The other day a friend of mine called me up in a panic. His website had been advancing dramatically in PageRank and he was working hard to build it up. Then he checked at the beginning of December and noticed that his PageRank had dropped to zero. The phone call to me was an "I'm ruined" phone call and it took me a long time to calm him down and assure him that he was not ruined. It inspired me to write this list of 4 myths of internet marketing.

1. PageRank is the be-all and end-all of marketing. That's not true. There are several factors that go into successful search engine placement. PageRank is a number that Google uses to determine your placement in search rankings but there are other factors, too. A higher PageRank is helpful, but it's only part of the equation. PageRank is determined from backlinks and how long your URL is registered for, among other things. But it doesn't take into account keyword placement and a smart keyword program can still benefit your business.

2. Keyword density. I sometimes wish this one were on the way out but it still rears its ugly head from time to time. Keyword density is a metric used by internet marketers to determine how many keywords they need to have on a page to optimize the likelihood that Google spiders will view the site and file it appropriately and, perhaps, more highly than something else. A density of 4% has often been the magic number. However, it's a terrible number to aim for because it results in non-readable content. So you might get traffic to your business but you won’t make sales from it.

3. You should only link back to your site from higher PageRank sites. If you're going for PageRank, this does make sense in theory. However, this is a common practice and what you end up with is a marketing plan that puts you in the most competitive places. It's like putting your billboard on the same street where your competitors are all putting their billboards. Instead, some lower PageRank sites might not give you the high value back link you want, but they can give you a steady stream of website visitors using the "long tail" approach.

4. It's not all about search results. One of the points I raised with my friend is this: Some people are online and don't even bother with search results. It's simply not in their sales plan. They know they are in a highly competitive environment, or perhaps they are trying to carve out a new niche with no highly searched keywords. They use advertising and other methods to drive traffic to their site. Search is not the most important. 

Consider picking a few high quality (although not necessarily high PageRank) sites and spend your effort on those sites, building up a name for yourself and creating meaningful content that can engage your audience.