Busting Outdated SEO Myths in 2024 with Crystal Waddell

In this solo episode of the Simple and Smart SEO show podcast, I'm debunking several common myths about SEO. 

I'm talking about: 

• Why SEO isn't a quick-fix for sales, 
• Why SEO can't sell a bad product, 
• How SEO extends beyond just website optimization, 
• Why SEO requires ongoing effort, 
• When SEO should be integrated with other marketing strategies, and more. 
  
  
  

Additionally, I pose that SEO is dynamic, not guaranteed to keep you on top forever, can fit various budgets, and isn't solely a technical endeavor.

You know I love a good user-focused approach to SEO  rather than just focusing on ranking higher or beating competitors.

I hope you enjoy this episode!

Interested in the SEO SQUAD? Click the link to find out more!

00:00 Introduction to the Solo SEO Myths Episode
00:29 Debunking SEO Myth #1: Quick Fix for Sales
01:23 Busting SEO Myth #2: Selling Bad Products
02:59 Clarifying SEO Myth #3: Limited to Website Optimization
03:49 Addressing SEO Myth #4: No Need for Ongoing Optimization
05:18 Exploring SEO Myth #5: Separate from Other Marketing Efforts
06:32 Unveiling SEO Myth #6: Guarantees Immediate Results
07:59 Demystifying SEO Myth #7: A Standalone Strategy
09:10 Correcting SEO Myth #8: All About Keywords
10:30 Revealing SEO Myth #9: Solely About Ranking Higher
11:39 Dispelling SEO Myth #10: Requires Complex Technical Knowledge
13:35 SEO Myth 11:  Business Size and Competitiveness
14:32 SEO Myth 12:  SEO is only about competition
15:21 SEO Myth 13:  SEO Guarantees Top Rankings. Forever.
18:51 Myth 14: SEO Myths on Expense and Technicality
20:39 SEO Myth 15:  SEO is too technical for the average business owner.
22:30 SEO Myth 16:  SEO is mysterious.
24:39 SEO Myth 17:  Every business needs SEO.
25:35 SEO Myth 18:  Use as many keywords as possible, as often as possible.
26:49 SEO Myths 19: All Links Are Good Links
28:51 SEO Myth 20:  SEO is one size fits all.
29:41 Concluding Thoughts and Invitation to the SEO Squad

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Chapters

• 0:19 hello.
• 0:48 Debunking SEO Myth #1: Quick Fix for Sales
• 1:42 Busting SEO Myth #2: Selling Bad Products
• 3:18 Clarifying SEO Myth #3: Limited to Website Optimization
• 4:08 Addressing SEO Myth #4: No Need for Ongoing Optimization
• 5:37 Exploring SEO Myth #5: Separate from Other Marketing Efforts
• 6:51 Unveiling SEO Myth #6: Guarantees Immediate Results
• 8:18 Demystifying SEO Myth #7: A Standalone Strategy
• 9:29 Correcting SEO Myth #8: All About Keywords
• 10:49 Revealing SEO Myth #9: Solely About Ranking Higher
• 11:58 Dispelling SEO Myth #10: Requires Complex Technical Knowledge
• 13:54 SEO Myth 11: Business Size and Competitiveness
• 14:51 SEO Myth 12: SEO is only about competition
• 15:40 SEO Myth 13: SEO Guarantees Top Rankings. Forever.
• 19:10 Myth 14: SEO Myths on Expense and Technicality
• 20:58 SEO Myth 15: SEO is too technical for the average business owner.
• 23:12 SEO Myth 16: SEO is mysterious.
• 25:21 SEO Myth 17: Every business needs SEO.
• 26:17 SEO Myth 18: Use as many keywords as possible, as often as possible.
• 27:31 SEO Myths 19: All Links Are Good Links
• 29:33 SEO Myth 20: SEO is one size fits all.
• 30:23 Concluding Thoughts and Invitation to the SEO Squad

Transcript

Introduction to the SEO Myths Episode

[00:00:00] hello. Welcome back to the simple and smart SEO show podcast. I'm your host, Crystal Waddell. And today I'm here by my lonesome self, although I'm here with you. So I do not feel alone, but it is. The rare solo episode. 

[00:00:12] Today I was going to share with you myths about SEO. 

