While most marketers are aware there are different kinds of SEO, they may not know the specific differences in a whitehat and blackhat SEO.
If a company doesn’t understand this important difference, search engine optimization efforts may backfire. The fact is, if a company uses black hat methods, they will pay for it in the end.
While blackhat SEO may provide quick results, over time, it is likely to have the opposite effect, which will tank a site’s rankings and have the website blacklisted from search results completely.
For companies that want to be an SEO hero, learn about the main differences between white hat and black hat SEO.
#1]. White Hat Doesn’t Use Keyword Stuffing
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Keyword stuffing is a popular black hat method and a method that many website owners used to get their content ranking higher in the search engines.
Keyword stuffing involves using all the chosen keywords, multiple times in the content. However, this is something that makes the content almost unreadable. This means it is no surprise that Google has cracked down on this method.
Google is all about WHITEHAT tactics which include avoiding the use of unrelated keywords and relevance of the content. If these rules and guidelines aren’t followed, the content will fall in search rankings.
#2]. White Hat Efforts Focus on a Human Audience
With white hat SEO, website owners are making changes that will be beneficial to those visiting the site. Whitehat means you are doing the right thing without breaking any rules.
It’s like when a person considers that the top priority of Google is to provide a user with the best results possible. It makes sense that this is considered the “right” way to handle SEO.
The good news is, most of the effective SEO strategies will involve taking steps that will improve the experience a site visitor has. Black hat doesn’t do this.
By improving page load times and publishing high-quality content, a website owner can achieve the desired results and the higher search engine rankings.
#3]. White Hat SEO is a Long-Term Approach
The strategies used by white hat SEO techniques will follow Google’s requirements and guidelines. They will also provide users with a positive experience, unlike black hat techniques.
However, while black hat tactics can often be seen instantly, they don’t last. White hat techniques take time to be developed but will last for the long term which continues to help the website grow and provide a high UX (user experience).
#4]. Follow Search Engine Guidelines with White Hat SEO
White hat SEO tactics are designed based on the Webmaster Guidelines provided by Google. These are essential “rules” Google has created to let users know the best way to optimize their site.
Black hat tactics, on the other hand, break virtually all of these rules. This is one of the most important and impactful factors that define the difference between black hat and white hat tactics.
Getting SEO Right
If a person wants to ensure their SEO tactics are effective and that they are beneficial for a website, rather than harmful, knowing the difference between white hat and black hat tactics is a must.
The information here is a good way to get started. Make sure to only use white hat tactics to achieve the desired results for a website.
