We talk a lot about the best practices for inbound marketing here at HIVE and all the various components that go into crafting strategic, effective campaigns. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) can quickly divide a room. Everyone has their own beliefs on what works and what doesn't. With the digital landscape evolving at a fast pace, it is easy to get misguided information. Here are 3 of the most common SEO myths we encounter when working with clients.
Myth #1: Keywords Don't Matter After Google Hummingbird
You've probably heard the phrase "keywords are dead." Nothing could be further from the truth. The 2013 Google Algorithm Hummingbird update changed the way Google understood search queries to offer searchers more relevant results. This algorithm quietly changed the focus from examining each individual word in a search to analyzing the query as a whole and processing the meaning behind it. Focusing more on context and understanding the user's intent to deliver more relevant results paving the way for voice search. According to Microsoft, a whopping 72 percent of US consumers are engaging with voice search through digital assistants such as Siri, Alexa, Google Assistant, and Cortana.
Keywords are not dead.
Myth #2: Keyword-Rich Anchor Text Won't Boost Search Engine Rankings
Actually, this isn't a myth if you don't follow anchor text best practices. The anchor text must use descriptive, relevant keywords to accurately describe the page you are linking to. When you link to other content, Google uses the link text as an indicator of the topic of the linked page giving search engines more context.
If the link text matches your keyphrase for the article, Google won't be able to determine which article is the most relevant for that topic and should rank for that keyphrase. It's important to avoid competing links. When appropriately used, anchor text can have a significant impact on SEO.
Myth #3: Guest Blogging Doesn't Help Website SEO
Guest blogging is only a waste if the contributing guest content isn't relevant to the audience or the site you share it on isn't reputable. Sharing valuable content on other high-quality websites of relevance (or accepting guest posts from reputed sources) can provide you with backlinks for your site/page. The benefit in terms of SEO will be improved search engine ranking and increased traffic on your website. Guest blogging on other sites exposes your content/brand to a new audience and provides valuable backlinks to your website.
Quick wins to optimize your SEO Efforts
- Check your site for broken links. Dead Link Checker is a free tool you can use to quickly identify broken links.
- Review existing evergreen content and refresh it with a more current angle.
- Prune outdated content.