5 WordPress Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Myths
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The online marketing arena can be murky at best, especially when seeking proven and reliable information. So, who are you to believe?
There is no end to the articles touting quick tips and strategies to optimize your WordPress website for the best organic (free) search engine rankings. Unfortunately, I’ve lost track of web hosts that offer SEO services with unbelievable promises. (Don’t believe them.)
Rankings Take Time and Effort (a lot)
Search engine optimization can enhance your “natural” or “organic” listings. But within reason (realistic expectations) and only when done consistently with best practices in mind.
Beware of the “solutions” (I hate that word) that do not match what I discuss in this article. For anything set and forget or requiring little to no effort on your part, it is best to pass.
Today, you will learn enough not to fall prey to the less experienced or those whose only goal is to line their pockets by taking advantage of what they know you don’t know.
Online, “knowledge is power” applies times ten! You will be empowered with the truth when you encounter the following myths.
WordPress SEO Myth #1
Using WordPress Guarantees Rankings
“Get a WordPress site, and your rankings will shoot to the top!” WordPress offers benefits other site structures do not have when enhancing your ability to court search engines.
But no experienced professional running a legitimate shop promises or guarantees future results, either in position or for any length of time- regardless of the platform your website is on.
No one has any idea what search engine algorithms will be tomorrow. Heck, no one knows precisely what those algorithms are today. Let alone a week or a month from now.
Guaranteed positions can only be accomplished by participating in Pay Per Click programs and bidding on or purchasing your positions. And only if you are willing to pay the cost. For that, you need a hefty budget.
Even after moving your website to WordPress, you must be aware of and do certain things consistently if you are serious about improving your rankings. WordPress alone will not save the day.
WordPress SEO Myth #2
Just add a WordPress SEO Plugin and “Set and Forget!”
SEO plugins are beneficial, and I use and recommend Yoast SEO Pro for search engine optimization efforts. The accessible setup features and writing guidance help my clients understand the variables of SEO within their content creation process.
What most folks do after installing Yoast is go through the primary settings and never look back. They also do not tweak and customize those settings on a page-by-page basis.
However, for Yoast to benefit from your efforts, you must thoughtfully and diligently complete those SEO fields for every page and post independently with the unique and specific details that apply to that particular post.
Yoast also allows you to use a snippet from your post instead of a custom description. But does that snippet speak to your target market? Will it encourage a click?
This also means you don’t repeatedly copy and paste the exact text into every post or page description field—something I see pretty often. Don’t miss the opportunity to customize each description field to reflect that specific content.
Here’s what you do…
Yep, this takes time and effort. But it is what you need to do if you genuinely want those rankings, and therefore your click-thrus, to improve.
(Did I mention that nothing online is “set and forget”?)
WordPress SEO Myth #3
Add More Keywords to Your Meta Keyword Tags and Fields
If only it were that easy! That’s called keyword stuffing — and we don’t stuff!
“All you have to do is type whatever you want within that tag or field, and you’ll get found when searched for.” Baloney. Those phrases must also be appropriately integrated into the visible page content — including variations.
Another thing I see pretty often on forums and groups is, “I just added more keywords to my site. Will that improve my rankings?” It won’t.
Most search engines ignore or put little to no value on the Meta Keywords tag. So today, the keyword field in plugins is used more as a guide to include that phrase properly within your content.
Some sites and directories still look at the Meta Keyword tag, but not enough to be of consequence to your overall search engine rankings, which most folks are interested in when they stuff.
Here’s what I do. First, determine each post’s top three 2-3 keyword phrases. Then, pepper those terms and their variations in your post title, text, and headlines. By taking this approach, you also have the opportunity to double-check your focus. (Need help? Use my free Bullseye Marketing worksheet.)
FREE: Find new keywords for your market…
WordPress SEO Myth #4
Creating Mini WordPress Sites with Duplicate Content
Yikes! There isn’t enough work to do one website, right? So now we are adding multiple websites to the mix, tracking updates, security, performance, and new content so the sites appear viable. Rare is the person that can meet that challenge successfully.
WordPress websites created with duplicate content to manipulate search engine rankings waste time, effort, and money. (The Google 2011 Farmer update penalized sites that tried this approach!)
Using the same or slightly different website or information on other domain names to create links to your main site to improve rankings will not have a positive impact. Understand that search engines will determine that you are attempting to game the system and ignore those additional pages.
What do links from duplicate content add to your E-E-A-T factor (Experience, Expertise, Authority, Trust)? Nada. Those types of links to your site are worthless.
Instead, beef up your primary site with great tips, articles, and downloads. Optimizing accordingly and aggressively using Social Media will help to encourage other websites to link to you.
Anyone offering you the multi-duplicate website solution is undoubtedly not playing by the rules or worthy of your hard-earned dollars. So run in the opposite direction. Fast.
WordPress SEO Myth #5
You can rank in the “Top 10” on page one of Google.
The reality is most sites will never attain those coveted positions. I know, buzzkill.
Why? Because to do so, you need to be better than the sites already dominating those positions. Not to mention that now, the featured snippets are above the fold. Then maybe an organic listing or two, then more quickie answers to keep you at Google.
“Above the fold” indicates the space on the screen that displays without the user having to scroll. So, that means you must be the best out of a handful of existing websites to be above the fold.
Then, depending on the device, that real estate can be even smaller. Most folks don’t scroll that far or reach the bottom of the page. Even first-page rankings do not mean that your listing will be seen.
With that in mind, you can’t have your business model solely contingent on attaining nearly impossible rankings.
No Quick Fixes or Short Cuts
You’ll find the same recurring theme for those reading my other WordPress SEO articles. Unfortunately, SEO hasn’t changed much over the years, and there are no quick fixes or shortcuts.
Your SEO goals should include implementing proven strategies that are the core of any successful WordPress website. Unfortunately, far too many companies are willing to take advantage of uninformed website owners who desire better rankings.
Now you have no excuse — you are armed with the facts. While you may not like the facts, embracing them and putting them to work for you is how you succeed.
It isn’t all that complicated. Consider your site visitor first and keep WordPress SEO Best Practices in mind when creating your website and content.
If you are overwhelmed with SEO, dive into my articles on my blog. It doesn’t cost anything but your time. Now, get to work!
At your service,
