Exactly, @Nick. It’s hard to imagine why a client would want to sabotage their SEO success like that…but it sure does happen. It’s sad when it does. :(

Hey, @Michael!

::Sigh:: The myth of “we know Google’s secret formula” has been around since the beginning of Google time. Long enough that I forget that it’s still around (or would that be denial?.) :) Thanks for bringing it back up. I still hear of firms using that scammy sales approach.

I loved your other myths, too – thank you!

@Matthew – YES, that’s another good one (or would it be “bad one?) :) You can certainly have the best of both worlds – great SEO copy that converts like crazy. That’s one heckuva cool win/win!

Thanks for your comment!

1) “My firm can get you the No. 1 spot on Google page ranking in no time.” There’s a lot of overpromising in SEO done by the cheesy SEO firms that claim to have the secret to success. Some of them still play to the misimpression that consumers have regarding myth 2:
2) “We know the hidden, secret formula for getting Google to rank you highly.” They may describe it as some sort of backend technical solution, but they’re playing to the idea of meta keywords being critical, circa, what 1997?
3) “Social media doesn’t matter for SEO purposes, just your website.” As if Google launched Google+ without any search engine considerations in mind.
4) “Just get them to your site — that’s all it takes to drive up sales.” There’s still a lot of focus on the acquisition element while conversion is an afterthought.

Well, let’s just say that’s often the case, and that making it so is sad/crap approach to online writing [sad if borne out of ignorance, crap for those who are still trying to “game the system”].

That’s one of the things I love about your work – shining a beacon on RELEVANT, high quality, SEO-friendly writing that actually converts. [NB – For other readers, this was an unsolicited bit hat tip to one of my favourite fellow writer-marketers. Hope the point that preceded it was also useful!]

@Dawn – Congrats on launching your site! :)

It sounds like you’re working in a pretty competitive environment. Keyphrases are still going to be your best bet – but your market positioning is going to be even more important. Think about how to differentiate your site from others online. Are there additional ways to add value-added content? What other ways can you drive traffic to your site? How can you successfully use social?

The more you make your site stand out (and be THE go-to place,) the more you’ll build your brand online. Plus, the more quality content you add, the more opportunities you have to get good Google rankings.

Good luck!

@Ian – good point. Although I have seen companies run EXTREMELY successful campaigns by giving all of their information away (which is a tad counterintuitive – but it works for them.) I suppose it would depend on the industry and what the company is selling/offering…

Thanks for your comment!

@Kevin – oh no! That sounds horrible! It sounds like those bad pharmaceutical ads where they don’t tell you what the pill is for – they just tell you to “Ask your doctor about X.”

I can only imagine how panful the content was to read (and edit, too!)….
:)