As long as the concept of digital marketing can be traced, the term SEO can be found always attached to it. If you are here to know the misconceptions that means you already have some idea what an SEO or Search Engine Optimization is. So, I am going to skip that part and directly go to what you came here for.
Let me tell you a real-life incident to help you understand better what are the misconceptions and how it is affecting many businesses:
“One of my friend cum client Arun (name changed due to NDA) has a profitable business running for the past three years. He has some large retail shops in some prime locations of Kolkata. His business earned him quite some money and fame.
But, for the past 8 months, he noticed some downward fluctuations in his monthly business analysis. Tired of trying everything and didn’t achieving any solution, he came to my office one fine day looking for some answers.
First, I heard every bit of his side of the story before saying anything. Being in the Digital Marketing field for more than 15 years now, I came to realize that though he has taken his business online and implemented the digital marketing techniques, but he is missing the prime ingredient essential for acquiring the full potential of online business, i.e. the proper SEO techniques.
I told him that he is using the outdated techniques of SEO which mainly came from misconceptions. There are many SEO executives who still believe that only keywords, links, one-time on-page SEO, etc are enough for achieving a place in the first SERP (Search Engine Result Page). And my friend has fallen in the trap of one such organization.
I told him everything in my knowledge. As soon as he realized what he is doing wrong, he asked me if I can do it for him. After discussing the matter with my digital marketing team I took the challenge.
We started from scratch and then proceeded slowly but gradually. We started with a detailed website analysis and W3C Validation Check. And then performing the website structure optimization, keyword research and finalization, Title/META Tag Optimization, content and image optimization, etc.
After a few months, the desired results are achieved and he started getting proper leads for his business. The lead generation has increased up to 10times from which he is able to get many potential customers. And thus getting his business back to old shape.”
So, now you must have got some idea of how a simple mistake of SEO can change the entire world for your business.
Here are some common misconceptions that many SEO executives still have. Read them to find out if your SEO service providing company is on the same track of misconceptions or not. If your answer is yes then now you know why you are not getting proper leads even after spending such huge amounts.
The Common Misconception about SEO in the Business World
1. Keywords and Links Are the Only Factors in SEO
Keywords and links are important but with only these two you can’t get the highest SEO ranking. Keywords are changing very frequently. You can’t only rely on that. You also need to concentrate on the popularity and architecture of your webpage. You should also check your periodic table to check the popularity of your blog.
2. Quantity More Valuable Than Quality
There is no chance of ranking if your SEO executive believes in this. Moreover, as the search engine algorithms become smart, it will appreciate the quality content. If you only opt for quantity then it is very much possible that you will eventually lose your popularity. So, it is best of your interest that you should go for the quality content that will make sure that your blog will score more than the rushed out contents.
3. SEO Being Replaced by Content Marketing
Some of you may be thinking that SEO has been replaced. Now content marketing is everything. But you need to understand that SEO and content marketing is inter-related. You need good quality content to attract customers but if there is no optimization then people won’t know about you. So, first, you need to get people to know about your website with the SEO and content, then with your good quality content, they will stick to you.
4. SEO Is One Time Process
After getting the place in the SEO people will think that their work is done. But it isn’t a one-time thing. You need to monitor it constantly after reaching the spot. The algorithms of the search engines are constantly changing. You need to regularly update your website and blogs to stay on the rank.
5. On-page SEO Becoming Unimportant
On-page is like the foundation of any google page. No one likes to live in a weak foundation. Google will recognize if you neglect your webpage and give less importance to optimization or not. To get more traffic your webpage should have relevant meta tags, be faster and safe for the clients. You should create a hyper-specific page with certain keywords. You can use the keywords in the title, in the headings, in the URL and also in the Alt text of the image. You also need to use the keywords multiple times in the content without being too pushy. Linking another relevant page to your webpage will give you more traffic.
Some people think that SEO is unimportant or an easy thing that can be learned from anywhere on the web. But, the reality is if it is done through professionals, it can become your biggest weapon for acquiring potential customers in the market.
Partha is the expert Branding Specialist at Openweb Solutions. Apart from doing his job, he is also a hardcore Digital Marketing Enthusiast and Senior Content Writer who loves exploring and experimenting with new digital marketing techniques thus involved in the entire digital marketing process. To know more about him, here is his LinkedIn profile: Click here!
