The Whole Truth About Search Engine Optimization
A Pet Sitter's Guide to Google, Yahoo and DMOZ

Part 1: The Top Ten Myths

Myth 1. If I stuff my website with excessive or irrelevant keywords (especially in my meta tags), it will help my ranking.

False. It is more likely to lower your page rank. Care must be taken in choosing keywords.

Myth 2. Keywords don't matter any more for Google or other search engines.

False. Google would be downright stupid to ignore keywords. Keywords are also still the most important factor for Yahoo. Keywords help to list your site correctly.

Myth 3. If I exchange links with lots of random, unrelated websites (ex: link farms), the increased quantity of links to my site will raise my site ranking.

False. If done indiscriminately, it can hurt your ranking. Link quality is just as or more important than link quantity.

Myth 4. You have to pay search engines money to be ranked higher.

False. Google and Yahoo have paid (sponsored) ad programs, but these are listed separately (above or adjacent) from search results.

Myth 5. Search Engine Optimization (SEO’s) companies can guarantee top ranking for your site.

False. Google and Yahoo's ranking formulas are strictly guarded company secrets and the factors involved change frequently. Page ranking is also highly competitive. SEO’s can influence your rank for better (or worse), but they can not control it.

Myth 6. Submitting my site to Search Engines often will improve my website ranking.

False. Other than initially helping a search engine to find your site, the act of submitting your site has no effect on your rankings whatsoever.

Myth 7. Once I'm on top, I don't have to do anything to stay there.

False. Getting on top and staying there is extremely competitive. Factors are always changing. You may need to make a continuous effort to improve your rank or even maintain it.

Myth 8. My competitor can hurt my rankings or delete my site from Google's index.

False. Your competitor can build a great site and get high rankings because of their effort, but there is really nothing they can do to directly hurt your own site’s placement.

Myth 9. When I use a search engine, I am searching the internet as it exists at that moment.

False. You are searching a precompiled database with results based on scans of the internet ranging from a few hours ago to weeks or even months ago.

Myth 10. Keywords are only for Meta Tags.

Big False. There are many places in your site where keywords should be used. Two of them are even more important than the Keyword Meta Tag.