Search engine optimization is always changing and it’s important to keep up with these changes if you want to succeed online. SEO makes your website visible to search engines, which gets your website content added to the results pages potential customers see. Now, with Google’s Panda, Penguin, and Hummingbird updates, a lot of older SEO techniques have evolved or gone away altogether. And with all these changes, a number of myths have emerged.

Let’s talk about eight of those myths and get to the truth behind them!

Myth #1 – SEO is too difficult for regular people to understand.

Totally, not true. Most SEO concepts and techniques are easy to understand and to integrate into your web content. Being afraid of SEO is a mistake many website owners make.

Myth #2 – Meta descriptions will have a huge impact on your search rankings.

Not true. Meta descriptions have no influence on your search engine rankings, but that doesn’t mean they should be ignored. They are very important when it comes to search engine optimization and getting users to click through to your site.

Myth #3 – Social media and SEO have no connection at all.

So not true. Social search has been growing for years. The content you share on social media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, etc.) can help your search engine rankings. To do this, own your web and social media content (think Google Authorship). It helps build your authority, which in turn, improves your search engine ranking.

Myth #4 – The more inbound links, the better.

Not true, with a nugget of truth. Just a few years ago, having a large number of inbound links would have a measurable impact on a web page’s ranking. However, search engines have become much more strict. To count towards search engine rankings, inbound links must come from quality sites and be relevant to your content.

Myth #5 – SEO is a one time thing.

It is the exact opposite. SEO needs to be an on-going effort. Each page of content you add to your website requires search engine optimization. As Google and other search engines make refinements to their algorithms, you have to adjust your website SEO strategies and techniques. If you don’t keep up on your SEO, your website will fall in the ranks and potentially become lost.

Myth #6 – On-page SEO is the most important thing to get a page ranked.

Not true. You do need on-page search engine optimization to rank. However, you need more than just that. To gain the highest rankings, you need to optimize off-page as well. You have to create valuable content that will earn you inbound links from authoritative and established websites. It all goes into a comprehensive SEO strategy.

Myth #7 – For a very small business, SEO isn’t worth it.

Not true, to the point of being dangerous for your business. You need to get your website noticed by potential customers. If you don’t, you face the very real possibility of not driving enough customers and sales to stay in business. This is especially critical for local businesses.

Myth #8 – Keywords aren’t relevant anymore.

In the future, keywords may count for nothing (who knows), but today they still play a big part in SEO. A very common SEO technique a few years ago was to stuff as many keywords as possible into a web page and expect it to get a high ranking. That won’t fly today. Nowadays, keywords must be part of a high-quality piece of content that offers value to the reader.

What other myths have you heard about search engine optimization? Share them below along with the reality behind it!