[00:00:15] So as we take a break from our regularly scheduled programming of interviews and fast and furious knowledge, I thought we could just talk a little bit about some of the misconceptions of SEO and how SEO really will help your business.

Debunking SEO Myth #1: Quick Fix for Sales

[00:00:29] So the first myth is that SEO is a quick fix for sales. And in reality, good SEO builds your brand and it establishes authority and increases visibility over time. But the key is over time. If your business is having a five alarm or four, what do they call that four alarm fire, or you are in crisis mode looking for a quick fix, please don't let anyone tell you that SEO is the cure for your problems.

[00:00:57] SEO is a brand building activity and it definitely can lift your brand over time. It can, increase awareness, which is that visibility where people remember your product or your service, or when they're searching for you, you eventually may pop up on the first page of the Google search results or the search engine results page.

[00:01:16] But at the end of the day, SEO is not a quick fix for sales. So let's talk about myth number two. 

Busting SEO Myth #2: Selling Bad Products

[00:01:23] SEO can sell a bad product. Actually, in fact, SEO cannot sell a bad product. So that's the truth. The reality is that SEO enhances your message and your brand, but it's not going to compensate for poor products or customer service.

[00:01:38] And so one of the things I was thinking in my mind is your customer service and your brand will find you out in the end. 

[00:01:44] So that's why I think so many times we see brands come and go or products come and go. 

[00:01:50] And then also, we've seen a huge influx in fake reviews. 

[00:01:55] And if you if you don't know, they're actually coming out with some legislation and new rules regarding reviews. 

[00:02:01] Because it's actually pretty easy to manipulate reviews for your website. It's definitely not something I recommend doing, but as a consumer, it's important that you are aware that in fact, all of those trusted reviews that you see may or may not be real.

[00:02:16] So you want to make sure that you take an extra look at that. 

[00:02:19] And you're critical of those reviews that you're shown, because if a product was just created and you just heard of it in the last week and it's insanely popular.

[00:02:28] Is it really likely that they're going to have a hundred thousand five star reviews? Probably not. Just remember people are always trying to sell you something online and SEO cannot sell a bad product. Eventually that product will be found out. 

[00:02:43] If you don't have a commitment to your customer and your customer service, all of the traffic in the world won't increase your sales. 

[00:02:50] Once the traffic gets to your website, that's when your systems and your service take over. And win the customer and win the sale.

[00:02:57] Okay, here we go. 

Clarifying SEO Myth #3: Limited to Website Optimization

[00:02:59] Myth number three. 

[00:03:00] SEO is limited to website optimization. The reality is that SEO extends to what we call omni channel strategies. 

[00:03:08] Which means, social media, Pinterest, Google business. Podcasts. 

[00:03:13] And more. 

[00:03:14] And SEO is really a comprehensive online presence. 

[00:03:17] And I like to say great SEO is great branding. 

[00:03:21] And as the internet continues to evolve. 

[00:03:23] Your brand and what the internet says about you when you're not online. 

[00:03:28] Is going to be that much more important as you grow your business. 

[00:03:32] So the myth is that SEO is limited to just your website optimization. 

[00:03:37] The truth is that SEO is really about branding and creating a omni channel presence across the internet where people find the same you wherever they're at. All right. 

Addressing SEO Myth #4: No Need for Ongoing Optimization

[00:03:49] Myth number four, SEO doesn't require ongoing optimization. The reality is that successful SEO involves continuous improvement.

[00:03:58] Fixing technical issues and refining your messaging. 

[00:04:01] So if someone ever, said, Hey, I can, do this stuff for your SEO and take care of it. 

[00:04:07] And it'll be done forever.

[00:04:08] You're speaking with someone who's not telling you the complete truth. 

[00:04:11] Because yes, there are some things that you can do for SEO that will continue to work for you in the future, but you're always going to have different issues pop up. 

[00:04:19] Or if you create new pages, you're going to have to optimize those pages.

[00:04:24] So SEO is not a one and done. Quick fix. Wham bam thank you, ma'am, right? 

[00:04:29] It's an ongoing process and it's ongoing Optimization. 

[00:04:33] So the myth is that seo doesn't require ongoing optimization. 

