Search engine optimization professionals have probably heard of the term known as unscrupulous SEO techniques. Blackhat SEO embraces a collection of strategies deployed to improve a website's or page's ranking in search engine rankings, but through methods that violate the search engines' terms of service.
Basically, blackhat SEO is a rapid route that may get your site to the top of search engine rankings quickly. However, these tactics are often seen as manipulative, and search engines like Google can heavily penalize sites discovered using them.
One common blackhat technique is overusing keywords. This means loading a webpage with search terms or numbers with the intent of manipulating a site's ranking in Google search results. They might be in a list, pile, out of context or in a hidden div.
Creating link farms is another common tactic. Here, sites are linked together in a circular network to increase the rank of all the websites in the circle. However, if a website is linked to from a high number of unrelated sites, it could also be penalized.
Cloaking is an especially deceptive blackhat method. It refers to different content is presented to search engines than to users, basically redirecting users to alternate pages aside from their permission.
Despite the risks, why do people use blackhat SEO? The simple answer is: for immediate results. These techniques give websites the pretense of authority, boosting them up the search results rapiidly.
However, the advantage is short-lived. Search engines now incorporate complex algorithms that identify these manipulative techniques. Once they're identified, penalties can include reduced rankings or even being erased entirely from the search index.
As a consequence, many websites are shifting to white hat SEO strategies. These are techniques that aim to build a website's prominence in legitimate ways. Some examples are creating quality content that provides useful information to the reader, optimizing website tags, or creating a positive user interface.
To sum up, while blackhat SEO may come across as a rapid way to increase your read more site's visibility, it's a risky game to play. It's smarter to concentrate whitehat SEO techniques, that improve your website through legal means, thus providing enduring success.