Four Very Common Misunderstandings About SEO

It's important for anyone with a website to understand the basics of SEO. Even if you're going to hire a professional SEO service, you still need to be aware of what you're asking of them and what is realistic to obtain. Here are a few of the most common misunderstandings about SEO that those new to the industry may have.   

1. SEO Isn't Universal

A search engine ranking isn't a universal thing. Google, Bing, and Yahoo all have their own methods of determining search engine relevancy. Google alone has both mobile and desktop search engine results, and even certain apps may skew results. Thus, though a site may be optimized for one device but not another. This is rapidly complicating SEO for marketers. The gap between mobile and desktop results is presently the largest, as mobile results tend to be more geographically targeted.

2. SEO Doesn't Work Fast

There are marketers that promise better SEO results within a few days. But these marketers are usually using "black hat" SEO techniques -- techniques that will eventually get a website blacklisted or banned. Real SEO usually takes months to get results. A client will need to be patient with their marketer while their SEO is being developed. On the other hand, if they don't see results within six months or so, it's likely that their SEO strategy has to be adjusted.   

3. SEO Isn't a One-Time Fix

SEO has to be maintained. Part of keeping your search engine results high means keeping your content timely. The more frequently you post your content, the more likely it is for your website to be seen by others. An SEO campaign will need to be continuously updated; if it isn't, you'll find your website slowly falling down the rankings. 

4. SEO Doesn't Occur in a Vacuum

This is perhaps one of the more difficult concepts for those new to SEO. Though your business may be aggressively pursuing better SEO, your competitors are as well. This means that even though your SEO is improving, it may be more difficult to work your way up the search engine results page. How well you do, essentially, is directly impacted by how well other businesses within your niche are doing. It's possible to improve your SEO significantly but not see results. Professional SEO services take this into account and take action to develop their strategy in a way that will put them ahead of the competition.

Though not everyone needs to be an expert in SEO, the basics will make it easier for you to modify your site and make it more popular. SEO essentially impacts how many visitors your website will have -- the better your SEO, the broader your reach.

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