Black-Hat SEO VS White-Hat SEO

Knowing the difference can save your website

There is no doubt that Google has changed over the years. Many tactics that used to work before is no longer smart to even consider, because Google simply doesn’t want them to work. Google (and other search engines) just want to show the best possible results to it’s users, and tricking pages to appear good to Google is without a doubt worth a penalty. These ‘un-ethical’ tactics are called Black-Hat SEO, and even if some of them still show results, they won’t do for long.

What you shouldn’t do!

There are several different Black-Hat SEO techniques that should by all means be avoided. Hiding content in the code for your site is probably the most used Black-Hat SEO technique. This means that the code for your site will see the hidden content, while your real users won’t. This was widely used before because Google would pick up your site, but your visitors would see your site as normal. This technique has been fixed, and hiding content will now, if discovered result in a penalty, or even a ban.

Other Black-Hat SEO strategies include keyword stuffing, which basically means filling your site or meta description with way to many keywords. Google will find out, and Google will take action against you. You have been warned!

Link farming used to be heaven for anyone in the SEO market, but is now completely dead. Listing links of unrelated sites will not bring any traffic, and worst case scenario is your site gets banned. You don’t want that, do you?

So is there anything I CAN do?

OK, now you know not to partake in un-ethical Black-Hat SEO strategies, but what’s the alternative? The answer is what more and more people are starting to understand, and what’s slowly turning this into a “real” profession – White-Hat SEO! Google wants to show it’s visitors quality content, and that’s exactly what White-Hat SEO is all about – quality! There is no better way to get search engines to notice you than SEO -incorporated high-quality content, preferably combined with inbound links and social signals. Think about it; search engines doesn’t want to show spammy low-quality pages, so why are so many websites still using Black-Hat SEO techniques? Content is KING!

Companies are still asking for link building from SEO companies, but if you discover a company that offers 10-15 links – RUN! Link building takes time, and is about trust and relationships, rather than trowing links into unrelated sites. Google sees everything, and is constantly improving. The trick is to create content that is worthy of a link. Remember; content is KING!

Conclusion

If you want to optimize your website for search engines, go with quality! Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither will your website be. Patience is the key to success, and if you’re looking for positive longterm changes to your site, companies who favor White-Hat SEO techniques are worth their weight in gold.