If you’ve been in the SEO industry for a while, you surely heard about terms such as a white or black hat. People optimize the websites in a way they believe is the most effective. And just like in other aspects of life, different methods allow you to achieve the same goal. Search engine optimization is not different. If you’ve heard that black hat SEO is unfair and unethical, but you don’t even know what it is, make sure to read this article, where you’ll find all the most important information about these opposite approaches.
White Hat
White hat techniques strictly follow Google Webmaster Guidelines. So, simply speaking, all the methods that you’re using follow the rules of Google. Because of that, the risk of getting hit with Google penalties is pretty much nonexisting – all you do is fair. Of course, you have to put in much more work, but usually, when you rank high, you will stay there for a while, even if you stopped working on the website. The only thing that can change it is a big Google update, which starts rewarding for other factors. And, even then, it’s still possible for you to stay on top.
Black Hat
Black hat allows you to rank higher more quickly, but in order to achieve it, you have to take actions that are against Google rules, for example, buying links. Now, many people say that black hat strategies are bad, unfair, and unethical. This is not entirely true. It’s just using another SEO philosophy – you’re using strategies that bring good results quicker. But, the reward isn’t that easy.
Google is well aware of black hat strategies, and that’s why they always upgrade their algorithms in order to punish those who don’t follow the rules. Because of that, pages of people who are using black hats can sometimes drop from top ranks to the very bottom. And, you don’t even have to use SERP rank monitor programs to notice it. Just keep in mind, people who are using black hat strategy are not necessarily the bad guys. They only use different approaches, which Google doesn’t reward.
Which strategy is better? Which should you choose? It’s up to you, and there’s no good answer to these questions. If you’re looking for ways on how to improve your website SERP position, take a look at the infographic provided by Rankitor. Hopefully, you can find inspiration there that will help you to rank better.
