SEO for small business | 7 SEO myths uncovered

For many small business owners, SEO can feel scary and seem like an unattainable google search tactic but in reality, SEO is a relatively simple and cost effective way to increase traffic on your website. No degree in rocket science or computers is required and SEO is most definitely more than just keyword research and optimization. 

Given the ambiguity of SEO, we are uncovering our top seven SEO myths so entrepreneurs like you can feel more confident in SEO and google search optimization for your business. Though before we dive in, let’s take a moment to understand how search engines work so we can better understand these SEO myths. 

While it may not seem as obvious, search engines have customers just like any business. WE are their customers. Anyone who opens Google (for example) to search for something online is their customer. And like any other business, Google wants to keep their customers happy and satisfied so they continue to use Google whenever they need to search for something online.  While many factors contribute to why someone chooses one particular search engine over another, it ultimately comes down to trust. We use Google because we trust them to bring us quality search results in a timely manner. So how does Google fulfill our trust? One simple word: algorithm. 

Google’s algorithm is made up of dozens and dozens of factors that help Google identify the best website matches for a user’s search query. As a small business owner, you want your website to rank at the top of the list because only 6% of people continue through to the second page of search results. 

In theory it seems super simple: optimize your website based on these factors and carry on. But what if we told you that SEO is more comparable to baking your grandma’s famous cookies without her recipe in hand? You keep trying different combinations. More flour, less butter…. trial and error, more trial and error, then BAM success!  However, then you get a new oven, and the cookies bake differently. This process can be similar to SEO because search engines don’t publicly share the factors within their algorithm so we are left to research and interrupt our theories, with lots of trial and error. A huge part of SEO is experimentation, but fortunately  persistence pays off.

By now you may be shaking your head wondering what can of worms you just opened.  We promise that by the end of this article you will feel more confident in your understanding of SEO and how you can improve your SEO. 

Myth: SEO is a one and done task

SEO requires consistent attention and includes a lot of trial and error

Did you know that Google’s algorithm consists of over 200 factors? Wowza. However, Google does not explicitly lay out algorithm ground rules so that poor quality/malicious websites do not over optimize their websites and land at the top of search over quality sites and reputable businesses. Though the other consideration is that Google updates this algorithm more than 500 times per year. That means that at least once a day Google makes updates to their algorithm so their customers can find the best search matches. You can check the Mozcast to see the predicted impact of the algorithm changes on a daily basis. 

Considering the vast number of factors and the frequency of changes, it's easy to see that SEO is not something you can do once and call it a day. SEO is about experimentation, pivoting and exercising patience. Results often take time to appear.

Myth: If you don’t automatically notice an increase in traffic following the release of a recent blog post, you need further google search optimization

It takes an average of 100 days to see the full potential of a blog post 

We can hear your sigh of relief and the weight lifting off your shoulders after learning that your latest blog from two weeks ago isn’t actually a flop. When you add a new page to your website such as a blog post, it takes time for Google to index the page so that when a search query comes through, your page will ring as an applicable match. So before you jump to conclusions that your blog post needs xyz, wait approximately 100 days from the initial publish date to evaluate the blog’s success and make any necessary updates at that time. 

Myth: The longer the blog the better because there’s more opportunity to include keywords and boost SEO

Results are inconclusive meaning there doesn’t appear to be more traffic related to a 1000 word blog vs a 4000 word blog

For you small business owners who are not writers at heart, we know you are cheering.  We know in theory that a longer blog will give you more opportunity to include keywords but SEO is so much more than keywords. Remember that keyword stuffing (filling your writing with unnecessary words) is a hard no. 

There is such a thing as too short of an article, which is when Google can’t gather enough information about your page to connect it to relevant search queries; however, there is no need to worry about hammering out a 4,000 word blog anytime soon. On average most blogs are about 1000 words - aim for that!

 

Myth: Your keywords should be in every H tag

Your main keyword should go at the beginning of your H1 ONLY

We get it. H stands for heading, as in title, as in important like my keyword - DUH. Yes, SEO best practice is to place your keyword as the first word in your title and to include your keyword somewhere in your H1 tag. However, Google uses your H2 and H3 tags to understand the structure and relevancy of your page, in a true sub heading format. Ultimately use the headings as intended and not to “cheat the system” because you may end up receiving an SEO penalty instead of reward. 

 

Myth: Backlinks are backlinks - get as many as you can! 

Backlinks should be from quality sites and be relevant to your business 

Quality over quantity. Think of backlinks like your references when applying for a job; you aren’t going to pick just anyone to be your reference. You choose someone that can speak to your qualifications and experience and who is usually someone with authority in the space. When it comes to backlinks, you’ll want websites with a good reputation and that are relevant to your business to link to your site because this tells Google that your website and business is trustworthy. If you have a number of backlinks to or from poor quality sites, it comes across as spammy and does not increase your credibility. That means also not commenting on blogs in other websites and dropping your link all over them please - talk about the ‘ick’.

 

Myth: Sorry, Yelp is still a thing?

Yelp can increase SEO by boosting your authority

With the digital age and increased access to information, Yelp can feel like a thing of the past but it’s not the case. Yelp can help boost your SEO in two ways: 

1. Backlinks: Yelp is a reputable website that requires business verification, increasing legitimacy and trustworthiness by Google. If you are struggling to search for high quality backlinks, this is a great place to start.
2. Reviews: Yelp also allows customers to write reviews and these reviews can be used by Google to evaluate the quality of your business. Good reviews = brownie points from Google!

Myth: You need a degree in computer science to make any impact on your SEO

There are ways even the least tech savvy business owners can improve their SEO

We know you wear a lot of hats as a small business owner and that you can’t possibly monitor the hundreds of Google algorithm updates that take place over a year.  We don’t want you to feel hopeless in your SEO efforts because at the end of the day, Google has one goal: to provide quality and relevant results to search queries in a timely manner. Regardless of the knitty gritty ins and outs of SEO, so long as you work to create quality content and a website that serves the needs of your audience, that’s what matters most. 

Not sure where to start but excited about the possibilities of improved SEO? Download SEO 101, our ultimate guide for SEO for beginners that will provide you with five ways any small business owner can improve their SEO. Still not comfortable with implementing any improvements yourself? Not to worry, book an intro meeting with our team to review your goals and learn about Blonder Marketing’s SEO services. 

As we discussed there is so much more to SEO that even the most knowledgeable SEO strategists are uncovering daily. If there is one thing you takeaway, let it be that SEO is about progress over perfection. What was perfect yesterday is no longer perfect today and that’s ok. SEO is a bit of a mystery for everyone (even the folks at Google themselves sometimes!). So give yourself grace. Pat yourself on the back for reading the full article and making the effort to learn something new. Happy optimizing!