Mediaboss Marketing

Call the SEO word police.

These days in the SEO world, sometimes its more complicated than ever to tell whats hot and whats not when it comes to SEO terminology, phrases, and words.

As brands and marketers start to embrace Web3, the next generation of the internet terms come and go.

To ensure you are on top of it, we tapped the minds of the industrys leading SEO and digital marketing professionals to dissect the over-used, underrated, and up-and-coming SEO words.

Just like styles change with the season, SEO changes with the algorithms and the modern times.

What might have been last seasons must-have buzzword just might be this years red flag waiting for a Google penalty.

Are we still talking about wearing black hats and white hats? Is this still a primarily male-dominated, exclusive industry? Are press releases still a tactic or a strategy?

Some SEO words have just run their course, classifying them as overused, overvalued, and in some cases, just plain over.

As we enter the Web3 era, also known as the next generation of the internet, marketers and brands must adapt accordingly.

Besides Web3, brands of all sizes need to focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion as a strategy, leadership, and culture checkpoint.

Including content and addressing accessibility, equality, equal pay, work from home, etc., are not just buzzwords. They are the new normal when it comes to keywords, culture, and innovation,

In Search Engine Journals recent interview with Rachel Heseltine, she shared her story of coming out as an SEO professional and thoughts on the impact of diversity in leadership and beyond.

Public relations and media coverage continue to positively impact SEO as the results unravel from the perks of links to the positive SEO bumps, thanks to brand mentions in the media.

Lets also keep on the radar what SEO will look like in the metaverse as Google tiptoes into one of the biggest Google Trend buzzwords of 2021: the metaverse.

As we enter into a Web3 world, terms like decentralization, privacy, and blockchain will be trending up.

For the average person, SEO has been somewhat of a mystery of how it works, how long it takes, and who is the expert.

Using outdated terms and language can be a sure sign of incompetence, ignorance, or transformation and modernization.

When we asked leading SEO professionals which words to eliminate, the most overused SEO word is SEO.

Heres why you cant be all things to all people.

SEO is not magic, and its not a catchall.

The word SEO on its own isnt bad, said content marketing consultant and SEO expert Kelsey Jones. But shady agencies are using vague terms to not be transparent with clients about the actual work they are doing on their website.

I have small business owners coming to me, asking for SEO and assuming it will magically make them number one in search results simply because other SEO practitioners have said its possible within months. As professionals, its just not right to be taking advantage of people who have no idea what youre talking about, Jones added.

I also think the term content is slightly misleading and misunderstood because many business owners or C-suite executives dont understand the blood, sweat, and tears it takes to create a piece of content from the initial idea to research, writing, and promotion.

They think anyone can create content, but it takes a team of professionals who know how the entire process works to make it effective.

Considering SEOs birth dates back to 1997, making it just over 20 years old, theres still a ton of growing up.

Weve gone from birth to infancy to middle school to teen years and graduated from college.

SEO was quite simple in the early years.

Gaming the system was easy.

Manipulating search results was the game.

Now that SEO is in its mid-20s, things are starting to mature and get serious.

As SEO grows up, so does the vocabulary, terminology, and best practices.

In todays post-pandemic, complicated, and fast-moving digital marketing world, change is a way of life. Its true. If search marketers had to pick a specialty, it would be expert in change.

And so the SEO goes.

What worked last year is old news and what was amazing five years ago is ancient history in Google years. Unlike fashion, dated SEO terminology doesnt make a comeback.

Optimizing to win results on Googles page one search results needs an attitude of adapt or die.

To keep up with the changes, here are 26 SEO words industry professionals would like to delete, die, and say bye-bye.

The SEO words you should delete and the SEO words to add in 2022 and beyond.

Lets review the word content.

The term content is slightly misleading and misunderstood because many business owners or C-suite executives dont understand the blood, sweat, and tears it takes to create a piece of content, from the initial idea to research, writing, and promotion. They think anyone can create content, but it takes a team of professionals who know how the entire process works to make it effective.

My pet peeve term that needs to go?

Keyword density.

At least once a week, I receive an email from an SEO writer complaining that their client wants an X% keyword density and its messing up the content flow.

Yes, back in the day (over 20 years ago), we needed a 5.5% key phrase density to position in Alta Vista.

