Have you seen the term “white hat” & “black hat” SEO?
These are two terms used to differentiate between safe and risky search engine optimization (SEO):
- White Hat SEO – Recommended, strategic, SEO operations by search engines such as Google, Yahoo or Bing. Examples can include: Using meta tags or adding your website link to other websites that rank better then yours.
- Black Hat SEO – Illegal or hidden or deceptive methods to improve ranking in search engines. Examples can include: Hidden text on the website or bad linking. (Linking with bad sites)
Be cautious! Advancing in the wrong direction with black hat SEO can be detrimental to your website!
When I read comments posted to our SEO blog, I always look at the website that is posted with the comment. Occasionally, I will see websites that have black hat SEO embedded into their website. I always delete these comments if I see them on the website. Why? Because we do not want to be linked to any website that is involved with black hat strategies.
When Google and other search engines find a website using black hat techniques to help improve their Google ranking, that site can be ranked poorly or even be banned. It can take a lot of time to be reconsidered by a search engine once you’ve been banned. If Google connects us with a banned site, we could get banned also. And we don’t want that and neither should you!
Our SEO business works to follow the guidelines set out by each search engine in addition to following Biblical principles. “What does that mean?”, you ask. It means we have morals, guidelines, rules in our SEO work and we follow what authorities say.
Don’t get caught up with illegal (black hat) SEO. If you want to learn good SEO ethics (white hat) continue to follow our SEO blog, or send us an email with your question.
Ultimately remember this:
It is our desire to help you have a website that is SEO friendly, user friendly and developed so that people searching for your business, service or product in a search engine will find YOUR website!