Common Misconceptions About SEO

Having the right SEO strategy for your website is crucial for a high organic search ranking. However, because Google is fairly quiet about their ranking algorithms, there is a lot of misleading information floating around the internet about SEO. As an SEO company in Toronto, we have heard our fair share of terrible and outdated advice. Here are a few examples:

“You Can Manipulate the System”

This may have been achievable during the early days of SEO, but Google has been putting increasingly more effort into protecting their search engine and ensuring that websites do not try and manipulate the system. Google’s algorithm is constantly changing to stay a step ahead of these people. A self-proclaimed SEO expert may be able to get you a higher SEO score by manipulating the system, but the results are temporary and your website will definitely be penalized.

“Having A Lot Of Links Will Make You Rank Well”

There was a time where your website ranking was largely dependent on the number of links that pointed to your website. Therefore, many self-proclaimed SEO experts purchase unnatural or low-quality links in hopes of boosting your ranking. However, Google has shifted their focus on quality, rather than quantity. Therefore, having a bunch of irrelevant backlinks will not improve your ranking, and may even worsen it.

“Just Creating Content is Enough”

You may have the best content in your industry, but if you do not have a community to share it with, it will be of no use to you. While building great content is pivotal for your success, an engaged community around your content is even more important. You should also ensure that the content you are providing is original and unique. If your content already exists elsewhere, Google has no reason to promote yours, as you have nothing new or special to offer.

“SEO is A One Time Thing ”

Some people believe that SEO is straightforward and effortless. However, the competition for SEO is extremely competitive for almost every industry, so if you do not pay enough attention to your SEO ranking, your website could end up at a horrible ranking. Your SEO must be constantly monitored to ensure your website has a consistently high ranking.

“We Can Rank You At #1 Within A Week”

As a top SEO company in Toronto, we know that it can take months to see ranking results, and that first page rankings cannot be guaranteed. However, a lot of agencies promise their potential customers that they guarantee a top placement within a week. This is an impossible claim for agencies to make, as Google is a third party and does not share how their algorithm works. Therefore, no one can really control what Google or any other search engine does.

“High Rankings Mean You Have Great SEO”

Your website may have a high ranking for certain keywords, but whether these keywords are actually bringing in leads for your business matters more. Many brands rank high for keywords that include their business name or a naked URL. However, just because your website is ranking high for these particular keywords, does not mean that you are making any profit from it. Brands need campaigns that are aimed at bringing conversions and exposure to targeted audiences.

As an SEO company in Toronto with years of experience, we can tell you that SEO and organic search ranking are much more complicated than some people make it seem. However, we are doing constant research and have the relevant industry experience to maximize the success of your website’s organic ranking.