To give the best experience of browsing, Google, one of the most suggested search engines launches unique practices for its users. With updated Google SEO algorithms, Google offers certain special web guidelines to maintain the authenticity, and culture of the platform.
The guidelines are basically for us who create content on the search engine for the best results. Out of all, a term pops, named as Black Hat SEO.
Well, the Black Hat SEO technique refers to a set of practices that are used to increase a site or page’s rank in search engines through means that violate the search engine’s terms of service.
Let’s get further to know more about the term and the ultimate cause on your website.
Black Hat Marketing-The Term
Black hat marketing is an unethical manner to gain traffic, and increase your brand presence on search engines. The major objective behind implementing the back hat technique is to promote your business online.
Such malpractices work against the search engine guidelines to achieve high ranking, and traffic on search engine results in pages (SERPs). Some of the examples are keyword stuffing, private link networks, cloaking, and so on.
Let’s learn some of the examples of black hat marketing commonly seen on Google.
Top 7 Black Hat Techniques in SEO
Many marketers take the help of the following SEO tactics to get faster results, like good social presence, brand recognition, promotion. However, unfortunately, they forgot to think about the dark side of this practice.
Let’s check out some of the famous black hat SEO strategies noticed on many websites.
#1 Hidden Text or Links
Hidden texts and links are one of the annoying things Google avoids. And apparently, if your content consists of such links then it may become hard for your website to rank on Google.
It will no longer be worth it for Google to crawl on your website. Moreover, adding irrelevant links is also in your content is another aspect that can brutely affect your potential audience and brand presence on search engines.
#2 Keyword Stuffing
Think once! If SEO were only about using keywords, then there would be keywords more than relevant content.
Simply, good content defines something informative, embedded with images, stats, facts and nurtures complete SEO requirements that google looks for.
Google finds for actual high content, instead of those which are stuffed or pretend to be rich content. While alt tags are considered to be the best approach to white hat SEO, nevertheless, stuffing alt tags can turn it into a black hat tactic for your website.
#3 Malicious Websites
Is your website protected with SSL? Does your website provide a secure space to your users? Well, if not, then it can be a bit difficult for your users to trust you! Not only users but, before Google may not crawl your website.
It’s not about SSL, but having a malicious website might be one of the causes of poor traffic.
#4 Spamming
As sounds, Spamming is all about distrust, falsity in your website. This involves including a link to your website in blog comments, which can address a phishing attack or something.
However, today, with the advanced world, Google has exhibited an updated version of Algorithms, which strictly prohibits such malpractices in websites. If you own a community or website, then it’s your responsibility to make sure the authenticity, and trust of your website for your viewers.
Otherwise, it may gonna affect your audience growth gradually. How to mitigate this scenario? Well, one can use anti-spamming tools like Google’s free reCAPTCHA tool is one way to overcome the risk of spam user-generated content.
#5 Article Spinning
Article Spinning, Duplicate content, or Plagiarized content is one on the same thing. Well, it is nothing but a black hat technique of spinning or rephrasing content from another website.
To all writers and web developers, they must be aware of the consequences of plagiarized content. This can be done either manually, otherwise, you can find plenty of rewriting tools online.
What happens is, Google penalizes the spun content as the new Algorithm does not accept plagiarism at all.
#6 SEO Links
Backlinks always had your back! Isn’t it? High-quality and trustworthy links are known as the key to high ranking. It is an off-page SEO technique.
Fortunately, google supports backlinks and increases the chances of ranking on first-page results.
On the other side, buying a link is another black hat SEO malpractice, prohibited by Google Webmaster Guidelines. Eventually, you may end up with penalty issues.
#7 Cloaking
Cloaking is a technique of exhibiting different content to the users and search engines. For example- A search engine shows a result on- Top 4 mobile apps, however, on clicking, it shows different types of content topics.
Such malpractice is defined as Black hat SEO. Some websites exercise such practice to rank their content and maintain the views, and engagements on their website.
However, Spam websites will often do this to try and avoid a search engine bot finding out the spam content they serve to users. Adapting different ways to meet your customer’s comfort is okay! Nevertheless, it should not be going against the Google webmaster guidelines.
For example- you can increase and decrease the size of your website, change the font, language as per the viewer’s comfort, however, you cannot manipulate the content regardless of the title you are serving on the same content.
Otherwise, it can also affect the online reputation of your brand, product, or services. So, make sure you do not practice such a black hat SEO technique that is risky.