[00:04:37] And the reality Is that successful SEO involves continuous improvement.

[00:04:41] Which is a great time to plug the SEO squad. 

[00:04:43] Which is why I have this small group for business owners. 

[00:04:46] Because you can establish strong fundamentals of optimization on your website.

[00:04:52] And then, we meet once a week. Every week. To talk about our websites.

[00:04:56] So we're meeting those foundational needs of optimization. 

[00:05:01] But then we're also continually improving our websites and our online presence on other platforms. 

[00:05:07] So definitely would love to invite you into the SEO squad. You can see more information about that in the show notes. 

[00:05:14] Okay, let's go on to myth number five.

[00:05:17] Myth number five. 

Exploring SEO Myth #5: Separate from Other Marketing Efforts

[00:05:18] SEO is separate from other marketing efforts. 

[00:05:21] The reality is incorporating SEO principles into all channels strengthens your online presence.

[00:05:27] Some people say that the curse of entrepreneurship is that everything is on you. 

[00:05:32] That's actually advantageous. 

[00:05:33] Because there's no one fighting to get the credit, like crystal, the social media manager. Isn't fighting with crystal, the SEO strategist about who's going to get credit for the sale.

[00:05:43] Because I understand, as an entrepreneur, how those things work together. 

[00:05:47] As large language models help us work faster. And, as technology just continues to improve, a lot of these things that were once separate are going to start merging, even for larger businesses.

[00:06:00] So SEO isn't separate from other marketing. 

[00:06:03] It should be an integrated marketing effort, right? 

[00:06:06] If you start with some of these SEO principles, like. 

[00:06:09] Having an idea of what target keywords you'd like to rank for. 

[00:06:13] Having an idea of what people are searching for online when they're close to purchasing.

[00:06:18] Those are the types of principles that benefit all areas of marketing.

[00:06:22] So the myth is that SEO is separate from other marketing efforts. 

[00:06:26] And the reality is that SEO principles across all channels strengthens your online presence overall. 

Unveiling SEO Myth #6: Guarantees Immediate Results

[00:06:32] So myth number six is that SEO guarantees immediate results. The reality is that effective SEO takes time.

[00:06:40] But it offers long term benefits like authority, expertise, and increased invisibility. 

[00:06:45] And if you heard two of those words, authority and expertise. 

[00:06:49] They might sound familiar because they are part of the EEAT acronym that Google has set out in terms of what they consider helpful quality content. 

[00:06:59] They expect that helpful quality content has A level of experience, a level of authority, a level of expertise and a level of trust.

[00:07:09] Building trust with your business online is very similar to building trust in any other relationship. 

[00:07:16] Before Google is going to recommend your website as the best option or one of the best options for their clients, which are the searchers online.

[00:07:25] They need to believe that they can trust your business. That you are an authority, that you're going to share expertise. 

[00:07:30] And that you have the experience that's going to make their client's experience a great one. 

[00:07:36] Which then reflects positively on Google, right? 

[00:07:39] Back to the myth, SEO guarantees immediate results.

[00:07:42] They're not immediate. SEO is a brand builder over time. 

[00:07:47] But it offers a lot of long term benefits and it helps you with your authority, expertise, and visibility online. 

[00:07:54] All right, so how about, let's go, myth number seven. 

Demystifying SEO Myth #7: A Standalone Strategy

[00:07:59] SEO is a standalone strategy. 

[00:08:02] In reality, good SEO compliments the overall business optimization. And it contributes to a holistic online marketing approach.

[00:08:10] I was just talking about this yesterday with Jonas Sickler. And what's interesting is that. B and I, when we first started this podcast, her as a massage therapist, and, me as a solo entrepreneur wearing all the hats.

[00:08:24] We talked about the holistic nature of Marketing. 

[00:08:28] For it to be effective, you got to have a little bit of social media. You got to have a little bit of evergreen platform like YouTube or Pinterest. 

[00:08:36] And you obviously have to have your website. 

[00:08:37] But you have all of these things that work together that then creates this holistic omni channel presence online, right?

[00:08:45] So the myth is that SEO is stand alone. 

[00:08:47] The reality is that good SEO compliments overall business optimization. 

[00:08:53] And it's more of a holistic approach than this department's responsible for that. 

