Search engine optimization (SEO) evolves with every passing day as new, advanced techniques or tools are unearthed in the digital marketing scenario to enhance online campaigns. Although the fundamental principles remain unchanged, there is a plethora of new, cutting-edge SEO methods and strategies, which have become critical for efficient digital marketing. Similarly, there are some things about SEO that you may not have known; tips, tricks, or facts that change the entire game of your SEO domain.
Whether you are a beginner or an expert, SEO is essential for every online marketer, blogger, and business owner. Therefore, you should have a detailed understanding of SEO for the careful planning and execution of strategies. There are still some things related to SEO that you may have never heard of, which will help you understand the search engine market differently. This article aims to put forward certain shocking facts that can help you take a particular approach in SEO.
Every strategy requires a different technique and comprehensive knowledge regarding this industry. Therefore, you should be aware of all the things relevant to SEO to facilitate your online marketing strategy.
Here is a list of SEO facts that you may not have heard before.
1. Duplicate Content Penalty Is A Myth
There are thousands of myths surrounding the SEO industry, one of which is the duplicate content penalty. People with no SEO knowledge or experience often emphasize the fact that Google penalizes duplicate content. However, it is one of the biggest misconceptions related to SEO that strikes fear in the heart of online marketers. Google does not penalize any site for using duplicate content. Moreover, similar content does not always hurt SEO.
However, if you use duplicate content for your site, you should add signals in canonical documents and optimize those canonical pages for a better user experience. Duplicate content will not get you penalized, unlike the copied content, if you use canonical tags to direct Google towards the original version. For this purpose, those new to the SEO business should always learn the beginner’s guide to canonical tags before shaping their content marketing strategies or analyzing their SEO rankings.
2. Homepage Videos lead to a two-fold increase in your SERP
A video on your homepage doubles the chance of gaining a good search engine ranking. Hence, improving its SERPs dramatically. Videos are more preferred than texts these days as it is considered a more convenient and efficient mode of communication. According to recent statistics, videos have a 41% higher click-through rate (CTR) than text.
Marketers can use various video platforms. However, a video with a YouTube format dominates SERP since Google owns it. Embedding videos on the homepage is an effective SEO tactic that can heighten your rankings and keep the visitors engaged. Moreover, it helps people share the video-containing page on various social media platforms, eventually increasing the possibility of receiving inbound links from users and enhancing your SEO.
3. Travel Time Is Google’s Ranking Factor
The amount of time a person invests in reaching your site from a particular location, whether it is local search or optimization, influences Google’s ranking factor. Consequently, completely optimized sites may rank low if they are not closer to the user. Google acknowledges time travel as the investment of time made by a person to visit a specific location.
4. Object Detection in Images Is a Ranking Signal
Google reads and ranks pictures and promotes the idea of image optimization. Object detection analyzes and determines the details inside an image. It also recognizes individual objects and faces within a visual. Moreover, it finds and reads printed words. Consequently, you can build metadata on your image catalog and moderate offensive content. It results in displaying a small number of false positives during keyword search, ultimately boosting your ranking.
5. Social Signal Influences your Ranking
Likes, shares, and comments are often considered to drive your site towards high ranks, but is that true or just a myth? According to a study, more Facebook activity links with a higher ranking in the search list. Social media platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn & Pinterest are highly correlated with the rankings on Google, with Facebook taking the lead. In addition to providing engagement with potential customers, Facebook interactions influence Google rankings.
6. Content Relevance transcends link-building
We are all aware of the link-building strategy and how it affects Google rankings. However, in the current SEO scenario, relevance is above any other SEO technique. Internal and external links provide a good rapport to your site, boost your rankings, and increase your outreach. Nevertheless, it has an authority issue. If the links you embed are not related to your products, content, and your brand’s ideology, they are of no use for your site’s online presence and ranking. It can hurt the SERPs of your website. Therefore, quality is more important than quantity. The authenticity of your site depends on the credibility of the backlinks you choose to incorporate so that you yield the most topical search results.
Wrap Up
In a nutshell, SEO is the core of digital marketing. Undoubtedly, it is transforming at an incredible pace. These were some of the lesser-known facts related to SEO that we decided to unravel to make ventures conveniently achieve ideal SERPs and business goals. Being fully aware of the SEO industry makes it easier for businesses to thrive in digital marketing.
Staying up to date to the advanced techniques and market trends is the key to a successful SEO campaign. There are multiple things you need to get knowledge about to have a comprehensive understanding of SEO and fulfill the requirements of every approach you wish to take in this competitive market. In this article, we have tried to clear the air about various things related to SEO. Duplicate content policy, the misconception about link building to the importance of design and social media activity. Perhaps, a complete understanding of this field will help you give an edge in online marketing.