Online visibility experts have probably heard of the expression known as blackhat SEO. Blackhat SEO involves a collection of strategies deployed to increase a website's or page's ranking in search engine results, 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 usually seen as unethical, and search engines like Google may severely penalize sites caught using them.
A popular blackhat technique is overusing keywords. This involves filling a webpage with search terms or numbers to game a site's ranking in Google search results. They might come across in a list, group, out of context, or hidden in the code.
Establishing link farms is another common technique. Here, sites are linked together in a circular network to boost the rank of all the pages in the circle. However, if a page is linked to from a high number of unrelated sites, it could also be penalized.
Cloaking is an even more click here extreme blackhat method. This involves different content is presented to search engines than to users, basically redirecting users to alternate pages apart from their permission.
Despite the harsh consequences, why do people use blackhat SEO? The evident answer is: for immediate results. These techniques give websites the illusion of popularity, boosting them up the search results fast.
However, the advantage is fleeting. Search engines now incorporate complex algorithms that identify these deceptive techniques. Once they're identified, penalties could include decreased rankings or even being deleted entirely from the search index.
As a consequence, many websites are shifting to white hat SEO strategies. These are methods that aim to build a website's prominence in legitimate ways. Some methods are creating quality content that provides valuable information to the reader, optimizing website tags, or creating a positive user experience.
To sum up, while blackhat SEO may seem a quick way to increase your site's visibility, it's a risky game to play. It's more advisable to focus whitehat SEO strategies, that improve your website through appropriate means, consequently providing enduring success.