[00:08:57] That department is responsible for this. And they never intersect. That makes no sense.

[00:09:02] They call it the worldwide web for a reason, right? Because there's a web that means that things are crisscrossing all the time. 

[00:09:08] Okay. So here's our next myth. 

Correcting SEO Myth #8: All About Keywords

[00:09:10] SEO is all about keywords. 

[00:09:13] Reality. Good SEO is far beyond keywords. It also involves user experience, quality content and technical optimization. 

[00:09:21] And I'll even go a step further to say when it comes to keywords, it's not about optimizing for a specific keyword and trying to win traffic for that particular keyword.

[00:09:29] Think about it this way. If you optimized your website for, orange juice. 

[00:09:34] And, just all of the things about orange juice and you had one article on your site about orange juice. 

[00:09:40] And my website had a variety of articles regarding orange juice. 

[00:09:46] Regarding its history, regarding where you can get it, regarding the types of orange juice, regarding the benefits of pulp and versus non pulp or low pulp. 

[00:09:56] Or oranges from California versus Florida or South America.

[00:10:00] You see the difference. 

[00:10:02] The site that has the more comprehensive topical approach to that particular keyword is going to win the day. 

[00:10:10] It's not just about trying to rank for one particular keyword anymore. 

[00:10:14] And then you layer in the fact that, just getting the traffic is no longer enough.

[00:10:18] So SEO is not all about the keywords. 

[00:10:21] It also involves. Topical authority, user experience, quality content and technical optimization. 

[00:10:28] All right. Let's see. 

Revealing SEO Myth #9: Solely About Ranking Higher

[00:10:30] Myth nine SEO is solely about ranking higher.

[00:10:34] Negative. Here's the thing. If you ranked higher for 400 keywords. 

[00:10:41] How is that going to change your business? It probably is not going to change your business. 

[00:10:45] If that's just the sole outcome of your SEO strategy, right? Just ranking higher. 

[00:10:50] The reality is that SEO should aim to drive relevant traffic and conversions.

[00:10:55] Not just ranking positions.

[00:10:57] So a lot of times people will look and say, Oh I'm ranking for 50 more keywords. And it's okay. That's great. 

[00:11:03] In a way, that's like brand awareness. Possibly. If those keywords are relevant, right? 

[00:11:07] But we also have to consider the commercial application of those keywords. Is it helping our business grow?

[00:11:13] Is it helping us become more profitable? Is it helping us become more efficient? Those are the things that make the keywords that you're ranking for more powerful. 

[00:11:22] Versus just the. Making us feel good that the numbers are going up on a graph, right? 

[00:11:26] So myth number nine, SEO is solely about ranking higher.

[00:11:30] Those days are over. SEO needs to drive relevant traffic and conversions. 

[00:11:36] Not just ranking positions. All right. I like this one. 

Dispelling SEO Myth #10: Requires Complex Technical Knowledge

[00:11:39] Myth number 10. SEO requires complex technical knowledge. 

[00:11:44] Actually, in reality, basic SEO understanding combined with current best practices. 

[00:11:50] Can get you significant improvements.

[00:11:53] Now, the best thing that I found about using say, a non WordPress website is that. 

[00:11:59] Let's say you're using something like a Wix or Shopify or Squarespace. 

[00:12:03] Those website builders are also called CMS content management systems. 

[00:12:09] And what that means is they take a lot of the technical knowledge. And the, the technical requirements. 

[00:12:14] And they take care of it for you.

[00:12:16] That's where the coding comes in. That's where all of the back end set up of the actual function of the website comes in. 

[00:12:23] And then you come in and fill in the blanks. 

[00:12:25] You add your images, you add your text, you add the pages and the blogs and the products. 

[00:12:31] So you get to take the technical piece that they've already built and then build upon that.

[00:12:36] Now, SEO is Kind of a technical piece of the website. 

[00:12:41] But it's also common sense, right? Because if you think about having, a purpose for the page and having that purpose relate to how that page could show up in search. 

[00:12:53] It really just makes sense. It's not a complex computer language.

[00:12:58] Search engine optimization is simply understanding like what people are searching for that relates to what you sell. 

[00:13:05] And then making, making that connection for the person searching for the product that you have or the service that you provide.

