Digital marketing specialists have probably heard of the term known as blackhat SEO. Blackhat SEO entails a collection of strategies utilized to improve a website's or page's ranking in search engine rankings, but by means that violate the search engines' terms of service.
Fundamentally, blackhat SEO is a quickfire approach that can get your site to the top of search engine rankings quickly. However, these tactics are typically seen as dishonorable, and search engines like Google may severely penalize sites discovered using them.
One common blackhat technique is overusing keywords. This means filling a webpage with key terms or numbers to manipulate a site's ranking in Google search results. They might appear in a list, cluster, out of context, or get more info hidden in the code.
Establishing link farms is another common tactic. Here, webpages are tied together in a circular network to improve the rank of all the sites in the chain. However, if a website is linked to from many irrelevant sites, it may also be penalized.
Cloaking is an especially deceptive blackhat method. This involves different content is presented to search engines than to users, essentially redirecting users to different pages apart from their permission.
Despite the potential penalties, why do people use blackhat SEO? The simple answer is: for immediate results. These techniques give websites the illusion of relevance, boosting them up the search results fast.
However, the benefit is fleeting. Search engines now incorporate sophisticated algorithms which identify these fraudulent techniques. Once they're identified, penalties can include decreased rankings or even being deleted entirely from the search index.
As a result, many websites are shifting to white hat SEO strategies. These are techniques 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 experience.
In conclusion, while blackhat SEO may appear a rapid way to increase your site's visibility, it's a perilous game to play. It's smarter to direct attention on whitehat SEO techniques, which improve your website through legal means, consequently providing enduring success.