White Hat versus Black Hat SEO Techniques

The search engine optimization techniques and methodologies used by most search engine marketing companies can be separated into two, possibly three, categories — White, Black and the in-between Gray.

The techniques used by all three methods are designed to accomplish the same goal, which is to improve the search engine rankings of client web sites and specific web pages. The major difference is in the way companies use these techniques to achieve this goal. These SEO strategies have come to be known as “White Hat”, “Black Hat” and “Grey Hat”. Search engine optimization (SEO) companies utilize one or more of these approaches with varying levels of success.

Black Hat SEO is typically made up of shady, unethical and manipulative methods for obtaining search rankings. Whether you agree with them or not, there is no arguing with the fact that Black Hat methods involve a higher level of risk, but can also yield rewards, although not in an ethical fashion. Since Black Hat techniques tend to negatively impact the quality of search engine results and the search engine business model is to deliver high quality search results to users, web sites that employ these methods can net short term rewards, but run the risk of being penalized by search engines and possibly even de-indexed.

A few Black Hat SEO techniques are listed below:

• Redirecting search engine “spiders” or “crawlers”
• Mass-posting comments to blogs, forums and article sites
• Including keywords in a very small font at the bottom of web pages
• Burying searchable content in web site code
• Stuffing keywords into the invisible META data of web pages
• Improper use of META keywords and descriptions

White Hat SEO is considered by search engines, such as Google, to be ethical SEO that adheres to guidelines set forth by the search engine. White Hat SEO sometimes requires more work and can be somewhat more time-consuming, but in the long run will have a positive effect on your sites’ search rankings and hopefully avoid the risk associated with Black Hat methods.

Some White Hat SEO methods are listed below:

• Provide unique, relevant useful, keyword-optimized content
• Well written copy that encourages users to link to
• Clean code and script that runs fast
  
• Optimization of META tags – particularly the page title, but don’t over-optimize
  
• Using the correct keywords in URLs and not in strange places
• Submitting pages to directories and blogs; be sure to read Google quality guidelines
  
• Creating sitemaps to help “spider” navigation
• Providing links and being linked to from quality, related sites
• Using anchor text properly containing key words

Gray Hat SEO is exactly what you think it is. It consists of borderline SEO techniques that most likely won’t get your site de-indexed or banned from search results, but could pose a risk of getting your site penalized.

Some Gray Hat SEO techniques are listed below:

• Including keywords in odd places so that your content scores well for SEO
  
• Posting the same article to multiple sites using multiple versions
  
• Recruiting bloggers to write about your company on their blog
• Trading links with another websites to build links

Although using Black Hat and Gray Hat SEO techniques can sometimes yield quick results, in the long run, search engine marketing companies that effectively use White Hat techniques will provide you with the best chance of achieving higher search rankings and consistently maintaining them. White Hat techniques will definitely help your longevity in SEO, because having integrity and being trustworthy are never a bad business practices.

Tags: black hat, seo, techniques, white hat