Digital marketing specialists have probably heard of the term known read more as unscrupulous SEO techniques. Blackhat SEO involves a collection of strategies deployed to improve a website's or page's ranking in search engine rankings, but through methods that violate the search engines' terms of service.
Basically, blackhat SEO is a quickfire approach that could get your site to the forefront of search results quickly. However, these strategies are often seen as manipulative, and search engines like Google may severely penalize sites caught using them.
A popular blackhat technique is keyword stuffing. This involves filling a webpage with search terms or numbers to game a site's ranking in Google search results. They might appear in a list, pile, out of context or in a hidden div.
Creating link farms is another common method. Here, websites are connected together in a circular network to improve the rank of all the sites in the chain. However, if a website is linked to from a high number of unrelated sites, it may also be penalized.
Cloaking is an even more extreme blackhat method. This is when different content is presented to search engines than to users, effectively redirecting users to alternate pages aside from their knowledge.
Despite the potential penalties, why do people use blackhat SEO? The evident answer is: for instant success. These methods give websites the illusion of relevance, boosting them up the search results fast.
However, the advantage is short-lived. Search engines now incorporate advanced algorithms that identify these fraudulent techniques. Once they're identified, penalties may include lower rankings or even being removed entirely from the search index.
As a result, many websites are shifting to white hat SEO strategies. These are approaches that aim to build a website's prominence in legitimate ways. Some examples are creating quality content that provides valuable information to the reader, optimizing website tags, or creating a positive user journey.
In conclusion, while blackhat SEO may seem a rapid way to improve your site's visibility, it's a risky game to play. It's wiser to direct attention on whitehat SEO strategies, which improve your website through legitimate means, thereby providing enduring success.