As for SEO, in this world of light and shadow, two focal points are being pulled: White hat vs. Black hat SEO. In simplest words, white hat means to apply well-known ethical SEO techniques that search engines promote. While the black hat is to go forward with the bad SEO practices that violate search engine rules.
“Google Search Essentials” (previously known as “Google Webmaster Guidelines”) determines all the rules within the current agency.
Today we will blow the lid off the comparability between the white hat and black hat SEO. This blog is precisely focused on White hat vs. Black hat SEO.
White hat SEO aims at building natural links and having sustainable results. On the other hand, black hat SEO uses deceptive tactics that violate the search algorithm rules to achieve undue success with temporary achievement.
What Is White Hat SEO?
White hat SEO implies fair, ethical efforts and utilizing best practices to rank higher in search results. If by any chance there are strategies you’ve learned or those in your books, they fall in this category.
Essentially, white hat SEO should meet these criteria:
1. Complying with the search engine guidelines, including Google Webmaster Guidelines. The best ways are stated for a website’s optimization in these guidelines. These notes spotlight the necessity to prevent from being persuaded.
2. Ensure that people can cope with the autonomous devices’ needs. White hat SEO, means you are relentless in your pursuit of improving visitors’ experiences at your site. To help Google do its thing, particularly providing users with the best results, improving the user experience guidelines remain relevant as they are with the mission of Google.
3. Developing a long-term view and putting user satisfaction first. We gaze at the White hat strategies that respect Google’s framework and put user satisfaction first. Unlike Black hat SEO, White SEO focuses on these for the long run. For that reason, the success will not be obvious in a short time, but it will give better prospects in the long term.
Ethical SEO attention is directed to ensure ethical practices, user experience, and eventual success.
Here are some White hat SEO approaches:
- Content Optimization: This entails keyword optimization, as necessary. Keyword integration needs to be flawlessly ensured through every single page and particular offerings.
- Technical SEO: Optimization of website technical aspects in this regard such as page speed, site architecture, etc. It also includes interaction of images with a code all of which enhances the image loading time.
- Link Building: While the gray hat approach is an opinion, the white hat method remains a qualifier when carried out in the right way. Generally, authorities use schemes such as guest posting and email outreach.
What Is Black Hat SEO?
Black hat SEO is the opposite of White hat. It is neither ethical nor a fair SEO practice. Keeping in mind white-hat SEO, black-hat SEO is the antithesis. Here’s how a tactic can be classified as a black hat:
1. Violation of Search Engine Guidelines: The black hat approach to SEO stands in direct contradiction with Google’s policies. On many occasions, such activities even break the rules that the search engine specifies to adhere to.
2. Reliance on Manipulative Tactics: We know that White hat SEO which intends to provide users with an improved experience. Contrarily, Black hat SEO uses the algorithms of Google to elevate the rankings which is against the rules. If the SEO strategies focus on manipulating Google’s algorithm, it is unethical and therefore, Black hat SEO.
3. Focus on Quick Wins: The black hat tactic usually takes advantage of potential loopholes in the crawling process of Google. It gets thousands of spam links from spammer communities and questionable link sellers to jump immediately to the top.
Some Black hat SEO approaches include the following:
- Unrelated Keywords: Forces these engines to consider an article of a fact that it is not a reasonable distribution of the related words.
- Content Automation: Automatic produced stuff, for example, bot comments specialized in keywords needed for reaching out to readers.
- Doorway Pages: Robocall websites inundated with keywords serving the sole purpose of enticing search engines.
- Cloaking: There are several techniques used by cloaking, such as giving different visitors and search engines different contents. It is done so that the former one can display a URL to the latter one if it would not be shown by the latter one.
- Invisible Text or Links: Doing this and concealing the text or links within content to improve rankings. This is done so that search engines would index it better.
White Hat Vs. Black Hat SEO – Which One To Choose And Why
As of now, you should grasp the difference between the white hat vs. Black hat SEO. However, you may be attracted to the latter even though the shortcut seems to be a guarantee that you will succeed in SEO.
Don’t panic!
Being the quickest way of getting results may be the strongest reason for the application of black hat tactics. But always remember that this won’t last.
