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9 things which baffle people when it comes to SEO

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is not an easy feat, and someone who might be new to the digital world might easily be confused. This is not helped by the fact that search engines are not only continuously changing the way their algorithms work, but they are also continuously releasing new tools which should us rank their websites.

Below we are trying to explain in very simple terms nine things which most often than not confuse people when it comes to SEO:

1. When it comes to certain keywords and terms, search engines do favour bigger brands
Always keep in mind that irrespective of your SEO efforts, search engines such as Google will always favour big brands when it comes to certain terms and how they rank on the Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs). A good example would be if you search for the term “men’s jeans”. You will notice that those websites which are ranking organically are all international major brands. Now imagine if you had a clothes shop and you need to compete with these big names. Do you really think that your SEO efforts are going to knock these brands out of the first page?

Unfortunately the answer is going to be no. Also keep in mind that major brands are always going to be at the top of SERPs, however there are certain things which you can do from your end to rank. First of all, always focus on your brand, so it starts gaining traction. Once you start working on your brand, consider running an advertising campaign. It is true that this will not affect your organic searches, however this might actually help your brand in gaining more exposure and ultimately traffic. The last advice is to try and use alternative keywords which might be associated with your brand. Taking the retail example once again, imagine if you offer a specific type of men’s jeans. Try and optimise your website’s meta data to include that garment. In this way you can exploit certain gaps in the SEO of your competitors which they might not be using yet.

2. Websites are divided into segments
Always keep in mind that websites are not taken as a whole entity, but rather they are divided into segments. This means that your various pages will be ranked accordingly. Always be sure that all of your pages are not only properly updated, but most important that you are pushing the most important pages. If for example you would like your Blog section to rank more, be sure that you market in the most appropriate manner so your audience is funnelled through that section.

3. If you rank for just two terms, it might be just enough for your business
It is always good when you manage to rank your website on a couple of terms, however always keep in mind that this might not always make sense for every business. Imagine you are in a really niche market and the terms which you can rank with are very limited. Do not worry – if you manage to rank with just one or two terms it is more than enough. Just be sure to use those keywords wisely in your content in order to keep your edge.

4. Content marketing is competitive
The phrase “content is king” has long been linked with good SEO practices, and unfortunately the situation has not changed. When writing new content for your website be sure that this is not only well-written, but that it is also SEO-optimised with the correct keywords. Also keep in mind that the blog sections need to be constantly updated, so if you do not have the proper talent to do it in-house it is better to invest in proper content writing.

5. Early adoption always pays off
As stated earlier, search engines such as Google are always releasing new tools which link to SEO. If as a company you try and adopt these tools as early as possible, the search engine in question will always favour those brands who jump on the brand wagon. For this reason, your brand might actually gain by adopting these tools. However always keep in mind that when new technologies are released, it is important to invest time in getting to know what these changes mean and what is the best to adopt the.

6. Good SEO can be used to target different markets
Keep in mind that brands can also be marketed and ranked differently across countries. When doing such changes also be sure not only to have proper translations in place on your website, but also to submit your online presence to the various web directories which are popular in that particular country.

7. Your website can be visible in multiple ways in Google results
Keep in mind that SERPs are only the tip of the iceberg, and search engines such as Google offer other possibilities for businesses to rank and be seen. Just to name a few when it comes to Google some of the options available are Google Images, Google Videos and even Google News. The sky is the limit when it comes to search engines – you just need to be sure to tap the correct platform.

8. SEO is quite a broad term
Even though we are referring to SEO, in itself this is quite a broad term. The practice of SEO can be divided in various branches i.e. link building, content writing and marketing, local SEO, international SEO… and this is not even the whole list. The most important thing that you need to keep in mind is how you want your business to rank in search engine. Once you establish that, you can start working on your online SEO strategy.

9. Google is not the only search engine our there
No one can deny the fact that Google is the market leader when it comes to the search engine. However, we cannot forget that there are other search engines out there which might actually help your online ranking. The most obvious competitor is Microsoft’s answer Bing. Also keep in mind that websites such YouTube and Facebook are nowadays also search engine optimised. This means that if you are using your social media channels properly, you can also rank through them. Be sure to check where your audience is so you can engage with them with the most appropriate tool.

Source
'9 things most people don’t understand about SEO' by John E Lincoln. Accessed from http://searchengineland.com/9-things-people-dont-understand-seo-252839 on the 1st of August.