Marketing 101: Debunking the Myths of SEO Strategy in 2023

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Feb 09, 2023

Marketing 101: Debunking the Myths of SEO Strategy in 2023

Introduction

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) has become a crucial aspect of digital marketers in today's world, where business owners are striving to reach the top of search engine rankings and attract more traffic to their websites via digital marketing. However, with the ever-changing algorithms and updates from search engines like Google, there are many misconceptions about SEO that can lead businesses astray.

In this article, we'll debunk some of the most common myths about SEO strategies in 2023.

We will look at some of the case studies done by Semrush's SplitSignal that used split tests to optimize website for search engine result pages (SERPs), as well as analyze the latest Google algorithm updates that could affect your SEO strategy. Finally, we will discuss the results of different split tests conducted and how they can be used to create an effective SEO strategy in 2023.

Top Common Myths of SEO

In the fast-paced world of digital marketing, SEO strategies are constantly evolving. With so much information available, it can be difficult to separate the truth from fiction.

SEO is Dead

One of the most persistent myths about SEO is that it's dead. This is simply not true. SEO is not dead, but it has evolved. In the past, SEO was all about keywords, but today, it's much more complex. Google's algorithms have become much more sophisticated, taking into account factors like user experience, mobile-friendliness, and content quality. While SEO may look different today than it did in the past, it is still a vital component of any digital marketing strategy.

Keyword Stuffing is Effective

Another common myth about SEO is that keyword stuffing is an effective way to improve rankings. However, this is far from the truth. In fact, keyword stuffing can harm your website's rankings and even result in a penalty from search engines. Google's algorithms are designed to identify and penalize websites that use excessive keywords in an attempt to manipulate rankings. Instead of keyword stuffing, focus on creating high-quality, relevant content that naturally includes keywords.

Impact of Social Media on SEO

Many businesses believe that social media has no impact on SEO, but this couldn't be further from the truth. Social media signals, such as shares and likes, can play a role in search engine rankings. Additionally, social media can drive traffic to your website, which can indirectly improve your search engine rankings. Make sure to include social media in your overall SEO strategy, and use it as a tool to increase your visibility and reach.

Link Building is Not Important

Link building has been a controversial topic in the world of SEO for years. Some believe that it is no longer important, while others consider it a crucial aspect of any SEO strategy. The truth is, link building is still an important part of SEO. Quality relevant backlinks from authoritative websites can help improve your website's rankings and visibility. However, it is important to focus on building quality score, natural links, rather than using spammy tactics.

To be able to answer all these, we have to be thankful to Semrush for providing us with different eye-opening test in-depth results made for all kinds of businesses with just a few tweaks, let's explore together below.

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The Reality of SEO in 2023

Case 1: Bolding Text For SEO Performance

Bolded text has no discernible impact on SEO performance. What is the reason then?

Google has said that while bolding your texts might convey a clear message, it typically relates to what they believe the page is about. This indicates that its interpretation does not alter significantly.

Case 2: Adding H3 Tags to Ecommerce Products Names

One approach to make it apparent to search engines what your information is about is to use headers. They aid in the development of a solid content structure and enhance readability.

With the variance of header possibilities, using H3 tags effectively and strategically for your ecommerce products elevate the traffic size by 4.3% according to the case result.

Why? Google makes this determination based on the text contained in elements like heading tags. It was able to illustrate the significance of such optimizations and illustrate how for example, ecommerce sites can enhance page relevancy by placing greater emphasis on the core content of listed products via heading tags.

Case 3: Adding Intent Keywords to Headings

For this case study by SEM rush, the headers of several pages on a pet grooming company's website were updated to include their location.

And yes, it shows positive result with an increase in clicks to the client’s test pages by 4% over the 21-day test period.

This signaled to Google that these pages had a strong local focus, even though it was a small indication.

Case 4: Small H3 Change To Get Higher Click Result

For this test, SEM rush studied h3 tags on a stock photo site. For example, if you click on a tag that says “cute puppies” you’re taken to a collection of cute puppy photos.

The h3s were changed to read "Related photo searches," and the test sites saw a staggering 27% spike in clicks as a result. That is a substantial rise from a comparatively small change.

For businesses who believe their SEO has reached a plateau, small changes such as H3 in your SEO strategy may increase the ROI of your current content.