Can Black Hat SEO be Beneficial for your Website?
Although Black hat SEO is not illegal, however, it can reverse the risk on your website by violating the search engine guidelines. Putting it simply, if you are ready to experiment with black hat SEO, then make sure you can confront the consequences and penalties from the search engines.
You may get low and poor traffic, bad reviews, etc. Black Hat SEO tactics can indeed get your website at the top, but only for a time. At the end of the day, you might get banned from the respective search engine or may penalize.
To avoid such practices, today, search engines have developed themselves so much to help people rank on the SERPs.
However, there are still some people who in search of fast results move their ways to black hat SEO. Moreover, we will always recommend you to go with White Hat SEO, which offers true practices and results for your website.
Google & Black Hat SEO- The Ultimate Outcome
Because Google has made a promise to offer the best and informative results to their users, therefore it is useless to go with black hat SEO tactics.
Here, we have jotted down some of the earlier stats observed on the behavior of google and black hat SEO. It’s not just a saying, but a truth that google holds 90% of the share in search engines.
Hence, the main target of Black hat SEO can be aimed at Google. Let’s begin! Updates are the common happenings one can see every third day on Google.
With these updates, Google has improved the user experience on its platform, by providing the best search results.
Generally, the Black hat SEO doesn’t optimize UX, therefore each Google update goes against black hat SEO tactics.
The Dark Side of Black Hat SEO in your Website
Websites may get engaged in black hat SEO practices, however, remember that it also has a dark side. Following are some of the drawbacks of using black hat practices.
After Google crawls the Black Hat website, it allows a sudden drop in ranking, and traffic. If Google identifies the black hat practices, then the website can be removed from the indexing process.
Otherwise, websites that get banned without informing by Google. What happens is, the website will become difficult to find on Google. Therefore, the owner may not find it easily.
What is White Hat Search Engine Optimization Strategy?
Unlike Black Hat SEO, White Hat SEO strategy is a positive technique to get yourself ranked on search engines. These include true methods, following the terms and conditions of the respective search engines. Learn the importance of white hat SEO for a website.
Trustworthy Content & Services
White Hat SEO practices offer you to generate quality content, which meets the needs of your potential customers. Using relevant keywords promotes your content at a fast pace.
Meta Titles & Meta Descriptions are Kick Start!
With this SEO practice, you can easily format an effective meta title and meta description for your page. As these are the very first thing a user look upon.
Simple Navigation Process
Through White Hat practices, you can easily by navigated or search on search engines by your users. Furthermore, it improves your search ranking, as well as the engagements too.
User Friendly
White Hat SEO offers you to go user-friendly, as per their convenience. By having a mobile-friendly interface, your website has more chances to increase its ranking.
Black Hat and White Hat SEO- Which is Better?
Based on Definition
Talking about White hat SEO, it is a method to increase your ranking on search engines undertaking the respective Webmaster norms and conditions.
Whereas, on the other sides, Black Hat SEO refers to the use of false SEO tactics and strategies that consider false practices to promote your website on search engines. Its nature is to work against the search engine guidelines.
Based on their Modus Operandi
The ultimate goal behind using Black Hat SEO is to gain fast revenue on the website. While white hat SEO works aiming at the search performance and traffic of the website.
Based on Examples
White Hat SEO can be identified easily as it meets all the SEO requirements undertaking the guidelines of search engines. For instance- well-researched content, Meta tags, information, keywords, images, quality SEO links.
On the contrary, black hat SEO has stuffed and spam keywords, malicious links, informative content, plagiarism.
How to identify a Black Hat SEO Site?
If you are a searcher, then make sure you are aware of the following practices to beware of Black hat SEO services on Google.
• They will not be able to clearly explain to you their true intentions.
• Making false promises is one of the major characteristics of their nature.
• They might influence you by showcasing false reputations of themselves.
• Bogus guarantees, and promises of bringing you on Top!
• May give you irrelevant information on the searched keywords.
Identified One? What’s Ahead?
Reporting a black hat SEO led to one major reason-
One if you or your website is affected by the false practice. For example- malicious attacks, bots, spamming, phishing, or anything.
It might also happen that your website may get slower, or contain low traffic due to any black hat SEO website.
Simply, you can file a complaint through Google’s web spam report, or the Disavow Links Tool offered by Google Webmaster Tools to inform about the malicious links and websites that came in contact with your site.