Is This SEO Marketing Myth Collapsing Your Marketing Efforts?
No one starts a marketing strategy hoping it will be a failure.
No one wants to write off their marketing budget at Quarter 1 as a dismal failure.
But many execs do just that when they cling to outdated marketing information from even just 10 years ago.
The evolution of SEO: Optimizing for Search Engines by optimizing for human readers
To say that SEO (search engine optimization) has changed over the last decade would be a terrific understatement. Countless algorithm updates have been released, allowing search engines like Google to consider the usability and value of your website better.
Humans matter most to Google. This concept has fueled continual algorithm updates that allow their user easy access to the best content for any search. The end user is continually recentered as the primary focus of the search engines – thus, reminding marketers to recenter the end user in their content delivery and messaging.
It is vital to continue to pivot alongside the best practices of search engine giants so that your websites continue to rank well and be found by your customers and clients.
Quality Matters More than Quantity
You may have heard that quality matters in content. Whatever information you are sharing with the reader has to have value to them, or they will stop reading and go somewhere else.
But, even savvy business professionals still believe this one myth that essentially pokes a hole in their marketing balloon:
Myth: More Pages and Blogs = Better SEO
SO MANY businesses operate on this principle. They bloat their website with micro pages imagining that more pages mean that they will get more traffic to their website.
This isn’t the case.
Why more pages won’t necessarily produce better search rankings
The reality is that focusing on the sheer output of pages and blog posts can negatively impact the quality of your posts – rendering the content virtually useless to the reader.
It is nearly impossible to consistently produce a high quantity of high-quality pages and posts. Instead, focus on making each piece of content as useful and clear as possible. Making compelling content will ensure that your readers enjoy their experience on your site and inspire them to share it online.
Indexing isn’t always about “more”
There are a few misconceptions about search engines and indexing.
Some things you publish won’t be indexed.
Some pages may be indexed, but may not remain in the index- like if the page is too similar to other content on the web.
Indexed pages don’t inherently drive qualified traffic and leads. Just because something is indexed doesn’t mean it will benefit your business.
Truth: More Quality Content = Better SEO
In fact, it is better to have one juicy, long blog post per month than 10 short meaningless updates per week.
Users hate clicking. You probably hate clicking through websites searching for the answer to your question too. Google recognizes this and has given more weight to pages that keep people on one page for a long time (that means the content is interesting and useful!) and to pages where people share the content on social media (that means the content is compelling too!)
In Conclusion
Shifting your strategy to be human-centered, and focusing on the end user in every online marketing choice will only continue to serve your business, even as SEO best practices continue to change.