Search engine optimization professionals have probably heard of the term known as blackhat SEO. Blackhat SEO involves a collection of strategies used to improve 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 quickfire approach that may get your site to the top of search engine rankings quickly. However, these strategies are often seen as manipulative, and search engines here like Google can heavily penalize sites caught using them.
One common blackhat technique is keyword stuffing. This involves packing a webpage with key terms or numbers to game a site's ranking in Google search rankings. They might come across in a list, pile, out of context or in a hidden div.
Establishing link farms is another common technique. Here, websites are linked together in a circular network to increase the rank of all the pages 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, effectively redirecting users to alternate pages aside from their consent.
Despite the harsh consequences, why do people use blackhat SEO? The simple answer is: for instant success. These tactics give websites the pretense of relevance, boosting them up the search results quickly.
However, the benefit is temporary. Search engines now incorporate sophisticated algorithms which identify these manipulative techniques. Once they're identified, penalties may include decreased rankings or even being removed 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 methods are creating meaningful content that provides useful information to the reader, optimizing website tags, or creating a positive user journey.
To sum up, while blackhat SEO may appear a fast way to boost your site's visibility, it's a dangerous game to play. It's more advisable to focus whitehat SEO methods, that improve your website through legal means, consequently providing sustainable success.