Tools to optimize search engine rankings often include automated audits with reports and recommendations. The findings typically include detailed explanations, which are handy for SEO learners.
But the findings are often harmful in my experience, as they suggest actions that are low priority if not harmful. They are unlikely to improve performance and distract from worthwhile tactics that can move the needle.
Do-it-yourself SEO is possible, provided the doer understands helpful practices versus those that waste time.
Here are common SEO recommendations to ignore.
Title Tag Length
Google truncates title tags in search results to roughly 60 characters. Many SEO tools therefore flag longer titles as a weakness.
This is false. Google considers the entire title to assess relevancy, even if partly cropped. Hence a longer title can help a page rank higher.
Instead of shortening title tags, consider rewriting them with the critical keywords at the front to appear prominently in SERPs and attract clicks.
Hreflang Usage
Hreflang is an HTML attribute informing search engines which language to show for a specific geo region.
SEO tools frequently report the absence of an hreflang tag as an error. In reality, the tag is pointless for single-language sites, and since 2016 Google has ignored it altogether.
Moreover, modern web browsers and accessibility screen readers programmatically determine the language.
Hence, hreflang tags are unnecessary for all sites — single- and multi-language.
HTML Headings
Many themes and content management systems use HTML headings inconsistently. For example, a page could contain two H1 headings, no H2s, or multiple H3s preceding an H2.
Certainly HTML headings should appear sequentially when possible, but it’s sometimes difficult without changing a theme, and it’s unlikely to improve rankings. Thus I advise clients to ignore sequential placement if it requires much time or money.
Make sure to use HTML headings and include keywords, but ignore recommendations for precise order.
Word Count
For years, search engine optimizers have claimed word count as an important ranking factor. Some studies have claimed longer pages rank higher. Many SEO tools suggest pages of 1,000 words or more.
It’s nonsense. For years Google representatives have stated the number of words (or links) on a page is irrelevant. Likely, bloated pages are actually harmful if humans ignore them, prompting algorithms to classify them as unhelpful.
A page should have the minimum length to satisfy and help a user. If that’s 200 words, so be it. Write for humans and ignore “minimum word count” recommendations and focus instead on searchers’ intent.