How to judge what you read.
THE PROBLEM
SEO advice ages badly, is frequently written to sell something, and is often repeated long after it stopped being true.
SIGNS ADVICE IS OUTDATED
Talk of meta keywords Specific keyword density percentages Directory submission as a strategy Exact-match domains as an advantage Recommendations to buy links Claims that a dedicated IP or paid SSL helps
SIGNS ADVICE IS SELLING SOMETHING
Guaranteed rankings Urgency about a problem only their product solves Alarming audit results Claims of proprietary methods
HOW TO JUDGE
Check the date. Anything older than three years should be verified. Check whether the source has anything to sell. Prefer documentation from search engines themselves over commentary about it. Be suspicious of anything promising speed.
THE RELIABLE TEST
Does the advice amount to making the site genuinely better for visitors? If so, it is probably sound. If it amounts to manipulating a signal, it is probably temporary at best.
WHAT HAS NOT CHANGED
Useful content, a fast crawlable site, and genuine recommendations from other sites.
