The giant flow of information on the Internet leads to the emergence of myths and misconceptions about various areas and themes. SEO – Search Engine Optimization – does not escape this reality.

The myths that circulate around SEO often stem from ignorance and an eagerness to achieve quick results. The danger lies in the fact that this ignorance leads to these myths being assumed, most of the time, as truth.

All the great myths about SEO, end up leaving several professionals and entrepreneurs confused and not sure which way to go. In this way, the best recommendation we can give is to always question the information and prove the veracity of the facts and fundamentals.

In this article we share 5 main popular myths related to SEO stand out:

Myth 1: Content Marketing Is Everything For SEO

In a way, this statement is true. The creation of useful and relevant content for the user can be a source of benefits for a web page. However, other elements are needed for the effects on SERP – Search Engine Result Pages if they start to feel.

This is where factors such as quantity and quality of external links received, keyword research work, image optimization, usability, design, and page loading speed, among others, come in. All of these concepts must go “hand in hand” with content creation since some do not work without the other and only then will the long-term results be visible.

Myth 2: Linkbuilding Is Irrelevant

This myth has been fueled especially after John Mueller, webmaster trends analyst at Google, said that link building would be something he “would try to avoid”.

Naturally, this statement was misinterpreted. Links continue to be an important ranking factor. However, what John Mueller wanted to convey is that link building must be something natural, built over time, guaranteeing to Google a relationship with quality links.

The focus should not be only on link building since the strategy can be less productive. However, it should also not be overlooked. The concepts “link building” and “content” must go hand in hand, so that the links refer to the context of the content and there is, together, a balanced approach.

Myth 3: Keyword Research Is Not Essential For SEO

Following the launch of Google Hummingbird (a new version of Google’s algorithm implemented in 2013), the myth arose that keywords would no longer be important for search engine optimization.

However, this has never been stated by Google. The main focus of this new algorithm is to increase the understanding of semantics in searches.

In other words, it became possible to carry out analyzes in a broader way, improving performance in the interpretation of research in which a natural, current language is used.

The danger of SEO myths is that they are sometimes seen as true for many marketers. In this sense, they are factors that are no longer worked on, leading to real business opportunities being wasted.

A decrease in online traffic, interactions, and conversions are some aspects that a company may feel if it fails to invest in these factors so relevant to SEO.

Myth 4: Loading Speed Has No Influence On SEO

The possibility of the user leaving a page with loading speed between 1 and 3 seconds is 32%, while if the page loading speed is greater than 4 seconds, the probability of abandonment rises to 90% (Think with Google 2018).

In fact, Google values fast websites and, as the company announced in March of the previous year, is preparing for the launch of the first “mobile-first index”. Thus, the loading speed of the website is an SEO factor, as Google considers it to be a ranking factor.

It is crucial that companies focus on optimizing search engines based on delivering the best user experience, both in mobile and desktop versions. The easiest way to do this is with an SEO audit and you need to learn how to conduct a technical SEO audit for your site.

Myth 5: Sitemap Is Available

Sitemaps are files that provide information about pages and other parts of a website. These files are read by Google in order to track the website more intelligently. Thus, when Google cannot easily crawl a part of the website, it is precisely the sitemap that allows it to find the pages better.

This justifies the fact that it is essential to include a sitemap on the website. Although the pages of the website can be properly linked and, in this way, the web crawlers can detect most of the website, the sitemap always contributes to a more effective crawl.

This is especially true when it comes to a website with a high number of pages, recent, with few external links or when the pages are not properly linked to each other.