You have heard about it. However, you tell yourself that it is just somebody else’s idea of a sick joke. But it is real. And it is illegal.
What is Black Hat SEO?
You probably know what SEO stands for. In case you already forgot, it is search engine optimization – the process of maximizing the prominence of your website among search engines by using specific keywords that increase the chances of your site being ‘searched’ by Internet users.
Black hat SEO is applying the principles of search engine optimization, albeit, in an illegal way or in a manner that is not consistent with the rules and regulations of search engines. The term ‘black hat’ was coined from the gangster movies of old where bad guys usually wore black hats. Black hat SEO is essentially bad SEO.
Are You an Apprentice of Black Hat SEO?
Much like Star Wars’ Jedi and Dark Side forces, you will find it difficult to know if you are already within the realm of black hat SEO. Here are some things you need to ask yourself to determine if you are already on the darker side of search engine optimization.
- Do you find yourself using so many keywords in a single article for your web content? It is not only the preposterous number of keywords on your content but rather the outlandishly out-of-context usage.
- Have you ever used hidden texts or links in your content just so you can manipulate the search rankings of search engines? If yes, you practiced black hat SEO.
- Did you ever make content with a link that redirects web surfers to an entirely different and unrelated site? They call this sneaky redirects and cloaking.
- Have you ever manipulated links, spun articles, created link farms and automated queries sent to Google as well as creating duplicate content?
So What, You Might Ask?
Black hat is illegal – plain and simple. It damages your credibility and reputation as a business owner. Furthermore, you risk search engines banning your website for good, and worse, you risk facing lawsuits for violation of copyright laws.
Mash Media says there are a lot of suspicious or “Black Hat” SEO practices out there. So, be careful whom you choose to complete the SEO work for you.
Achieving success in SEO takes considerable time. You don’t want to waste your time and resources doing all these illegal SEO techniques if, at the end of it all, you will lose everything. Take it slow, get SEO experts for help, and just follow legal SEO guidelines. Eventually, you will see the results coming.