Ever since the invention of search engines, there has been an incredible proliferation of myths surrounding search engines and eCommerce. I mean, there have always been snake oil salesmen and their equivalent in every field of the market. Why would SEO be any different?
So, many of these recurring myths often respond to a sales tactic or some party interested in selling a solution to a problem that does not really exist. Moreover, most writers who dedicate their lives to reporting on SEO, are not SEO specialists. So the internet is littered with sensationalist headlines that actually just stir the confusion pot up.
So, in order to help you avoid these traps, we present the 5 most common BigCommerce SEO myths.
There Is A Correct Keyword Saturation Rate
Do you want to rank for a term? You stuff your page with that keyword until you hit the 10% or 20% density and you are good to go, right? WRONG!
As we have written about before, Google has long moved away from exact match keyword matching. In fact, they are now more likely to rank pages that mention the keyword in a variety of different contexts and ways.
So, if you are targeting the keyword “shoes” for your eCommerce store, try to naturally work it into your titles, product descriptions, and even blog posts. You will have a better chance of ranking higher than if you just jammed the word shoe into every sentence on your page.
Every Link Counts The Same
No, not every link is created equal. In fact, the quality of a link matters more than the quantity.
This means that links from high authority websites (like .edu or .gov domains) are worth more than links from low authority websites. Moreover, links from websites with high levels of engagement (like social media sites) are also worth more than links from websites with low levels of engagement.
So, if you are looking to improve your link profile, focus on acquiring links from high authority and highly engaging websites.
You Need Thousands Of Links To Rank
Again, this is not true.
In fact, a recent study by Moz found that the number of links needed to rank in the top 3 positions for a given keyword was around 500. And, the number of links needed to rank in the top 5 positions was around 350.
So, if you are looking to improve your SEO, focus on acquiring high-quality links from authority websites, not just sheer quantity.
Number 1 Is The Only Position That Matters
While it is true that the number 1 position receives the most traffic, there are several different positions that matter in SEO.
For example, if you are looking to increase your brand awareness, you will want to rank in the top 5 positions for your target keywords. And, if you are looking to generate more leads or sales, you will want to rank in the top 3 positions.
Moreover, Google takes intent into account when ranking a website for a keyword. Crafting content from a purely informative point of view might increase your ranking for informative queries, but you also need to make sure your website ranks for queries with a commercial intent if your goal is to increase conversions.
So, don’t focus on just the number 1 position. Instead, focus on ranking in as many of the top positions as possible for your target keywords, while making sure you are also ranking for the search right intent.
After doing business with many BigCommerce SEO agencies, I found that Genius eCommerce was the only one who knew what they were doing. They focused on the right factors and managed to deliver solid results in a very short time, which resulted in extremely successful SEO campaigns for several of my websites. If you are building your business on BigCommerce, I recommend you check them out today.