Digital marketing specialists have probably heard of the expression known as dubious SEO strategies. Blackhat SEO embraces a collection of strategies deployed to increase a website's or page's ranking in search engine rankings, but through methods that violate the search engines' terms of service.
Essentially, blackhat SEO is a shortcut that could get your site to the forefront of search results quickly. However, these tactics are often seen as manipulative, and search engines like Google can heavily penalize sites caught using them.
One common blackhat technique is overusing keywords. This means loading a webpage with key terms or numbers to game a site's ranking in Google search results. They might appear in a list, cluster, out of context, or hidden in the code.
Link read more farming is another common technique. Here, sites are connected together in a circular network to increase the rank of all the pages in the chain. However, if a site is linked to from many irrelevant sites, it can also be penalized.
Cloaking is an even more extreme blackhat method. This is when different content is presented to search engines than to users, essentially redirecting users to different pages without their consent.
Despite the risks, why do people use blackhat SEO? The evident answer is: for immediate results. These methods give websites the pretense of relevance, boosting them up the search results quickly.
However, the gain is short-lived. Search engines now incorporate complex algorithms that identify these manipulative techniques. Once they're identified, penalties could include reduced rankings or even being erased entirely from the search index.
As a consequence, many websites are embracing white hat SEO strategies. These are approaches that aim to build a website's prominence in legitimate ways. Some methods are creating quality content that provides useful information to the reader, optimizing website tags, or creating a positive user journey.
So, while blackhat SEO may come across as a quick way to improve your site's visibility, it's a risky game to play. It's smarter to direct attention on whitehat SEO methods, that improve your website through legal means, consequently providing enduring success.