Black-hat and white-hat SEO may seem similar, but will have very different effects on your site.
Search engine optimization (SEO) is one of the most efficient marketing strategies you can use for your business. By writing valuable content, adjusting the infrastructure of your site, and building links, you’ll increase your brand’s visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs), earn more traffic, and improve your reputation at the same time.
However, if you aren’t careful, you could earn a Google penalty. Google has a vested interest in ensuring its search rankings are as valuable as possible to web users, so if it catches you intentionally trying to “fool” its algorithm, it’s going to penalize your site.
Black-Hat and White-Hat SEO
This is where the labels “black-hat” and “white-hat” come into play.
White-hat strategies are SEO strategies focused on bringing value to the end user. For example, creating high-quality content provides a user with valuable information while simultaneously increasing your site’s relevance. They’re organic, meaningful, and valuable to users.
Black-hat strategies are SEO strategies focused on manipulating search rankings directly, usually deceiving web users, Google’s algorithm, or both in the process. For example, these include creating sneaky redirects to other pages, spamming links offsite without content to provide context, and stuffing keywords throughout your site.
How Can You Tell the Difference?
If you’re looking for an agency to provide SEO services, you may be confused about whether they’re white-hat or black-hat providers. If you’re not sure, there are a few shortcuts you can use to tell the difference.
For starters, look at price. You get the quality you pay for, so if a service looks too cheap to be true, it probably is. Then, ask yourself what value the strategy has for an end user. If the end user gets something good out of the deal, like information or entertainment, it’s probably a legitimate strategy. You’ll also want to consider whether there’s an element of deception or misleading information; these are usually signs of a black-hat strategy.
Are you interested in starting an SEO campaign of your own? Contact Quez Media today for a free consultation!
