Marketing professionals, what's one SEO myth you've debunked through your own experience, and how did it change your strategy?

Question

Diving into the dynamic world of SEO, we've gathered insights from thirteen marketing professionals, including SEO Leads and Marketing Managers, to bust common myths. From the importance of content over backlinks to understanding that quality engagement drives success, these experts share how debunked myths have reshaped their strategies.

Katie Stone · Answer

Backlinks are not the most important part of an SEO strategy. In fact, they don't even make my top five. A few years ago, my answer might have been different, but Google has gotten so good at language learning that the content on the website is now the most important element for ranking. If your content isn't helpful and does not follow Google's E-E-A-T guidelines, your site is going to have a hard time ranking, and a backlinking strategy alone won't save you. Avoid backlinking schemes. Instead, focus on purposeful backlink building through digital PR and local networking.

Charlie Worrall · Answer

The world of SEO is full of myths, and they are only amplified by the relentless echo chamber that some in the SEO community create. Statements like "link building is dead" are great examples of myths that just aren't true. But they were picked up by the SEO news echo chamber, and people started to believe them. Now, for some SERPs or industries, this might be true; links might not matter as much. But in others, this won't hold true, and it'll hinder your chances of ranking for your chosen keywords.
A common comment is that WordPress is bad for SEO. While this might go against my earlier comment that these tactics work for some and not for others, I have to say that the notion of WordPress being bad for SEO isn't entirely true.
I do appreciate where these people are coming from; WordPress can be clunky and slow at times. 'Out of the box', it's not always the fastest CMS, which means that it can hinder your overall SEO value. This is countered by the breathtaking number of plugins that you can rely on to help improve the platform. Through a number of performance-enhancing plugins, you can be up there with some of the best-ranking websites in your niche. The caveat is that having numerous plugins is likely to hinder your performance, so you'll need to choose wisely. This is because each plugin will have its own HTML, CSS, and sometimes JavaScript to load when your site does so. If you're able to custom-build elements of your WordPress site, that's great and should be looked into with the cost-benefit ratio in mind.
Similarly, if you're able to integrate your WordPress site with a headless system, many of the drawbacks will be alleviated. This is what we do; many of the clients we work with love WordPress and request it, while others are open to alternative CMSs, and with that in mind, we tend to recommend using WordPress in a headless manner in order to get better performance.
Keep in mind that around 43% of the websites on the internet are powered by WordPress, which equates to approximately 810 million sites. So if you decide to use WordPress, you won't be alone.

Connor Gillivan · Answer

SEO Myth: You should only go after high-volume keywords. 
When I first started in SEO in 2014, I thought this was true. I'd research keywords and go after the ones that had the highest potential volume, regardless of the competition. Boy, was I naive. 
As I practiced SEO for my personal blog and kept learning from SEO experts, I was introduced to the idea of "long-tail keywords" -- SEO keywords that are lower in volume, but also lower in competition. I started writing content for my blog and business aimed at these keywords, and my monthly traffic increased significantly. My content started ranking on Google faster. 
Seeing the results, my strategy took a 180-degree turn. I became obsessed with finding the best long-tail keywords and creating the highest-quality content for them. From 2015 to 2019, I ran this strategy for my business, FreeUp, and our SEO traffic skyrocketed. I've never looked back, and I continue to aim for long-tail keywords first before going after any high-volume keywords.

Yvonne Meredith · Answer

One SEO myth we debunked through client case studies was the assumption that exact branded keyword matching in titles and headers is universally beneficial, when in fact, over-optimization risks dilution and spam flags. 
Previously, I mandated our content teams craft articles and blogs ensuring client brand and product names were prominently and repeatedly referenced verbatim in headline permutations and H2 subheads for recognition. This aligned with old search wisdom that reinforcing explicit terminology associations trains entity understanding.
However, multiple clients soon flagged traffic declines attributed to sandbox penalties and thin content violations. Google evidently perceived the aggressive branding linkage as forced over-optimization efforts to manipulate hearsay rather than convey expertise. The engine clearly evolved in semantic comprehension.
In response, we course-corrected to more selectively reference brands in opening intro positions while shifting focus towards conversational industry terms and phrases users more commonly search around problems. Supporting details and captions still allow brand mention without making it the central focus.

Inemesit Ukpanah · Answer

One myth about SEO that we have debunked based on our experience is the misconception that 'More keywords equal rankings.' In the past, there was a belief that cramming relevant keywords into content would improve search engine rankings. However, this tactic often results in unnatural writing and yields different results.
Through our work on projects and continuous learning, we have realized that search engines, such as Google, prioritize the quality of content over simply focusing on keyword density. Google's algorithms have evolved to a point where they can comprehend context, semantics, and user intent, rendering keyword stuffing ineffective and potentially damaging due to penalties for such practices.
Instead of fixating on keyword stuffing, it is more beneficial to concentrate on understanding and catering to user intent. This involves creating content that addresses queries and fulfills audience needs. Furthermore, rather than relying on keyword usage, it is advisable to naturally and strategically optimize on-page elements such as title tags, meta descriptions, headers, and image alt text.
This approach, which aligns better with search engine algorithms, delivers value to users and fosters sustained growth in organic traffic and engagement. By following these strategies, we reassure you about the effectiveness and security of your SEO efforts.