Google processes its algorithm right to deliver maximum results for the searchers. Based on its algorithms, it filters out sites that do not provide a good user experience. Such a measure is therefore likely to be promptly negated by every algorithm change.
On top of that, black hat techniques go hand-in-hand with a high-risk factor.
In case Google pinpoints manipulative algorithmic behavior, it may grant a severe penalty to your website by banning it.
Thus, a multi-perspective advice of “AVOID THIS HABIT FOR ALL CAUSES!” emerges.
White Hat SEO:
- One of the best ways to build links to your website is through high-quality organic backlinks.
- Creating real social media handles and relying on brand building and organic followers.
- When writing, you must optimize your content by including keywords authentically. You must try to do it as naturally as you can.
- You have to add your thoughts and claims when participating in conversations on blogs or 3rd party websites. However, your contributions must be relevant to your brand.
Black Hat SEO:
- For this case, paying off the whole site for the backlinks.
- Paying for fake social media followers who aren’t probably your ideal customers
- Stuffing SEO keywords unnaturally in your content to satisfy search engines
- Trivial commenting on third-party website blogs, just for the link juice.
Adhere to ethical and sustainable strategies, no matter how long it takes, to succeed in SEO in the long run and gain the trust of people.
White Hat SEO Best Practices:
Are you going to add a White hat SEO strategy in your business marketing plan? Here are our top 10 favorite White hat (Ethical SEO) practices:
1. Seek Organic Backlinks:
Search engines give a better ranking to sites that receive high-quality inbound links from other reliable and credible sites.
While backlink purchases are the cheating element of the SEO process, link exchanges and working with sites that share the same ideas or beliefs are the ethical ways to get a site high on the search result pages.
2. Organically Attract Social Media Followers:
Refrain from unethical practices such as buying followers that appeal for your media platforms to remain active. It places a daunting concern that they are unengaged.
However, bear in mind that operational advertising may distract your potential customers. So, always publish great articles on your website to gather a trustworthy audience naturally.
3. Create Relevant, Keyword-Optimized Content:
Selecting the appropriate keywords for each page text for your website is, though, imperative. In theory, any page could be optimized for any long-tail keyword.
However, it’s not ethical to use this strategy to specifically rank a page for a related search phrase. Use the right word groupings that are organically yours, and authorize them into the content of your blog.
4. Comment on Third-Party Blogs:
Engaging with blog posts from external websites gives you the chance to propel your business ethically. Make your comments full of content and directly related to the discussion.
Instead of commenting randomly on other sites or doing it for the sole purpose of backlink acquisition is unethical. It is considered black hat SEO, so always try writing relevant, meaningful, and helpful content.
5. Use AI-Generated Content Sparingly:
AI copywriters, in better service, have been in existence for a while, but using them completely is not right. AI-created content might be unreliable and with no personal touch.
Instead, make use of AI tools for brainstorming and content outlining only for the initial stage. If you focus on developing high quality content, you can build a good reputation on Google.
6. Choose a Sustainable Website Hosting Company:
A website that loads fast is vital for a successful SEO strategy. Therefore, it also needs to take into consideration the relationship between web hosting and environmental impact.
Within these data centers, the consumption of powerful devices yields high production of pollution. Thus, you must ensure that you choose a good web hosting company.
7. Utilize Heading Styles:
The algorithms on search engines primarily signify conformity to technical standards and user experience. Heading styles throughout the article for the benefit of search engines and readers would be sufficient.
Do not put keywords stuffing just like in headings and they must represent the content of each section. Ethical SEO means, using headings appropriately to provide better punctuation to readers.
8. Employ Relevant, Tagged Images:
SEO images are of great importance for process optimization. Ethical search engine optimization (SEO) recommends images that convey genuineness and should have photos that depict the actual page content.
Ideally, the images should be original and different from those used on other websites. Check if you are allowed to use stock photos based on their copyright conditions to keep ethics of usage. Do not include watermarked images without permission as it means a violation of the rights of the owner.
9. Obtain Consent for Cookies and Remarketing:
The Privacy Regulation requires that website visitors’ policies are easily comprehensible to them about the data being collected. Respect for users’ output is the main principle of White hat SEO.
The most effective way is to make your cookie policy plain and evident and also to offer the requisite opt-out methods for either analytics gathering or remarketing.
