Search engine optimization (SEO) is a technique used to improve website visibility and help web pages improve their search results rankings. Unfortunately, there are a number of misconceptions surrounding the practice that, if implemented, can cause your marketing efforts to suffer. To help you sidestep these traps, ACG247, a respected digital marketing company in Miami, FL, discusses below some of the most common SEO misconceptions.

3 Common SEO Misconceptions

1. Paid Search Boosts Organic Results

Some people believe if they purchase ads, they'll rank higher in Google's search results—even for search terms they have not paid for. This myth has been soundly debunked. Although paid search (or pay per click) advertisements do certainly drive traffic, they do not help your page rank higher in organic search results pages. Google, Bing, and the other major search engines consciously avoid this type of special treatment.

2. You Should Stuff as Many Keywords in as Possible

Keyword stuffing—or inserting as many iterations of your desired keyword into your web page as possible—does not help you improve the page's SERP rank. In fact, stuffing too many keywords could actually prove detrimental. It impairs content readability, sounds spammy, and may cause search engines to bump you down the results hierarchy. Instead, optimal keyword density is between one and two instances of the phrase for every 100 words of content.

3. You Should Build Links at All Costs

One of the ways search engines determine quality content is by evaluating how many other people link to a website. Lots of links normally indicate unique or valuable content. Online marketers have tried to game the system by creating link farms, paying for links, or trading links with other websites. This type of manipulative linking is difficult for algorithms to counteract, but search engineers are constantly seeking ways to reduce the practice's impact, so it is a poor long-term strategy.

If you need help improving your SEO and digital marketing efforts, turn to the team at ACG247 in Miami, FL. They will also help you with local search and social media marketing services. Visit their website to learn more about the company, and call (305) 279-9959 to discuss your needs today.