[00:13:11] SEO does not require complex technical knowledge. Although the myth says SEO requires complex technical knowledge. 

[00:13:18] The reality is that basic SEO understanding combined with best practices in 2024. 

[00:13:24] And also the technology like chat GPT and other things. 

[00:13:29] Help us work faster so that we can still yield significant improvements without any technical knowledge.

SEO Myth 11: Business Size and Competitiveness

[00:13:35] All right, the next myth. 

[00:13:37] SEO is only for large businesses. I was a victim of this thought process for a long time. Because number one, I never even considered SEO. 

[00:13:45] I thought I needed to start with social media, things I was familiar with, things that I was comfortable with. 

[00:13:50] And again, I thought I needed complex technical knowledge to do anything with a website.

[00:13:55] But in reality, SEO benefits businesses of all sizes.

[00:13:59] Because it helps you become visible. It helps you show up as a result when somebody is searching for your product or service. 

[00:14:08] And it also helps you show up for the particular audience that needs you. 

[00:14:13] Not everybody on the internet is going to need your product or service. 

[00:14:16] But if you know what they need and what they call that thing. Then you can position yourself as a solution to the problem that they have. 

[00:14:24] So the myth is that SEO is only for large businesses. The fact is, the reality is that SEO is for businesses of all sizes.

SEO Myth 12: SEO is only about competition

[00:14:32] So here's another fun myth. 

[00:14:33] SEO is just about beating competitors. So I know I just said that if you're not doing SEO and your competitors are, you're setting yourself up to lose and fall behind. 

[00:14:43] But the reality is that SEO is primarily about meeting user intent and providing valuable solutions.

[00:14:49] Our number one focus all the time has to be our end user. 

[00:14:53] It has to be the person that is going to buy your product. It has to be the person that wants to find and use your service. 

[00:14:58] It has to be all about meeting their needs. 

[00:15:01] And of course, secondary to that is doing all of these things better than our competitors.

[00:15:07] And The myth is that SEO is just about beating competitors, getting to the top of page one. 

[00:15:12] But in reality, it's about meeting user intent and meeting their needs and providing solutions that actually help them solve their problem. 

SEO Myth 13: SEO Guarantees Top Rankings. Forever.

[00:15:21] Okay, so here's another good myth. All right, SEO guarantees top rankings forever.

[00:15:27] Unfortunately, the reality is this. 

[00:15:29] That SEO is dynamic and maintaining those top rankings requires ongoing optimization and adaptation. 

[00:15:36] Not to mention, there are some elements that are now outside of our control. 

[00:15:40] There's something called sERP features, which are search engine results pages features.

[00:15:45] And you can search for anything. 

[00:15:47] And like for instance, right now I'll search for balloons just to give you a real time example. 

[00:15:52] If I could spell balloons correctly. When I search for balloons, this is what comes up. 

[00:15:57] The first thing is I've got some bubbles across the top that help me refine my search.

[00:16:02] Because sometimes if I'm looking for a balloon, I might be looking for a balloon that I can print and cut out so my kid could color it. Or, for an art project or something like that. 

[00:16:11] Then I also might want to shop. Or I might be looking for balloon videos for a presentation. 

[00:16:16] So there's a whole bunch of different options, filters at the top of the search engine results page that I can use before I even look anywhere else.

[00:16:24] And then now Google has more custom filters different tools. And so I'm not going to go there. 

[00:16:29] But then, under that layer of options, then there are further refinements available where I could get it fast. Balloons that are nearby. 

[00:16:37] Then they have options for birthday balloons, for latex balloons, foil balloons, arch balloons, graduation balloons, animal balloons on sale, congratulations balloons.

[00:16:46] And then. Balloons in a number count, say one to six count. 

[00:16:50] So that's okay, we still haven't even gotten to what we consider a traditional search engine result. 

[00:16:57] Which is a blue link with a paragraph underneath of it, right? 

[00:17:00] Next we've got the sponsored links, which is You know, Google ad speak for advertisements.

[00:17:05] And so I have a variety of ads right in front of me that talk about 300 piece balloons. 

[00:17:10] One latex balloon that could be customized, promotional balloons. And then I've got like a hundred balloons. 

