Search Engine Optimization Myths

Monday, September 7, 2009

These days, there seems to be more myths about search engine optimization (or SEO), than there are truths. Numerous though they may be, there are three primary myths that are very commonly circulated…

Myth 1: SEO is a fairly easy, straightforward process.

If search engine optimization were easy or "straightforward", then most SEO firms would be out of business. On the contrary, most anything related to Internet marketing (namely search engine optimization) continues to grow in popularity. So is search engine marketing really that big? Yes, and "big" is the right word. Case in point… Rob Hof of Business Week states, "If you can believe it, Google's $144 billion market value tops that of Time Warner (TWX), Viacom (VIA), CBS (CBS), ad agency giant Publicis Groupe (PUB), and the New York Times Co. (NYT) combined. "

Is it easy to grasp and successfully implement website changes for higher website rankings? To answer that question, let's first consider a few things. It has been commonly understood that Google has more than 100 variables it uses to determine how to rank one website higher than another. And guess what? They don't tell anyone what these ever-changing, variables are. Combine the challenge of trying to better understand Google's "black algorithm box" with the fact that new competitors are always entering your market and what you have is a process that's anything but easy. At the end of the day, improving ones' website rankings in search engines like Google, Yahoo and MSN requires painstaking and time-consuming testing and tweaking.


Myth 2: If I take all the right SEO steps, my website will organically rank number one in search engines within a week or two.

So to achieve higher organic search engine rankings, continual testing and tweaking are a must. But how long should one "test and tweak"? Indefinitely. Some websites may take a year and often longer to achieve top rankings. In many ways, we are all at their mercy. Sure, a website's rankings can and often do quickly rise. However, beyond those initial increases, typically the amount of difficulty required to compete with the top contenders exponentially intensifies as you move closer to the top.

So how long does it take to "rank high" (which of course is often relative)? Well, it just depends. But to expect to rank high (and stay there) in two week or even two months may be overly optimistic.

Myth 3: Having a hip website is very important when it comes to obtaining high organic rankings.

Not true. Having a stylish website does not necessarily equate to high organic search engine rankings. Depending on what you mean by "nice", having a nice looking website can certainly be vital to a successful usability and branding strategy. But a website with very little visual appeal could beat out your competitor's Flash-laden website in regard to organic rankings… 10:1. Case in point: the website. CraigsList is not exactly the most stylish website on the Web and yet when you search Google for "online classifieds", CraigsList is right at the top of the list. It's all about ensuring your website is "SEO friendly" not necessarily "cool".

Don't get duped by these or any other SEO myths. Get good search engine optimization guidance from a certified search engine optimization analyst.