Search engine optimization (SEO) is one of the best ways to boost the presence of your online business.
The main goal of SEO is to get a particular webpage to appear on the first page and ultimately to the top of a search engines results page (SERP). Yes, everybody with their business online wants that
However, search engine optimization is more than just keywords and links. Getting your site to the top of the results page requires a clear understanding and a strategic application of the art and logic behind good SEO. Gaining “credibility” with search engines require time, patience and a lot of effort.
Creating and publishing new content regularly and ultimately getting back links from authoritative websites are 2 great ways to boost your webpage up the ranking page.
However, just like any other business strategy, search engine optimization also has its version of an “easy way out”. There’s that tricky (and questionable) side in SEO that allows a web page to reach the top of the search engine results page (SERP) with very little work and in a very short time.
Such approach to SEO is commonly referred to as the “Black Hat SEO“.
Here are some common practices of “Black Hat SEO:”
Spam Comments
Random comments with links pointing to your site from different websites.
Camouflage Text
Text that has the same color as the background of the page (to hide the keywords from the site visitor).
Hidden Page
Search engines are made to see a different page than what is really seen by the site visitors.
Keyword Overload
Placing too many similar keywords of your target niche.
Meeting your goals with less time and effort may seem like a good idea. However, search engines are getting smarter at detecting “no good websites” – those that are not relevant and informative, those that just play by quantity and not by quality.
Here are the reasons why you should avoid black hat SEO:
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You get blacklisted by Google.
With Google’s recent Penguin release, SEO experts need to update their strategy when doing SEO (white, grey or black). The new release puts more weight and relevance to good quality content as opposed to just having words and links in the web page. While links are still important for SEO, the quality of websites that it links to should not come from uspicious sites but of websites with high authority. Once Google detects that your website is “spamming” the search engine by confusing it with excessive keywords and links from unrelated sites, your site gets penalised and may even be blocked for good. This has already happened a lot of times, and you will not have any choice but to start building a new site. Hurts, right?
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You lose those numbers in time.
Just as Google is now continuously shutting off their access to irrelevant websites, the links in those sites (specifically those pointing to your website) will not be counted as a valid back link anymore thus decreasing your back links. Decrease in back link pulls you down the SERP. You’ll have to start from scratch again if you want to get back up.
Tip for those looking for a Digital Marketing Agency to do their SEO:
Digital marketing agencies offering SEO services know that practicing white hat SEO strategically and smartly requires a lot of time, patience and effort – not to mention that the climb to the top page might be long especially if you’re trying to make it in a highly competitive niche. Digital Marketing Agencies or freelance SEO experts who offer assured top spots in very little time might very well be practicing black hat SEO.
Keep in mind that doing SEO the legit way is still the best way to get your web page up.
Get Hooked 360, Digital Marketing Agency Philippines