Case 5: Using Sentence Case or Title Case For Title Tags

Let's say you write: 'Debunking The Myths Of SEO Strategy In 2023' or 'Debunking the myths of seo strategy in 2023'.

In this sense, you will likely agree that the first option (title-case) is much more comprehensive and engaging, isn't it?

For this SEO test, we determined that title case is more beneficial than sentence case. Sentence case had a detrimental effect on organic traffic because it makes page titles hard to read and difficult to locate in search results. The analysis found that sentence case caused the website's click-through rates (CTR) to decrease.

It has been found that if a search result is difficult to read or scan, a user can just switch to another result.

Case 6: Using same H1 and Title Tag for Headings

But would this help increase traffic?

After a Google update in August 2021, webpage titles began displaying in the SERPs. Google considered the most prominent visual for humans on a web page to be the h1.

Searchers also tend to look for the specific query they entered and its corresponding answer or result.

Google was revising all of an important page template's page titles as the resulting effects of the change. In order to determine whether we ought to edit the content that shows in search results ourselves or allow Google to do it, this experiment would be your strategy.

This case study demonstrates the significance of monitoring Google's rewriting of your page titles while also allowing you to determine whether Google is actually displaying a higher performing page title. We think that the h1 alteration and the page title that appeared in the SERPs worked together to make this test successful. Both elements made it easier to more precisely match the user's search intent.

Case 7: Adding “Updated [Year]” in Title Increase Organic Clicks

Most of us are already aware of this strategy. Users behaviour will tend to click on the 'Latest Year' article on google search. And it is true that there is an increase in clicks based on SEM rush research.

Case 8: Adding Unicode Characters to the Meta Description

Unicode characters are becoming increasingly popular in the meta description of webpages. Adding them to the meta description can help improve the visibility of a website or page in search engine results.

The reason is that:

When a user chooses a specific result, it is usually relevant - or at least more relevant than the other options shown.

When your SERP summary is tailored to the user's interests, it can result in an organic increase in audience, as provided in this case study, here.

Case 9: Impact of Boilerplate Content on SEO Performance

Google claims to be effective at filtering out duplicated content, however, SEO remains doubtful.

Google recommends limiting boilerplate content, even though it is commonly seen across websites.

The term "boilerplate content" in an SEO context refers to sections of a website that remain nearly identical across different pages, such as headers, footers, and sidebars. The text or links included in these areas are often reused without significant modification.

So does Google really treat your site differently if you have boilerplate text?

Google's test results suggest that certain HTML elements like heading tags do have an impact on boilerplate content.

Headings make content more informative and helpful to active users and search engines alike. However, unnecessary or unrelated headings in boilerplate content can reduce the comprehensiveness and relevance of the content, leading to poorer organic results.

The results revealed that the tested pages showed improved performance in search results. This was evident not only through an increase in clicks, but also by a rise in impressions; this implies that these tested pages became more suitable to the search queries for which they were ranked.

Case 10: Removing FAQ

Getting rid of the frequently asked questions schema and its associated objects and values caused a decline in organic traffic to the webpages.

The test results demonstrated that rich results can noticeably influence SEO performance; consequently, the clickthrough rates (CTR) for the studied category pages went down.

Conclusion

We hope that the above strategies can help improve visibility and organic traffic to your business webpages!

However, it is important to note that these strategies may not always result in an increase in clicks or impressions; however, they can still be beneficial for improving a website's overall performance.

If you would love to experience split tests for your website SEO performance, the popular recommendation is to try out SplitSignal here.

Now it's time to explore the secrets to a successful SEO strategy with the top techniques for 2023 and learn how to drive more traffic to your website today.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is SEO?

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization and it is the process of optimizing a website to increase its visibility in search engine results. This includes optimizing content, keywords, meta tags, and other elements on the page to make it more relevant to users’ searches.

What are some top techniques for SEO in 2023?

Some of the top techniques for SEO in 2023 include optimizing content, using keywords strategically, creating high-quality relevant backlink profiles, focusing on user experience, and utilizing structured data. Additionally, it is important to stay up-to-date with the latest algorithm updates and trends in order to ensure your website remains competitive.

What is boilerplate content?

Boilerplate content refers to sections of a website that remain nearly identical across different pages, such as headers, footers, and sidebars. The text or links included in these areas are often reused without significant modification.