At Performance Driven Marketing, we have extensive experience in the world of search engine optimization. Over the years, we’ve become experts in the ins and outs of SEO, using our knowledge to help our clients succeed.
As we’ve discussed the nuances of SEO with our clients, we’ve discovered that there are some common misconceptions about what exactly SEO is, its goals, and how to leverage its power to take your business to the next level.
Misconception #1: SEO Shows Immediate Results
One big misconception out there is that SEO leads to immediate results. In reality, SEO is an ongoing process. It takes time for search engines to index your website and begin showing it to new people. You can’t just work with an SEO company for one month and expect major results.
Furthermore, the world of SEO is constantly changing, which means that you should always be adapting and tweaking your site based on analytics. If one page is ranking really well, identify what’s different about it and implement the same type of thing on other pages. Effective SEO requires experimentation and innovation to find what works best for your specific website.
As you continue working on optimizing your website, you’ll drive more and more traffic, which will in turn increase your rankings. It’s like the snowball effect — the more people visit your site, the better your rankings will be, which means you’ll get even more traffic. It’s essential to keep the snowball rolling and always strive to further optimize your site.
Misconception #2: Quantity is More Important Than Quality
Another significant misconception we’ve seen is that it’s better to slap a bunch of low-effort stuff onto your website than it is to take your time developing quality content. You have to remember that at the end of the day, what matters most is the real people visiting your site.
If the content is not interesting, relevant, or engaging, they’ll soon click back to the search engine results. When visitors are consistently spending very little time on your site before moving on to something else, it shows Google that your content is less valuable, which can negatively affect rankings.
This concept is known as “dwell time”. While Google has never outright stated that it plays a role in rankings, SEO experts have noted correlations between how long a visitor spends on a site and its search rankings. If your goal is to keep visitors on your site for longer, you need to fill your site with quality content that’s engaging, helpful, and captures their attention.
Misconception #3: AI Content is Just as Effective
This next misconception goes hand in hand with the last one. In a world where AI is creeping into everything we do, it can be tempting to use these tools to instantly generate your content. However, at PDM, we warn against this strategy.
While AI may be able to generate coherent, grammatically correct text for your website, it fails to understand nuance and context. It misses opportunities to be truly impactful and engaging; instead, it spits out generic information that’s no different from anywhere else on the internet.
While this may be okay in some situations, AI-generated content should not make up the bulk of your website. Because generative AI bases its answers on what already exists on the internet, it can’t come up with anything that hasn’t been done before.
If you want content that’s unique, personable, and innovative — content that engages with the target audience and boosts dwell time — you need the creativity and personality of real writers.
Misconception #4: Metadata Doesn’t Matter
The things users don’t see, including metadata, are often just as important as the things they do see. Metadata includes things like image alt text, titles, headlines, descriptions, and more. Basically, it’s a collection of data that describes the page’s content.
Although the average visitor isn’t directly affected by this behind-the-scenes data, Google knows it’s there. Including target keywords in the metadata helps search engines understand what the page is about, which helps it show the page to the right audience.
Boost Your Rankings with PDM
If you’re ready to boost your website’s search engine rankings and rise above the competition, contact Performance Driven Marketing today for a free consultation. Over the years, we have helped countless business owners just like you by taking advantage of the power of SEO. Whether you’re just getting started or looking to expand your established business, our team of experts is here for you.
