There are many myths surrounding search engine optimization (SEO) and, without a good understanding of the industry, it can be hard to distinguish what is true and what is not. With this in mind, let’s debunk five common myths about SEO.

Myth #1: SEO Doesn’t Need to be an Ongoing Process

The first myth we’ll be discussing has to do with the regularity and consistency of SEO – namely, that it doesn’t need to be an ongoing process. This is most definitely false for many reasons. To start, SEO is an ongoing process that needs to be monitored and adjusted. For instance, one moment your website could be performing really well and, the next moment, a new Google algorithm update could be released and destroy your rankings and overall performance.

Without an ongoing SEO strategy, it would be extremely hard to recover from something like that. In addition, without an ongoing strategy, it is harder to stay competitive within the search engine result pages (SERPs). This is why it’s important to remember that SEO is a long-term play and that you can’t just set up an initial strategy and not continuously revisit and make improvements to it.

Myth #2: SEO is Dead

Another common myth making the rounds is that SEO is dead or on the verge of dying. With more than 8.5 billion Google searches taking place daily, it’s safe to say SEO is not dead and isn’t dying off anytime soon. Millions of people turn to Google, as well as other search engines, each and every day to find the answers to their questions. Because of this, you’ll want to take all the appropriate steps to ensure users can find you on the internet. Investing in SEO can help you do just that and spread awareness about your business while also increasing your lead flow.

Myth #3: Keywords Should be Included in URLs

The next myth we’ll be discussing is that keywords should be included in URLs. This myth was actually debunked by Google’s John Muller, who stated in a Tweet that “Keywords in URLs are overrated for Google SEO. Make URLs for users.” What this illustrates is that when making changes to your website, you should keep user experience top of mind. Making sure your keywords fit naturally into your content is critical.

Myth #4: You Should Target ‘Near Me’ Keywords

Oftentimes, we get asked, “Why are there no ‘near me’ keywords on our targeted keyword list?” Well, thanks to Google’s location targeting, it can use your location to provide users with nearby businesses based on where they searched from.

For example, if I were in New York City and wanted to find a nearby corporate attorney, I would type into Google “corporate attorney near me” and I would get results for corporate attorneys near my current location in New York City. With that said, you don’t need to include “near me” terms in your keyword list because, if you’ve optimized your website and Google My Business listing for local SEO, then there is no reason why your firm shouldn’t appear in “near me” searches by default.

Myth #5: High Bounce Rate is Bad

Many believe that a high bounce rate is always a bad thing. However, a high bounce rate doesn’t always signal trouble. First, let’s start by defining the term: the bounce rate is the percentage of visitors to a particular website who navigate away from the site after viewing only one page on the website.

While there are instances in which a high bounce rate is alarming, depending on the type of page, a high bounce rate isn’t always bad. For example, a user could have found the page and gotten exactly what they were looking for so there was no reason for them to look at other pages on your website. If you find that your bounce rates are regularly above 90%, you should do some investigating – but, as previously mentioned, depending on the type of page, it is not necessarily a bad thing.

Have Questions About SEO?

At 9Sail, we’re here to debunk all the SEO myths you may have heard in the past. If you have any additional questions or are ready to invest in SEO for your business, contact us today.