[00:17:16] It's 281 next to a promotional balloon. That's one cent. So there's a lot going on right there.

[00:17:22] I've got one more sponsored display ad underneath that. 

[00:17:26] And then the Google business listings start. 

[00:17:29] So I've got, a balloon artist.

[00:17:30] And then two party stores. 

[00:17:31] All of those things show up before I get to the very first organic search results. 

[00:17:37] So the thing is you could do everything right with your SEO. 

[00:17:41] And you could be the number one search result and you still may not show up at the top of the page. 

[00:17:45] And someone may never even get to your blue link because they've already found what they need in those other places. 

[00:17:52] And that's why. It's important to understand the elements of a search engine results page so that you can plan For ways that you could show up in more areas, right?

[00:18:01] So the myth is that seo guarantees top rankings forever. The reality is that seo is dynamic. 

[00:18:08] Not only could you lose your search position to a competitor? 

[00:18:11] You could also lose Search real estate on that page to these new features that google is rolling out. 

[00:18:19] And we didn't even see anything with search generative Results, right?

[00:18:23] That's when that little paragraph pops up at the top. And you could you know expand that or whatever. 

[00:18:28] So even without sge the search generative experience those organic links were pushed down. 

[00:18:34] So it's important that you remember the seo's dynamic. 

[00:18:38] Maintaining those top rankings and getting to the top of the page.

[00:18:41] It's going to take a little bit of innovation as well as adaptation to whatever search engines throw at us in terms of how they're displaying those results. 

[00:18:49] Okay. Okay. Working through it. All right. 

Myth 14: SEO Myths on Expense and Technicality

[00:18:51] So the next myth is that SEO is expensive and unaffordable. 

[00:18:56] When in reality, SEO can be tailored to fit various budget ranges effectively.

[00:19:01] So in the past, if you were to have hired an SEO agency. 

[00:19:06] Many believe that you're not getting anything worth value under 2, 500 a month. 

[00:19:11] I don't know where that number came from or what's included in that particular package. 

[00:19:16] But that's the industry standard. 2, 500 and above, and it often will go far higher than that. 

[00:19:22] Now, due to the nature of, innovative tools, SEO is actually more accessible to the average business owner than ever. 

[00:19:31] And, obviously you've got YouTube, we've got different influencers on Instagram or different educators all across the internet.

[00:19:38] So you can learn from different people. But Again, I'll plug the SEO squad here. 

[00:19:41] If you're a business owner and you want to do it yourself. 

[00:19:44] And you want to create a strategy that you can execute and be held accountable on a weekly basis to, to do that. 

[00:19:50] And just have someone like hold space for you to work on optimization.

[00:19:55] I'd love for you to be a part of the SEO squad. 

[00:19:56] Because that's exactly what we do every week. 

[00:19:59] So SEO is always going to be something that's going to either cost you money or time. 

[00:20:04] But there are certain things that you can do Right now best practices that you can put in place right now that are going to give you a high return on investment in terms of your time. 

[00:20:13] And they're not going to cost you those four figure a month amounts to have somebody do it on your behalf.

[00:20:20] So the myth is that SEO is unaffordable. 

[00:20:22] And the reality is that with current SEO tools and resources. 

[00:20:27] My membership, the SEO squad. 

[00:20:29] You can implement strong SEO tactics and implement an SEO strategy for your business. That's gonna have a high ROI at a very reasonable cost.

[00:20:38] All right, next myth. 

SEO Myth 15: SEO is too technical for the average business owner.

[00:20:39] SEO is solely a technical endeavor. 

[00:20:43] I think we've talked about this enough so far that you realize that myth is not true. 

[00:20:47] Because in reality, effective SEO Combines technical aspects with strategic content creation. 

[00:20:53] So yes, you want your pages to have the basic on page elements that Google would expect.

[00:21:00] And honestly, I don't play poker or different card games or whatever, but basic technical gosh, I don't know, like a basic website that's technically sound is like. The cost of entry, right? 

[00:21:13] It's like table stakes. It's the very bare minimum that Google expects at this point. 

[00:21:18] Because again, with all of the SEO tools that are available out there, there's no reason why your website should have broken links. 

[00:21:26] That it should have 404 pages, that it should have Missing meta descriptions that it that image sizes should be so big it takes 10 seconds for your site to load. 

