Search Engine Optimization has the highest ROI of any marketing medium

Users who click on your natural search listing have an inherent interest in your product or service and see a high ranking as credible. Versus paid search listings, over 70% of users click on the free natural search results. Visitors who come from natural search convert to action (such as sales and inquiries) at a much higher rate than other online or traditional marketing media.

Only three search engines really matter

Google (far and away the leader), Yahoo, and MSN handle up to 95% of all Internet searches. Optimizing for these three, with the emphasis on Google, simply yields the best results for SEO purposes. The "other guys" such as AOL and Alta-Vista often partner with these three anyway, so you're covered.

META keywords are passé

Of the leaders, it's just Yahoo that assigns value to meta keywords. Page content, crawl-ability and back links are where the action is.

You need to create quality links

The actual click-able text and the page context determine quality in the search engines' eyes as well as other factors.

Search engine submission isn't a big deal

The major search engines -- Google, Yahoo and MSN -- and most others find your site on their own. However, submitting your site to websites such as industry directories can be a strategy to gain site visibility and traffic quickly.

Link quality is ever more important

It's not just quantity of back links, but the quality of the linking site that Google and others now evaluate. A link from a "bad" site could hurt you.

Wait until your site is done before seeking Google indexing deal

A site under construction and indexed by Google when it contains flaws can result in lingering penalties. It's best to launch publicly when all is ready for the long term.

Ever fallen for these SEO myths?

Wrong. Estimates are that 60% of all sites are not optimized at all, and most SEO is done after launching. The moral: Do SEO and you're ahead of the pack.

Most sites have optimized before being launched

Not so. Automated queries and manual queries are all the same to a search engine.

Automated search engine queries can result in penalties

Sorry. Overindulgence simply gets your site demoted or penalized. Most experts shoot for keyword density of about 3 to 6%. And any hidden text or links will probably be read as spam and earn a penalty. As for links, Google in particular looks for quality, relevant back links and reciprocal links - not heaping quantities of irrelevant links.

Loading a page with keywords, inserting hidden text and creating lots of links earn a high ranking

Not necessarily. You need to repair broken links and other basic maintenance, but change for the sake of increasing rankings doesn't do much for you.

Sites using Flash cannot be indexed

Not entirely true. Utilizing text and HTML properly will allow indexing. (This one needs a longer explanation.)

Running PPC ads will affect organic rankings

Wrong again. A Google Adwords campaign, for example, is completely separate from SEO considerations.

Page copy must be a certain length to be noticed

Nope. Copy length really has no bearing on search engine rankings. Tune copy to your readership. An engineer probably demands long, technical explanation. A teenager looking for a pair of skateboarding shoes probably does not.

Optimize the homepage, and you're done

Incorrect. Optimizing each page increases your chance for ranking rewards.

SEO is too expensive

Untrue. Once the initial optimization is done correctly, the effects in terms of better rankings and increased, quality traffic can last for years - the clicks are free, there are no advertising bills and maintenance can be minimal. SEO has proven to have the best ROI of any marketing medium. SEO is an investment that will produce a return on investment for years to come.

All the top rankings are taken

Bad thinking. You can improve your results against tough competitors by intelligent use of the possibly thousands of subtle variations on keywords relating to your business. Working smarter works in the SEO world.