Online marketing is arguably the farther thing from an exact science. In fact, there is so much misinformation surrounding the world of internet marketing in general and SEO in particular that even the most seasoned business owners and marketers aren’t sure exactly what is true and what is not. It also doesn’t help matters that almost nothing about internet marketing is static – it is an ever-changing realm that is as difficult to grasp as liquid. Things that were considered to be factual about SEO management and Google rankings four or five years ago have since become outdated inaccuracies. In an effort to attempt to establish at least some semblance of clarity regarding Google rankings, here are some of the myths thereabout.

1. When It Comes to Inbound Links, More is Better

This particular myth is one that is very easy to fall for because it seems to make as much sense as any of the truisms regarding SEO. Google has made (and continues to make) significant changes and updates to its algorithm and in doing so has opted for quality over quantity. In the past, companies just wanted an abundance of links in order to boost their search engine rankings while little to no thought was given to the quality of those links. Now, however, having a lot of links can actually be detrimental. From Google’s perspective, it is akin to spam and can lead to severe penalties for the perpetrating website.

2. Domains That are Keyword-Heavy Get Preferential Treatment

Again, this one would seem to make sense which is why it has persisted for so long as a myth disguised as fact. But just because a particular domain name might have the exact phrasing of its subject matter doesn’t necessarily mean it will rank first. The possibility is certainly strong, but if it is ranked in the first or second spot, it is likely that the ranking has as much to do with other factors as it does with the domain name itself.

3. It’s All About the Metatags

This myth wasn’t always a myth. Metatags actually were at one time (not too long ago, in fact) one of the most significant determining factors for search engine ranking on Google. Those days have passed and Google as well as most other major search engines don’t even index them anymore. That doesn’t mean, however, that metatags should be completely eradicated from your SEO strategy. When your link is displayed in the search results, metatags are displayed with it. Users are more likely to click on your listing if it has a descriptive metatag.

4. Companies Must Submit Their Websites to Google

Fifteen years ago they did but certainly not anymore. Websites once had to submit themselves to the search engine in order to be recognized. But now, Google will pick up just about any website that has almost any connection from any other website, making the submission step obsolete.

5. PageRank is Still a Thing

Well technically it is still a thing but it doesn’t matter much anymore. In case you don’t recall, PageRank was Google’s much touted (and very much hated) ranking of a particular website’s general authority on its subject matter or content. In other words, it was a 1-to-10 rating of how relevant to a particular search topic a website might be. It was once a very telling number in terms of how high a website ranked on a Google search. Nowadays, not so much.

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