[00:21:35] Those are a lot of technical things that once you learn like the application, like where you can fix those, you'll find that it's pretty easy to do it.

[00:21:43] Again. It just takes time. So those technical things are just monitored on a regular basis. 

[00:21:48] But what's really going to set your website apart is your strategic content creation. 

[00:21:53] And how you set your site up for user experience.

[00:21:56] So the myth is that SEO is solely a technical endeavor. 

[00:22:00] The reality is that it's so much more than that. 

[00:22:02] And I have Celeste Gonzalez coming on the podcast next month and she shared with me a very simple guide. 

[00:22:10] Like that historically, SEo has been split into three separate categories. 

[00:22:15] Content, technical and links.

[00:22:18] And so when you think about it and then allocate every piece of optimization to one of those three areas. 

[00:22:26] It really simplifies All of the mystery surrounding SEO. 

SEO Myth 16: SEO is mysterious.

[00:22:30] Which leads us to the next myth that SEO is a mysterious black box. 

[00:22:36] And in reality, understanding SEO basics empowers businesses to make informed decisions and drive results.

[00:22:43] And I can give you I can give you two examples from my business, collage and wood. com. You've heard me say this before, if you've listened to the podcast. 

[00:22:50] But initially when I had set up my website, I thought I sold a couple of different products. I thought I sold Senior night gifts like collages and sports gift ideas or whatever.

[00:23:01] I thought that was one thing and then I thought I sold wooden letters. 

[00:23:04] And it didn't take me long when I started doing keyword research that I realized.

[00:23:08] Okay with senior night you have Football senior night. You have soccer senior night. You have volleyball senior night. You have water polo senior night. You have lacrosse senior night. You have basketball senior night. You have golf senior night.

[00:23:18] And most of the time when people are searching for You themselves.

[00:23:22] They're not thinking about everybody else. They're not thinking about senior night as this, whole, they're thinking of their specific event that's coming up. 

[00:23:31] And so it didn't take me long to realize that instead of having, sports senior night as a key word that I needed to optimize individual pages for individual sports.

[00:23:40] Now, likewise, with wooden letters, I thought, Oh, all wooden letters are created equal, right? 

[00:23:45] In fact, they're not, because you've got wooden letters that people might use for crafts. You've got wooden letters that people might use for events. 

[00:23:52] You've got marquee lighted letters that people might use for weddings and engagements and special photo shoots and that type of thing. 

[00:23:59] I also make senior photo props, which are different from children's photo props. 

[00:24:04] Which are also different from wooden wall lettering. So I hope I'm giving you a bunch of different examples of how SEO actually empowers you to make informed decisions.

[00:24:13] So I can take each one of those products. And then create a content strategy that supports them to drive even more targeted, relevant traffic directly to that product listing. 

[00:24:23] So the myth is that SEO is a mysterious black box. 

[00:24:27] I actually see it as a beautifully wrapped gift. 

[00:24:30] Because once you understand SEO basics, it's going to empower you to make informed decisions that actually drive results and grow your sales.

SEO Myth 17: Every business needs SEO.

[00:24:39] Next myth.

[00:24:40] SEO is necessary for every business. And you know what? 

[00:24:43] The reality is SEO is not necessary for every single business. 

[00:24:48] Sometimes if your business is a local business, it could be completely sufficient to have a Google business listing. It could be completely sufficient to hand out flyers or sponsor events in your local community. 

[00:24:59] And build up your referrals and all of that type of thing.

[00:25:02] SEO's impact on your business depends on how people find you. 

[00:25:06] If people are searching for what you sell online, then SEO can definitely help you get in front of those searchers, right? 

[00:25:12] But if, your clientele is not Searching for the product or service that you sell.

[00:25:19] There are other ways still offline that you can use to market them. 

[00:25:22] So the myth is that SEO is necessary for every industry. 

[00:25:27] And the reality is that sEO isn't one size fits all for everybody. You have to figure out where your customers are and meet them there.

SEO Myth 18: Use as many keywords as possible, as often as possible.

[00:25:35] Okay, here's a myth. Good SEO is Stuffing keywords everywhere. 

[00:25:40] And the reality is no, that's not good SEO. 

