Myths and Madness of SEO Unpacked

Organic site and social media visitors. They’re the dream for every business. You’re just so awesome, people can’t help but drop by. If only that were true. Sadly, organic visitors don’t pop up by accident. Tossing out a few keywords on your website won’t get you on the front page, and doing things ad-hoc isn’t going to do much for your SEO results. 

Search engine optimisation (SEO) is perhaps the most “adopted” tactic by every business with a website (so, every business), but it’s one that only a minority do well. As the most commonly known digital marketing must-do, many people think they know how SEO works and delude themselves into thinking they’re doing it right. 

We don’t mean to be harsh but if you’re not getting results, let’s be real, you’re not doing it right. And that’s OK. You’re in the majority. SEO is hard. It’s a niche skill for a reason. There are a lot of moving parts, and keeping on top of it means staying abreast of all the latest updates and info. Just being here on our site, reading this article, is a great step toward better results. Welcome. We have a lot to unpack.

Given there are so many myths about SEO, the best way we can help you understand it is to poke holes in the common misconceptions and paint a more realistic vision of what it takes to master the craft. 

Myth #1 – SEO delivers quick wins

Ha. We wish! It hurts many people when we puncture this myth, but it’s essential to get the painful points out of the way fast so that we can move into the more productive territory. 

Sadly, SEO does not deliver quick wins. Sure, you may see immediate improvements, but SEO is a long-term game, and the real fruits of your efforts are going to really reveal themselves in the months and even years ahead. If you can’t wait for 12 months to see the returns of your SEO strategy, don’t invest in SEO. Or do, actually — it’s absolutely worth it in the long run –, but understand that this is your long game. Let advertising get you the quick wins. 

Myth #2 – Content no longer matters

Where this myth came from, we have no idea. Content is the cornerstone of SEO. It always will be. Search engine results page (SERP) rankings are determined by which web page has the most relevant content for the person doing the search. Relevant content. That means legitimately good content. Content that people find valuable to read, watch or interact with. If your content is just average and people feel lukewarm about it, the lack of engagement from your website visitors will quickly inform the internet algorithms that your site is not worth a visit. As a result, your ranking on the SERPs will go down. 

Myth #3 – All backlinks are bad

We know many dodgy backlink dealers are swamping the internet and clogging up your emails, but these bad actors don’t change the value of backlinks. Backlinks give your website authority. A reputable site referencing your website tells the algorithms that you are a voice of authority in your space. This advocacy helps your page and your site to climb the SERP ranks and get seen by more of the people you want to visit your site. Be cautious of spam emails promising quality backlinks, but don’t discredit backlinks as a whole. 

Myth #4 – Digital PR is the bee’s knees

If you’re in the above camp of “backlinks are bad”, and then you say “we want a powerful digital PR strategy”, we hate to break it to you, but these are the same thing. Digital PR is going through a bit of a buzz at the moment, and for a good reason, it’s positive. But it’s also really just a backlinking strategy that’s white hat, rather than the black hat stuff that most people think of when being bothered with those damn spam emails. Digital PR is white hat link building. It’s a great tactic, but let’s start calling it what it is. 

Myth #5 – Page speed/server response doesn’t matter

Page speed is very literally one of the pillar criteria upon which Google’s algorithms rank your website. If your website speed/server response is slow, you will be bumped so far down those SERPs that it’s barely even worth you spending time on any other SEO efforts. A critical step in a strong SEO strategy is to get your page speed as fast as humanly and technologically possible to warrant your place in the search results. 

Myth #6 – SEO is a dark art

While this is not true, it’s also not entirely untrue. To the untrained eye, it’s understandable that SEO is such a mystery it seems like random, frustrating magic that comes down to luck more than effort. While we do like to think of ourselves as SEO agency alchemists, the truth is that SEO results are available to anyone that has the undivided time and attention to pour into developing and continually upskilling in this craft. There is a method to the madness, and there is a lot that can be done internally to support your SEO efforts, but if you’re not an SEO expert, you’re going to need some help setting up the foundations.

Here is a silver lining

Deflated as you may be right now, the good news here is that strong SEO results are available to you and your business. You’ve just got to leave those myths behind and embrace some hard realities to get on board with one of the most cost-effective ways to build your brand credibility and organic website visitors. It won’t happen overnight. But done right, it will happen. And it is absolutely worth the effort. 

If all of that hard work sounds like a nightmare, we have good news. We love this stuff. In fact, we’ve owned this space for 11 years. We have multiple experts who’ve trained, worked and participated in every single update so that you do not have to. 

When you’re ready to up your SEO game, get in touch with our team here at Urban Element.

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