Today, Google has said that keyword density isnt a ranking factor.

Randomly shoving keywords into content wont help positions. Yet, I still see companies (and some SEO tools) pushing for a specific keyword density because they think thats what Google wants.

Most Overused SEO Words:

SEO Is Dead

This really annoys me, since it clearly isnt. Who only knows how our business will change with regard to this Net Neutrality situation, but I am sure we will just find another way to give our consumers the content theyre looking for.

Outbound Marketing

This one gets me and feels a bit overused. Maybe the phrase digital marketing should take it over.

Yes, outbound is different from inbound, but we need to get on with it and try something else.

Content Is King

This is my absolute favorite overused phrase. I agree content can be king. You must factor in that if your site isnt optimized, the content isnt strong, and you dont have a decent budget to promote it then its not king. People just wont see the content.

Must-Have SEO Word To Add:

Testing

Id add the word TESTING in really big bold letters. I think many SEOs talk a big game around testing, but very few implement, test, tweak and learn with measured scientific testing.

What produced results and what did not? How can we better design our test? How can we improve our results?

In my opinion, the number one rule of testing is be prepared to be wrong.

I think theres a lot of ego in the SEO industry and many cant handle being wrong about a theory or tactic theyve been using (and heavily promoting) for YEARS.

Its hard to eat crow but if it makes my clients more money Ill add ketchup and dig in.

Hit Delete

Heres why

Toxic Links

SEO tools created the notion of toxic links and now the industry has gone overboard with assigning relevance and importance to this score.

However, the same SEO tools that measure toxic links are mostly just looking at spammy links, which are entirely ignored by Google.

Every website has spammy links, and Google knows this. The real toxic links are links that violate Googles guidelines, which are generally difficult for SEO tools to identify.

This idea of a toxicity score is misleading for SEOs and website owners alike.

DA Score

Another metric created by SEO tools has been blown completely out of proportion.

While Google likely uses some version of a domain-wide evaluation of authoritativeness, we dont have access to those metrics and DA is certainly not it.

E-A-T Score / Algorithm / Algorithm Update

E-A-T is extremely important, but using terms like E-A-T score, the E-A-T algorithm, or the E-A-T algorithm update greatly oversimplifies what E-A-T actually does and how it works. The term E-A-T is likely used across all of Googles organic algorithms, but it cant be boiled down to a simple score in the same way something like Core Web Vitals can be.

Also, no single algorithm update focused only on E-A-T, although it has played an increasingly important role in algorithm updates of recent years.

Most Overused SEO Words:

Best And Top

I have probably even been guilty of using these words in the past.

However, in the era of brand democratization where customers are part of the brand story, search results favor brands when customers are the ones saying they are the best or top in what they offer.

So, let customers and audiences have their say!

SEO Words Trending In:

It is time to embrace the softer side of SEO!

Customers become emotionally attached and fiercely loyal to brands they love. So, words will vary by brand and marketplace.

To attract the most qualified visitors to a website from search engine results, brands can leverage two key elements in content and snippets in the hope they will appear in SERPs:

For example, Apples snippet reads: Discover the innovative world of Apple and shop

Customers are loyal to the Apple brand because they are connected and continually anticipate the brands innovation.

Use of brand differentiators calls to action (CTA) like discover and shop promote action (the click!).

When SEO becomes more human, everyone wins!

New Term To Be Added:

Google Business Profile

Since Google rebranded Google My Business recently, we should add the new name: Google Business Profile.

The frustrating thing with this rebrand is that it sounds very dumb when you abbreviate it to GBP as Google thinks youre talking about the British pound.

It will take a lot of practice to get used to saying Google Business Profile instead of GMB.

I agree with Link Juice for words that should be removed. I cant stand how this word sounds and usually opt for something like link power or link equity instead.

Most Overused SEO Words:

Do this, and you will succeed.

Everyone writing and giving advice need to stop saying anything like this.

There are too many variables to consider when it comes to SEO to guarantee someone that they will be successful if they copy your strategy.

As an editor, I always remove these false promises from my articles.

Most Overused SEO Words:

Link Building

Can this concept please die? Youre either:

Go here to read the rest:
25+ SEO Words To Delete, Add, Or Reconsider In The Web3 Era - Search Engine Journal