There are over 200 signals that influence Google rankings. In the race to get to the top of the SERP, many website owners take wrong actions that damage their performance.
We found that most mistakes some experts make are because they still believe in outdated information or plain myths that circulate in the online SEO world.
All you need to know is that there is no single almighty recipe for success. You don’t just follow a list of steps and—boom—you’re on the first page on Google.
There are a few things you should avoid doing and a few common misconceptions that we need to shine some light on.
10 Myths That Will Destroy Your Rankings:
- Keyword stuffing will improve your rankings
- Social media does nothing for your SEO
- Content doesn’t matter, go with the links
- SEO is a one-and-done thing
- It’s about being No.1 on Google or nothing
- Buy countless links, and it will work out
- Google Ads will ratchet up your organic rankings
- Responsiveness is not as important as some may think
- Tabbed content is bad for your SEO
- SEO is a myth.
Stuffing Your Content With Keywords Will Improve Page Ranking
What is keyword density in SEO?
Some may argue it’s an outdated concept, but it refers to the number of times a keyword or phrase appears in a text divided by the total number of words.
What’s the best keyword density for a page to rank high?
A good SEO specialist will tell you there is no set percentage, and if you overdo it, Google will know. That’s not how a search engine works—it knows when you’re trying to manipulate it by inserting too many of the same terms compared to the rest of the web.
All search engines are looking for is to meet human needs. Don’t try to trick them by focusing solely on what an algorithm is looking for.
Google is constantly analyzing human speech and recognizing natural language patterns. The more appealing a text is for humans, the better the chances it will rank high. Keywords play a role, but they are not the "lead actors."
Social Media Does Nothing for Your SEO
Do Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter “follows,” “likes,” and “shares” count toward your Google rankings? As a company that offers digital marketing services, we’ve heard this question a lot.
It’s not easy being us—our little world is complex. The short answer is that everything you do should be for the benefit of your user.
A “like” on Facebook won’t directly influence your rankings—that’s true. But if your social media is engaging, with a lot of followers and shares, Google will notice. It indirectly impacts your rankings by signaling that many users are interested in your content, services, or products. Social media is also a great tool for implementing direct response marketing strategies and staying in touch with your audience.
Social signals hold value. These marketing channels help build your brand, redirect traffic to your website, and generate organic search flow. Creating engaging content will inevitably influence search engines through social media. Being noticed by influencers and getting mentions and links from them is another powerful way to boost your SEO efforts.
Content Doesn’t Matter, Go With the Links
You’ll still find SEO service providers who say you need more links than content to rank high on Google. It used to be essential to build links with anchor texts. That practice is still in use, but it has changed significantly.
SEO pros started to push the limits, creating vast quantities of links while ignoring their quality. Google, as always, caught on and penalized those manipulating its algorithms without offering value to users.
Both content and links are still relevant for a good SEO strategy. If we had to simplify it—content is the “final destination,” while links are the “infrastructure.”
Say goodbye to the myth that links are more important than content, or vice versa. Your user is king. Improve what you offer them and speak their language—don’t follow outdated SEO myths.
If you’re unsure how to write engaging content, look for marketing services that include copywriting.
SEO Is a One-and-Done Thing
Let’s say you have a new website. You’ve heard about SEO and optimized it to be as SEO-friendly as possible. You even hired an SEO agency to guide you.
You’ve launched your website, and everything seems good. This is when many website owners think they’re done with SEO. However, that’s only a myth.
There are multiple keyword variations, and competitors will go the extra mile to outrank you. Losing positions on Google results in lost conversions. SEO requires continuous effort and strategy—you can, and should, always influence its variables.
It’s About Being No.1 on Google or Nothing
You don’t have to be a marketing analyst to understand that what appears first grabs attention. Users mostly click on the top positions in search results, with click-through rates dropping to 2% by the bottom of the first page.
Google Ads often appear at the top of SERPs, but that doesn’t necessarily make them the most clicked links. So, it’s not just about being No.1—it’s about leveraging all available tools.
Google Maps marketing is another great way to attract your audience’s attention. One of the best marketing strategies is optimizing your business presence on Google Maps.
Buy Countless Links, and It Will Work Out!
Thinking about buying links as if they’re on FINAL sale? Just like you can’t buy love, you shouldn’t buy links either.
One thing is for sure—the more links a page has, the less value each carries. Cheap or free links are accessible to anyone, and you don’t want your brand associated with sketchy websites unrelated to your business.
Google Ads Will Ratchet Up Your Organic Rankings
Many pay-per-click service providers claim that investing in Google Ads will skyrocket your organic SEO rankings.
There is no official evidence supporting this claim. You may discover which keywords to focus your SEO efforts on, but paying for clicks won’t drive organic searches in the long run.
Responsiveness Is Not as Important as Some May Think
How many people use their phones as their primary means of connecting online? Nearly 45% of the global population. Google has considered mobile-friendliness an important factor since the early 2000s.
Your website must be user-friendly, mobile-friendly, and display the same content across different devices.
An SEO specialist’s responsibility is to ensure a website loads as fast as possible on any device to rank high. UX is also crucial in this context.
Tabbed Content Is Bad for Your SEO
Tabs function like little folders, separating content into layers, with each layer viewable one at a time. Wikipedia, Panasonic, and L’Oréal are just a few examples of sites using tabbed content.
It used to be bad for SEO because Google crawlers couldn’t read hidden content in tabs. Some pages weren’t indexed or ranked.
Search engines penalized “click-for-more” content, assuming it was hiding information. In reality, tabbed content enhances usability, declutters websites, and improves navigation.
Today, JavaScript is widely used for collapsing content, and Google Webmaster Guidelines recognize it as a valid practice. If you’re using tabbed content for user-friendliness—not to deceive algorithms—Google won’t penalize your site.
SEO Is a Myth!
“SEO is dead.” We hear this from people who don’t bother to educate themselves.
Most commercial searches with Google Ads cost $1 to $2 per click, sometimes even $5. If you need hundreds of clicks to reach your conversion goal, that can cost $400 to $1,000 in ads.
Now, imagine securing a place in organic search results without paying per click. That’s SEO—and it works.
Also, most users recognize the small “Ad” label and scroll past paid results.
To Sum Up…
For the millionth time, we’ll say it again—bring value to your audience!
Many SEO pros will tell you how to trick an algorithm, but no one can teach you how to trick humans into engaging with your content.
We’ve debunked some of the most common myths we’ve encountered online and from clients. There’s nothing more powerful than an informed person—and we want you to be just that.
Looking for guidance? Hire an experienced SEO agency that knows how to work on projects like yours.
BONUS: Check out Rand Fishkin’s video on link-building myths below!