10 Interesting Facts About Search Engine Optimization

SEO is a complicated beast that has gone through many changes over the years, but it’s not the ever-changing nature that can make the industry difficult to follow, it’s all of the misinformation. In an industry littered with myths and misconceptions, here are 10 interesting facts about search engine optimization for you to enjoy…

1. Long-form content is more popular than you think

In a time where the average consumer’s attention span is incredibly short, you’d imagine that long-form content would be a waste of time and resources. Contrary to popular belief, not only do people enjoy reading detailed long-form content, but having blog posts that are 2,000 – 3,000 words long can improve search visibility and attract more organic traffic.

2. Getting more traffic to your website doesn’t necessarily mean more sales

Another common misconception is that the goal of SEO is to drive more traffic to your website. And while there is truth to it, that traffic will be all but useless if you don’t have a well-optimized website with an intuitive UX and compelling sales copy. Traffic is not the only important metric.

3. 1 strong backlink is worth more than 10,000 low quality links

You’ll find no shortage of ‘SEO experts’ online trying to sell you thousands and thousands of links for an impressively low price. Tread carefully. The fact is, 1 strong backlink from a relevant website with quality content is far superior to 10,000 low-quality links that will invariably drop off or lead to penalisation.

4. Google updates its search algorithm on a daily basis

You may have heard that Google regularly updates its search algorithm, but it happens far more often than you think! While the most notable update was back in August 2022, they upgrade their search algorithm several times a day.

5. Duplicate content doesn’t actually get you penalised

Contrary to popular belief, having duplicate content on your website will not get you penalised. That said, Google will appoint a website with all or most of its content being duplicated to the lowest rating – as it is seen as being lazy.

Don’t confuse ‘duplicate content’ for ‘copied content’. Copy & pasting content from a competitor can result in penalisation.

6. You don’t have to be #1 to make money

Many people believe that unless they are sitting at #1 they won’t be able to make any money via organic traffic. This is not the case. In fact, websites in positions #2, #3, #4, and #5 still receive a reasonable amount of traffic and can up their conversion rates through proper onsite optimization.

7. Page speed matters

The speed at which your website loads is incredibly important! Many people make the mistake of assuming that users will happily wait –  but that’s because it’s your website and you love it. As for 47% of your website visitors, they’ll abandon it for your competitors if it takes longer than 2 seconds (with conversion rates dropping by 4.42% for each additional second of load time).

8. Over half of people who discover new businesses do so on their phones

If your website isn’t mobile-optimized already, you might want to get on that and FAST! Over 50% of searches for new businesses use a mobile device and if you don’t accommodate them properly, you’ll be missing out on a lot of business! It’s one of the many best practices for effective web development.

9. After content, page titles are the most important on-page ranking factor

Skimping on your website’s page titles is negatively impacting your ranking potential. Conduct proper keyword research, implement the appropriate titles, and make them clear and catchy for the best results!

10. 93% of all online experiences start with a search engine

If you don’t yet recognise the immense value that SEO can bring you, then this statistic might just give you the nudge you need: 93% of all online experiences start with a search engine. That is a staggeringly high statistic, which means if you want to make the most out of your website and start snatching up as much business as possible, it’s definitely worth hiring an SEO firm to help you grow your organic online presence.

Read more: 5 Signs Your SEO Strategy Isn’t Working (And What To Do About It)