A lot of newbies don’t know that there are different types of SEO. On the one hand, we have what’s known as black hat SEO, on the other, we have white hat. Today, I want most of the focus to be on black hat search engine optimization, as I feel it’s a very important topic.
During this article, I will talk about what this term means, some examples of it in action, and whether or not you should use black hat techniques. Read on to find everything you need to know:
Image from Max Pixel
What Is Black Hat SEO?
Black hat SEO is basically any techniques you use to try and manipulate search engines to gain ranking spots. They don’t follow the SEO guidelines, and websites that use these techniques will most likely be penalized by search engines.
What Do Black Hat Techniques Typically Look Like?
The funny thing about black hat SEO is that most of the techniques were perfectly fine once upon a time. A common example of one these days is the use of spam links. Some site owners try and spam links to their website in every comments section on every new site they can find. Or, they just create a website that posts the same link over and over, in an attempt to generate backlinks to their site. In the past, this boosted your ranking as it created more backlinks, which is something Google values and uses to rank sites. Nowadays, you can’t be caught spamming, or you’ll end up in trouble. Another example is trying to hide keywords in your content. Some people try and write keywords and then change the color of the writing, so it looks invisible. Again, this may have worked before, but it won’t go unnoticed now.
Should You Use Black Hat Techniques?
In short; no. Black hat techniques are rarely worth your time and attention, largely because they tend to result in penalties rather than progress. If you look for any info about SEO services, you’ll find most of it revolves around white hat techniques. SEO companies and agencies are the ones that know this topic inside and out. So, if they’re not offering black hat ideas, then that pretty much tells the story for you right there. White hat will bring you all the success you need, it’s simply not worth risking it with black hat ideas and techniques.
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How Can You Avoid Black Hat SEO?
Naturally, black hat SEO techniques can change with every Google algorithm update. As mentioned earlier, things that used to be fine may soon be bad. So, how can you avoid the sticky situation of accidentally dabbling in the dark arts? Well, there are two options to ensure this never happens. The first is to constantly monitor the Google SEO guidelines to start updated with all the changes. The second is to hire a reputable SEO agency to handle things for you. Here, you should be confident they’ll avoid black hat techniques.
In summary; black hat SEO is bad for your website! Instead, focus on white hat SEO, which is the complete opposite. This involves all the ideas and techniques that follow guidelines and will only benefit your site.
