting against as many brands for the top spot.

These keywords often result in higher-quality traffic, as users searching for more precise terms are typically closer to making a purchase or taking a desired action.

Consequently, a balanced SEO strategy that includes targeting both high-volume and long-tail keywords tends to be more effective, ensuring better visibility and relevance to a broader range of potential users.

So overestimate your ability to rank well on competitive keywords, and remember, balance is the key to everything.

Meta Tags Don't Matter

While it's true that some meta tags, like the meta keywords tag, have lost their importance, others like the title tag and meta description remain crucial.

The title tag is a major ranking factor, and a compelling meta description can improve click-through rates from search engine results pages (SERPs). Properly optimising these tags can enhance your website’s visibility and attractiveness to searchers.

A few of the key reasons Meta Tags remain important include:

• Search Engine Crawling and Indexing
• Improving Click-Through Rates (CTR)
• Keyword Relevance
• Social Sharing
• Mobile & Responsive Design
• Content Type & Language Specification
• Page Authority & Trust

In 2024, meta tags continue to play a vital role in communicating with search engines and enhancing the user experience, which collectively contributes to better SEO performance.

Link Quantity > Link Quality

A common mistake new websites and businesses make is to purchase and exchange links in mass, regardless of the quality of the links.

A few high-quality, authoritative backlinks are far more valuable than numerous low-quality ones.

Building a diverse backlink profile with links from reputable sources should be a key part of your SEO strategy.

Not all backlinks are equal, and getting backlinks from spammy, untrusted and unresponsive websites can do more harm than good in your SEO efforts.

You should also consider the difference between do-follow and no-follow links:

Dofollow and nofollow are attributes used in HTML to control how search engines treat links on a webpage:

• Dofollow Links: These are regular links that allow search engines to follow them and pass on "link juice" or authority from the linking site to the linked site. This can help improve the linked site's search engine rankings.
• Nofollow Links: These links have a rel="nofollow" attribute, instructing search engines not to follow the link or pass on any authority. They don't contribute to the linked site's search engine rankings.

In essence, dofollow links can positively impact SEO, while nofollow links do not. But there are still reasons to get nofollow links, such as for UGC, sponsored posts, and control over your outbound link profile.

All in all, balance is key, and overdoing too much of anything is never a good thing - even in SEO. High-quality links remain the most important.

LSI Keywords Boost Search Rankings

An LSI keyword is a keyword that is commonly related to or paired with another primary keyword that people use to search.

Below, we can see related search queries to "shoes" - these are what is known as LSI keywords.

SEO professionals all over have claimed that Google uses latent semantic indexing (LSI) to understand and rank content, but this is entirely off the mark.

Google has confirmed that LSI keywords are not real, as in, they don't even exist.

The world's leading search engine, however, does care about semantics and search intent. As such, writing genuinely informative and useful content while naturally integrating semantic keywords.

Semantic keywords are words or phrases that are conceptually related to a given keyword or topic. Basically, any keyword related to your niche and industry.

Semantic keywords are important for contextual enrichment, enhanced user experience, comprehensive coverage, voice search optimisation, content quality and visibility.

Mobile Optimisation Isn't Important

When setting up your website and preparing your SEO strategy, you might not even consider the importance of mobile optimisation, but it is a significant factor when it comes to rankings.

With the increasing use of mobile devices, mobile optimisation has become essential. Search engines, particularly Google, prioritise mobile-friendly websites through their mobile-first indexing.

This means that the mobile version of your website is considered the primary version. If your site isn’t optimised for mobile, you risk losing out on a significant portion of traffic and potential customers.

Remember, mobile devices (excluding tablets) accounted for 58.33% of global website traffic in Q1 of 2023.

No matter how well you've prepared your keyword research, content marketing, link-building strategy, and more - a site that's not optimised for mobile is unlikely to do well on search engines.

Domain Authority is a Ranking Factor

Domain Authority (DA), a metric created by Moz, tells you how trustworthy and reputable a website is.

It ranges from 1 to 100, with higher scores indicating a greater ability to rank. The metric is calculated using various factors, including the number and quality of inbound links to the site, and the site's age, popularity, and size.

You may have heard that Domain Authority is a ranking factor, but this is false. Some SEO professionals still claim otherwise, but Google themselves have stated it does not search results ranking.

This isn't to say that Domain Authority doesn't matter, quite the opposite. Your Domain Authority is a powerful way to determine the quality of backlinks and the organic traffic rate and showcase any spam or fraudulent links.

