Online visibility experts have probably heard of the term known as blackhat SEO. Blackhat SEO embraces a collection of strategies utilized to increase a website's or page's ranking in search engine rankings, but done in ways that violate the search engines' terms of service.
Fundamentally, blackhat SEO is a rapid route that could get your site to the top of search engine rankings quickly. However, these techniques are often seen as unethical, and search engines like Google can heavily penalize sites discovered using them.
One common blackhat technique is overusing keywords. This involves packing a webpage with search terms or numbers to manipulate a site's ranking in Google search results. They might appear in a list, pile, out of context or in a hidden div.
Creating link farms is another common technique. Here, webpages are connected together in a circular network to boost the rank of all the pages in the chain. However, if a site is linked to from numerous unrelated websites, it could also be penalized.
Cloaking is an even more extreme blackhat method. It refers to different content is presented to search engines than to users, basically redirecting users to separate pages apart from their permission.
Despite the harsh consequences, why do people use blackhat SEO? The simple answer is: to achieve quick results. These tactics give websites the appearance of authority, boosting them up the search website results quickly.
However, the benefit is short-lived. Search engines now incorporate sophisticated algorithms that identify these manipulative techniques. Once they're identified, penalties may include decreased rankings or even being deleted entirely from the search index.
As a consequence, many websites are moving towards white hat SEO strategies. These are approaches 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 journey.
So, while blackhat SEO may appear a quick way to increase your site's visibility, it's a perilous game to play. It's more advisable to concentrate whitehat SEO strategies, that improve your website through appropriate means, consequently providing sustainable success.