10. Optimize Website Performance:
SEO enhances back-end website optimization, which, in turn, raises the rankings. High speed and reliability of the product are the main priority for user satisfaction.
While images with large sizes and too many plugins can slow down the speed of a page, high satisfaction for a visitor is not possible.
Black Hat SEO Practices:
In brief, Black hat SEO methods are on the contrary list to our 10 best practices. Here’s a quick rundown of these and other unethical and black-hat SEO practices to avoid:
- Backlinks: Purchasing links or deliberately inducing them from websites that are not relevant.
- Social Media: Acquiring social media followers through services, or trying tricks like clickbait tactics.
- Keywords: It is important to make sure that there is a coherent link between unrelated keywords and to not overuse them in a skewed manner in the content.
- Blogging: Posting on third-party blogs that are not related to your own or filling your posts with unrelated keywords.
- AI-generated Content: Talking about message suppression by using the AI algorithms without editing to create content.
- Headings: Creating subject lines not connected to the body of the email or too keyword-rich.
- Images: By embedding stock image watermarks, these criminals plunder other people’s hard work.
- Privacy: Images gathering user data without their permission and remarking.
- Website Accessibility: No good design can be achieved if the designers neglect accessibility and speed.
- Deceptive Redirects: Equally distracting are the internet users who are directed to websites unrelated to their original search.
What To Do If Your Site Is Penalized By Google?
The reality you can eventually face is that black hat SEO adds negative results. You may get penalized by Google if you keep doing it for long.
Such penalties can be easily cured by correcting the violations. However, they can proceed in hostility if the issues lie with link building and spamming.
Here’s what to do if your site is penalized:
1. Confirm It’s a Penalty:
When you get penalized, your rank suddenly drops. These may be caused by their deployments of different updates to the search engine from time to time.
Following the changes and being informed on the new trends in SEO. If you find that your problem takes a turn for the worse even after the first 30 days, go to the next step.
2. Check Google Search Console:
Implement Google Search Console to maximize access to useful data about your website performance. If your website appears to be affected by the changes, the panel will monitor your site and notify you.
It does so through warnings, reports, and recommendations on the necessary corrections. Respect detailed procedures and get through the process calmly and methodically.
3. Addressing Unfixable Issues:
Penalties can be broadly and, specifically, algorithmic or manual. Manual spam penalties and dumb links are more permanent.
However, algorithmic fixes might take time to bring positive results. Reach out to the issues you can and validate fixes through the search console. Keep in mind that the end decision still is in the hands of Google.
Sometimes even after doing all the above, nothing goes fine. In those moments, the last option is to create a new site on a new domain name.
Questions to Ask Your SEO Agency or Partner
To gain better rankings and conversion, most companies turn to expert agencies for help.
Nevertheless, some agencies are behind the curve on ethical conduct and adopt use of the risk-taking black hat SEO. To ensure you’re working with an ethical partner, ask questions upfront to gauge their SEO ethics:
- How do you build backlinks? (Keep looking for organizations that highly advocate for these organic methods)
- How are you going to help us in the field of website optimization related to SEO? (Guarantee that they have met the accessibility guidelines).
- Would you be able to share results coming from campaigns like mine or better yet, provide examples or case studies? (Examine the end-to-end strategy and morals)
- How to fit social media and their SEO campaign for clients into their strategies? (Browse through past clients’ social media to spot employing any devious tricks)
Brandtonics works with clients that promote and advocate ethical, and results-driven marketing. Our purpose is to get you pointed in the right direction within the SEO practices.
We focus on strategies that are trusted by your customers and are shown respect. If you have any questions or want to discuss, schedule a discovery call today!
Conclusion
From afar, it seems like White hat vs. Black hat SEO may have the same objective of breathing more life into your site. They are, actually, vastly different methods of achieving it.
Even though Black hat SEO can give you easy and “tricky” success, the results are short-term and not sustainable. White hat SEO ensures that you are getting long-term value.
White hat SEO has a higher chance of success as it focuses on content quality and authenticity in the building of organic links. White hat SEO also applies to local SEO prioritizing quality content.
If you have questions or comments, feel free to share them with us. If you have liked what we shared, invite others to share their knowledge as well.