12 Myths about SEO that it’s time to stop believing in

🔮 Myth #1: SEO is a scam

Many people think SEO is a way to "trick" the search engines and get to the top in a couple weeks. But the reality is this:

• Results take time. Even the highest-quality site can take months to "spin up," especially when it comes to a competitive niche.
• SEO is not a commodity. It is a set of works aimed at improving the site, increasing its usability and compliance with the requirements of search engines.
• Promises of top positions are a red flag. No one can guarantee specific rankings.

SEO helps search engines understand your site and show it to those who really need it. But deception like buying links hasn't worked for a long time - Google and Yandex know how to recognize such methods and punish for them.

🤖 Myth #2: Search engines will figure things out on their own

Yes, search engines have gotten smarter. But they're still not mind readers.

• Images without alt-text remain invisible.
• Videos without descriptions and metadata are not indexed.
• Texts without proper structure get lost among millions of others.

Help search engines understand what you offer. Not only will this increase your chances of getting ranked, but it will also make your content more useful to users.

👀 Myth #3: Search engines don't like SEO

This myth is directly contradicted by the facts:

• Google and Yandex make their own SEO recommendations.
• They fight black methods, but support white optimization.
• SEO benefits everyone: users, websites, and search engines.

Search engines want to see the most relevant and high-quality pages in the output. And it is SEO that helps them find such sites.

💊 Myth #4: It's enough to do SEO once

SEO is not a one-time procedure. It's a process.

• Content becomes outdated.
• Links can die off.
• Search engine algorithms change.
• Competitors evolve, too.

If you want to maintain your position, you need to update content regularly, analyze analytics, and adapt to new rules. This is especially important with dynamic content and increased competition.

🔗 Myth #5: Link promotion doesn't work

Links are one of the key ranking factors.

• Quality links from authoritative sites boost the trust of search engines.
• Not all links are equal. It is better to have 10 good ones than 100 bad ones.
• Natural backlinks are the gold standard. Get links naturally: through PR, useful content and interaction with affiliates.

And remember: nofollow no longer blocks weight transfer, but is seen as a signal.

🥇 Myth #6: I need the first position for "this query"

Position is not a goal, but just an indicator.

• The main goal is to get targeted traffic.
• High-frequency queries can be less converting.
• "Long tails" bring less traffic per query, but higher conversion rates.

Don't focus on the place in the output, but on the results: leads, orders, and subscriptions.

☠️ Myth #7: SEO is dead

SEO is not only alive — it's evolving.

• Responses in snippets haven't replaced the website. Rather, they direct traffic to it.
• Voice search and AI-generated content are creating new opportunities.
• Search engines continue to use links, content and UX as ranking factors.

As long as there are search engines, there will be SEO. It's just getting smarter, more complex, and more user-centered.

🐒 Myth #8: SEO is a set of template actions

Some people think SEO is simple:

• Stick keywords in the title and description;
• Put them in bold;
• Remove external links.

In reality, SEO is a complex endeavor that includes:

• Analyzing audience needs;
• Optimizing the site structure;
• Technical tweaks;
• Working with content;
• Building link mass;
• Semantic analysis and much more.

This is not a profession for monkeys. It is a profession for specialists who know how search engines and humans work.

🐺 Myth #9: Social networks do not affect SEO

There is no direct influence of social networks on organic ranking, but there is an indirect one:

• By sharing content on social media, you increase its reach.
• Increased popularity leads to mentions, citations, and links.
• Twitter/X is used by Google as a news source.

Social networks are part of the digital ecosystem. To ignore them is to lose promotional opportunities.

👁‍🗨 Myth #10: Search engines do not use data on site visits

Google and Yandex actively collect data on user behavior:

• Click-Through Rate (CTR) — the frequency of clicks on your snippet;
• Dwell Time — the time spent on the page after clicking through until returning to the search engine for the same purpose.

If users click, but quickly leave — this is a signal that your site does not meet expectations. And search engines take this into account.

🏷️ Myth #11: You should put as many keywords as possible in the Keywords meta tag

This myth goes back to the 2000s.

• Meta keywords do not affect ranking.
• Over-spamming in this tag can make search engines suspicious.
• Keywords in this tag are information for competitors.

Forget about this tag. Instead, focus on title, description and H1 — these elements really work for SEO.

💸 Myth #12: Contextual advertising improves search positions

Contextual advertising is a powerful tool, but it does not directly affect organic positions.

• However, there is an indirect influence. If users start searching for you more often in search — it improves CTR.
• Advertising strengthens brand recognition.
• An unsuccessful campaign can ruin reputation and lower CTR.

SEO and context are the strongest partners. But they work in different ways and should be used competently and together.