DA is best used as a comparative metric to assess the SEO strength of a site relative to its competitors rather than an absolute measure, but it is not a factor when it come's Google's organic rankings.

Only Create Long-Form Content

Even though some statistics indicate that articles over 1000 words perform better, the idea that long-form content ranks better due to its length is one of many SEO myths still running rampant in the online space.

For example, if you write a long form article about a specific but fail to address any of the key questions surrounding said topic and provide no valuable information, you're unlikely to rank. If you write a shorter article, but provide answers and informative content for your audience, you're far more likely to find yourself moving to the top of search results.

Matching the search intent of your target audience is far more important than overall your overall word count. The quality of your content creation is always the most important when it comes to SEO campaigns and your digital marketing strategy.

So how do you guarantee high-quality content?

• Understand and address the reasons why users search for specific terms.
• Create content that keeps readers on the page longer, reducing bounce rate and increasing dwell time.
• Use images, videos, infographics, and other media to enhance content and make it more engaging.
• Use H1, H2, H3 tags to structure your content and make it easier to read.
• Break content into digestible chunks with short paragraphs and sentences.
• Create a compelling title with your target keyword present.
• Provide comprehensive information that thoroughly covers the topic.
• Write in a clear, engaging style appropriate for your audience.
• Use internal links to help users find other useful articles and blogs.

Local SEO Doesn't Matter for Startups

Some small businesses believe local SEO isn’t relevant to them, but it’s crucial for attracting nearby customers.

Optimising for local search involves claiming your Google My Business listing, collecting customer reviews, and ensuring your NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number) information is consistent across all platforms.

This can significantly boost your visibility in local search results and drive more foot traffic to your business.

Appearing in local search results and directories such as Google My Business, Yelp, and TripAdvisor helps build trust and credibility with potential customers. This helps you pop in results without the need to pay for Google Ads.

Positive reviews and high ratings on these platforms further enhance a business's reputation, encouraging more people to choose their products or services over competitors. Local SEO can provide a competitive advantage, especially for small businesses in highly competitive markets.

By optimising local search, businesses can stand out from competitors who may not be leveraging local SEO strategies effectively. This is particularly valuable for startups trying to establish themselves in the market.

More Content Matters Most

The correlation between sites that post frequently and high ranking is clear, but the idea that posting content for the sake of it can help you rank is another of many SEO myths.

Google Search Central discredited this and emphasised the importance of quality over quantity. The search engine bots are not concerned with daily content if the quality fails to meet the high standards that Google demands.

If you aren't meeting the needs of your audience, posting frequently won't make a difference when it comes to organic search results.

Tips for Ranking in Search Engine Algorithms

Keyword Research

• Identify relevant keywords that potential customers are likely to use.
• Use tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, or SEMrush to find and prioritise keywords based on search volume and competition.

Quality Content

• Create high-quality, informative, and engaging content that provides value to your audience.
• Use a mix of blog posts, videos, infographics, and other content formats.

On-Page SEO

• Optimise title tags, meta descriptions, headers, and URL structures with your target keywords.
• Ensure your content is easy to read and well-organised.

Mobile Optimisation

• Ensure your website is mobile-friendly and responsive, as mobile usability is a significant ranking factor.

Site Speed

• Optimise your site’s loading speed. Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to identify and fix issues.

Backlinks

• Build high-quality backlinks from reputable sites. Focus on earning links through guest blogging, partnerships, and creating shareable content.

Technical SEO

• Ensure your site is technically sound. Use tools like Google Search Console to identify and fix issues such as broken links, crawl errors, and duplicate content.

Local SEO

• If you have a physical location, optimise your Google My Business profile and local listings. Use local keywords and encourage customer reviews.

User Experience (UX)

• Provide a great user experience by making your site easy to navigate, visually appealing, and user-friendly.

Regular Updates

• Keep your content fresh and up-to-date. Regularly updating your site signals to search engines that it is active and relevant.

Social Media Integration

• Promote your content on social media platforms to increase visibility and drive traffic to your site.

Analytics and Monitoring

• Use analytics tools to monitor your site’s performance and user behaviour. Adjust your strategy based on data and insights.

Summing Up

SEO is forever changing, and SEO myths continue to float around the online space, tricking even some SEO professionals and agencies into misunderstanding the way content ranks.

With so many SEO myths around, it's more important than ever to stay up to date with Google's algorithm and ranking system. From keyword research to content marketing, getting your SEO strategy right is pivotal as a startup.

At SEO Rocket, we take control of your SEO efforts to help take you to the top of search engines. For more information, book a call with us today. 

‍