[00:25:44] Good SEO is that good user experience. So when we optimize a page on our websites, yes, we want to put certain things in certain places so that the computers, the computer crawlers, the search engine crawlers. 

[00:25:59] Can find what our page is about quickly. 

[00:26:02] So they can catalog it and categorize our page quickly so that then they can serve it up where it's appropriate.

[00:26:08] But we then, after we get those technical elements in place, everything should be about the person on the other side of the screen. 

[00:26:15] How can we make the experience better for them? How can we make it easier? How can we make less friction? That is the truth about SEO. So SEO is no longer about.

[00:26:25] Stuffing keywords and hiding things and, trying to manipulate the system. 

[00:26:30] The system is probably as smart or smarter than we are, right? 

[00:26:35] And so now we've got to get back to where we're putting that user first. 

[00:26:38] We're making sure that our site is technically sound, but after it's technically sound, we are making sure that we are creating the best possible experience for people who visit our websites.

SEO Myths 19: All Links Are Good Links

[00:26:49] All links are created equally or all links are created equal and the more links, the better. 

[00:26:55] When in fact, the reality is all links are not created equal. 

[00:26:59] This isn't something that, is officially from Google, but over the years it's become an accepted practice to assign domain authority to certain websites. So again, a larger website who has been established, let's say like a walmart. com or something like that, it's been established for a while.

[00:27:17] They're going to have a higher domain authority than a new business that pops up on the internet.

[00:27:21] And so a link from an established website is going to mean a lot more than a link from a brand new website. 

[00:27:29] Or website that doesn't demonstrate those elements of EAT. They're not demonstrating expertise.

[00:27:35] They're not demonstrating experience. They're not demonstrating authority. And where it really gets dangerous is when they're not demonstrating trust. 

[00:27:44] So when you get a link from a website, you may want to celebrate. 

[00:27:48] But first you want to figure out, okay what is happening on this website?

[00:27:52] Is it a good user experience? 

[00:27:54] Just know that all links are not created equal and where a lot of businesses get in trouble Is that they hire a company to do their seo and part of the seo is link building. 

[00:28:03] And so in order for the link building company to meet promised Keep performance indicators or KPIs.

[00:28:11] They get links that are low quality. And if you're the typical business owner, you don't know anything about link quality right? 

[00:28:19] Until the day that your site crashes. Because Google says that your site and the links that are pointing to your site are Bad links, right? 

[00:28:29] And that's happened to a lot of people over the last year or so.

[00:28:32] So not all links are created equal. It's better to spend time building links to quality websites. 

[00:28:39] And also building internal links throughout your own website. 

[00:28:43] Than it is to go out and just buy cheap links just to say you have links from different websites. 

[00:28:47] That is no longer a winning strategy for SEO.

SEO Myth 20: SEO is one size fits all.

[00:28:51] Okay, for real this time, the last myth. 

[00:28:54] SEO is a one size fits all solution. Absolutely not. 

[00:28:59] As we've already talked about, different businesses have different needs. Some businesses don't even have a need for SEO. 

[00:29:05] But an e commerce business is going to have different optimization needs and require a different optimization strategy than a, Website that a public speaker might have.

[00:29:18] So it's all about the goal of the website. 

[00:29:20] It's all about the goal of each page. 

[00:29:22] And it's important to tailor whatever you're doing SEO wise to the goal of the website. 

[00:29:28] And to the user experience goal that you want your site visitors to have. So the myth is that SEO is a one size fits all solution. 

[00:29:36] The reality is that you've got to tailor it to your unique business goals.

Concluding Thoughts and Invitation to the SEO Squad

[00:29:41] So this was a super fun episode, just to go through some of the myths and things that I've heard. 

[00:29:47] If you're talking to friends about website optimization, they may look at you like you've grown a second head, right? 

[00:29:52] It's not typical conversation of business owners, but because the internet is becoming such a prevalent force, for connecting with our customers.

[00:30:02] I think that for most businesses, optimizing your website is going to be a great investment in the future. So again, would love to have you in the SEO squad. If you'd like more information about that, I'm going to have it down in the show notes. 

[00:30:15] And thank you for joining me today and I hope you have an amazing week.

[00:30:20] See you next time. 

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