Marco Genaro Palma · Answer

One SEO myth I've encountered is the belief that meta descriptions are a direct ranking factor. In reality, while meta descriptions do not influence rankings, they are crucial for driving user engagement.
Learning this prompted me to optimize meta descriptions more effectively, focusing on crafting them to be attention-grabbing and including clear calls to action. This strategy has proven essential in improving click-through rates from search results, demonstrating the importance of meta descriptions in enhancing online visibility.

Andy Hathaway · Answer

A big myth is that no-follow links have no SEO value. Through my own experience, I've found they can still drive traffic and can influence rankings indirectly. By getting no-follow links from high-authority sites, I noticed improved brand visibility and referral traffic. This change in strategy made me focus on building a diverse link profile, including no-follow links, which ultimately strengthened my site's authority and search performance.

Leslie Gilmour · Answer

As an agency veteran leveraging SEO since the 2000s, one crucial search myth debunked through client case studies was that keyword-rich domain names universally boost rankings, when in fact their benefit has proven marginal at best versus authority content itself. The insight changed how we advise new businesses on branding strategy.
In the past, I’d counsel startups to tightly align domains with exact primary keywords from their space for discoverability - e.g., SeattleFishingTrips.com or OrganicDogFoodShop.com. This tied to outdated search assumptions that keyword-based domains send strong signals to search engines about relevancy.
However, across accounts over the years, we found little to no measurable SEO benefit for keyword-heavy names over branded domains housing rich, regularly updated content. What matters most is creating sites with worthwhile information and insight, not dictionary-jamming names trying to rank through shortcuts.
As a result, our guidance has shifted when advising young brands on identifying names during formation. While keywords and categories can inform options, priority goes to branding clarity, versatility allowing business model pivots, and long-term authority matched to ambitions.

Michael Lazar · Answer

One prevalent SEO myth I encountered and debunked through my experience is the notion that press releases are dead for SEO. 
Initially, I was led to believe that in the era of digital marketing, press releases had lost their value. However, upon integrating targeted press releases into our SEO strategy, the results were contrary to the myth. 
Not only did they enhance our brand's visibility, but they've also significantly improved our backlink profile, driving organic traffic to our website. This experience has shifted our strategy, making press releases a staple in our ongoing SEO efforts, reaffirming their importance in a comprehensive digital marketing approach.

Andrew Tsionas · Answer

Many people think that if you block pages from search engines using robots.txt, those pages will not show up in search results. This is not completely true. Search engines may still index pages that are blocked if other unblocked pages on your site link to them.
Robots.txt only prevents search bots from crawling and seeing the blocked pages directly. It does not stop search engines from indexing the pages if they are linked to from other visible pages on your site.
I worked with an e-commerce client who was confused about why some low-content category pages were showing up in search results even though they blocked them in robots.txt. After investigating, I found the issue was that these blocked pages had enough internal links from other visible pages on the site. Since search engines saw the links, they still indexed the blocked pages even if they couldn't crawl them directly due to robots.txt. The internal links were causing the blocked pages to still be found in search results.

Aled Nelmes · Answer

One SEO myth that we've successfully debunked is that it can take a minimum of four weeks to start seeing improvements in Google ranking.
We have proven multiple times that this is not always the case, both through websites that we work on directly and through people we've coached. This is particularly true for websites that have a poor technical build.
Often, the only reason they are not ranking on search is because of technical problems or a poor technical build with the website, as opposed to missing keywords or missing links.
Therefore, by prioritizing those technical issues—whether that be missing metadata, broken links, or duplicate content—by fixing those, you allow the website to rank more positively within a week than you would if you were just waiting for keywords to do the job.
So it changed our strategy in that we now ensure that there is always technical SEO work being planned and done in the first month of a client's campaign.
It's also something that we now emphasize more in workshops and coaching as well, to make sure that people are ensuring their websites are of the highest technical standard, as this can lead to positive SEO results within, as we've seen, a week.

Daniel Merrill · Answer

I think one myth is that it is impossible to rank for new sites. There are so many pockets of keywords out there that if anyone focuses on smaller-volume keywords, you can rank them. We have ranked lots of keywords that are very long-tail or local and then kept building from there. Everyone can do it with effort and consistency.

Abid Salahi · Answer

One SEO myth that I've personally debunked is that social media shares directly impact rankings. Early in my career, I bought into the idea that simply getting a ton of shares on social platforms would make your website zoom up in rankings. But, after testing this theory at my tech company, we found that it wasn't the shares but the organic traffic and engagement they created that mattered. This meant we had to hone our social strategy to target attracting high-quality engagement, not just play a numbers game. In retrospect, it just confirms the truth in SEO - it's not quantity, but quality, that is paramount.

What Are Common SEO Myths That You Have Debunked?

What Are Common SEO Myths That You Have Debunked?

Content Over Backlinks for SEO

WordPress Myths and Performance Plugins

Long-Tail Keywords Increase Traffic

Avoid Over-Optimization of Branded Keywords

Focus on User Intent, Not Keyword Stuffing

Optimize Meta Descriptions for Engagement

No-Follow Links Offer Indirect Value

Branded Domain Names vs. Authority Content

Press Releases Still Benefit SEO

Robots.txt Does Not Prevent Indexing

Technical Fixes Can Improve Rankings Quickly

New Sites Can Rank with Long-Tail Keywords

Quality Engagement Over Social Media Shares