Robert Marbun |  My Online Reference

Now we’ll debunk 5 of the most common myths of search engine optimization –myths that can lead to ineffectual marketing strategies and poor search engine placement. We’ll take a look at the fiction surrounding submission software, meta tags and in-house optimization before running to ground rumours of the cost of search engine optimization and the quality of the traffic it generates.

Myth #1: Software Can do it All
If you believe some expensive program can take care of all your search engine optimization needs, we have some property in a Florida swamp for sale that you might also be interested in.

The myth that a piece of software can do it all is quite pervasive and is fuelled in part by ads that promise website submissions to over a 1000 search engines. Many of these programs are actually worthless and could get you labelled as a spammer. Some create junk doorway pages, while others submit your site to link farms which may actually hurt your search engine ranking. More importantly however, because the 4 leading search engines and directories generate 90% of search engine traffic, it’s a waste of time to focus on the bit players.

The fact of the matter is that it takes a lot of time and effort to identify keyphrases and optimize website content. Software can certainly help to automate some aspects of the process, but you can’t expect any application to make the job of search engine optimization easy. Most search engines now have measures in place to prevent automated queries. When it comes to search engine optimization, it’s good idea to follow the old adage: “If you want something done right, get a professional to do it.”

Myth #2: Optimising Meta Tags Alone Will Guarantee a Top Ranking
If your idea of search engine optimization is tweaking a few meta tags, than you’re in for a disappointment. The notion that optimising meta tags alone can guarantee your website top placement is a myth. The truth of the matter is that meta tags are becoming less and less important.

In fact, many search engines now ignore them completely because they invariably contain keywords that have nothing to do with the content that is actually on a page. In the past, some webmasters achieved a high ranking by repeating the same keywords over and over in the meta tags, but today these tactics just won’t wash. Sites are actually penalized for this kind of spamming.

While meta tags may still be useful, they are no longer the be all and end all of search engine optimization. It doesn’t hurt to include them however. Keep in mind that in some search engines, the meta description shows up in the search results page. A brief, well-written meta description will give web surfers a good idea of what your page is about and may even encourage them to click on your link. In directories such as ODP human editors sometimes use meta descriptions as a basis for the directory’s description of your site.

Myth #3: Search Engine Marketing Can be Handled In House
While in theory it might seem like a good idea to get your webmaster to handle search engine optimization, in practice, it is usually anything but. Fact is, your in-house “expert” probably doesn’t have the time or the expertise to perform effective search engine marketing.

If the in-house webmaster or web team is actually looking for a task (which is probably not the case) recommend that efforts be focused on improving the visitor to sales ratio. Let the search engine optimization professionals get the traffic, and the in-house webmasters turn those visitors into more sales.

Search engine optimization used to be a piece of cake, but not anymore. Some strategies that were once perfectly acceptable will now get you labelled as a “spammer” and could harm your rankings. Your in-house expert would have to pour over hundreds of search engine optimization documents just to get his feet wet.

To actually keep abreast of the rapid changes in the field, he would have to scan another 50 pages a month worth of articles, newsletters and discussion boards. If he juggles search engine optimization duties with a full-time job, sooner or later, one of the balls is going to hit the floor.

If you use your site to sell many products or to generate sales leads, you probably need to outsource to a search engine optimization company. If your site features a lot of frames, graphics, or Flash animations, or if you sell your product in more than one country, you may also need professional help.

Myth #4: Hiring an SEO Expert Costs Too Much
There is absolutely no truth to the myth that search engine optimization experts are too expensive. Search engine optimization is generally far cheaper than any other marketing campaign you can conduct online or offline. It costs less than direct mail, email lists, banner ads, print ads, or booths at trade shows.

Yet most companies shy away from consulting search engine optimization professionals and instead rely on their own in-house “experts”. According to a study by iProspect, 97% of Fortune 100 companies are difficult to find in search engines –45% don’t even use meta tags, the most basic form of optimization. Since a lot of companies are doing such an astonishingly bad job of search engine optimization, you’d think they wouldn’t let the cost of outsourcing be a deterrent.

While a few experts may come with six figure prices tags, most have reasonable fees. A few thousand dollars can cover the cost of optimising an entire site and positioning it in the top 4 search engines responsible for more than 90% of web traffic. That means a fairly small investment could raise your site traffic by as much as 75% –a lot more potential than most other marketing campaigns.

Myth #5: Traffic From Search Engines Isn’t All It’s Cracked Up To Be

Many companies believe that search engine optimization is a waste of time and money because it doesn’t generate sales leads the way traditional marketing does. This is a polite fiction, no doubt bandied about by advertising agencies who don’t have a clue about how search engine ranking works.

Unfortunately, many companies are all too ready to believe it. They spend thousands on direct mail, email and online advertising campaigns to drive targeted traffic to their websites, but according to a study by CyberAtlas Research, 46% of them spend less than 1% of their marketing budget on search engine optimization; this despite the fact that sales leads and direct sales from search engine traffic is often equal to or better than those of more expensive marketing campaigns.

The vast majority of Internet users — some 85% — use search engines to find company sites. These are people actively looking for information on products and services, not just those whose curiosity has been piqued by an eye-catching magazine ad or press release. So, before you start shelling out cash to some ad agency for your next marketing campaign, why not consult a search engine optimization firm? You just might be surprised: traffic from search engines may be more than it’s cracked up to be.