Have you come across the term “black hat SEO” or “black hat internet marketing”? Join Brooke Cooper, an esteemed Internet marketing specialist at WebFX, for an insightful discussion on black hat SEO, its implications, and the consequences it entails.Brooke will also share tips on how to identify if you’re collaborating with a black hat SEO agency!
Transcript Hello! I’m Brooke, and I am an Internet Marketing Specialist at WebFX. Today, we delve into the topic of Black Hat SEO!Black hat SEO encompasses practices that boost a website or webpage’s search engine rankings by violating search engine terms of service.You might wonder, why would anyone defy search engines’ guidelines? Black hat SEO practitioners use these tactics because they can yield rapid, albeit temporary, improvements in rankings. Despite knowing these methods violate search engines’ terms of use, they continue to use them for quick results.In the SEO sphere, those who engage in unethical practices are labeled Black Hat, while those who adhere to ethical practices and Google’s guidelines are known as White Hat SEO. Both Google and Bing provide webmaster guidelines online, detailing the black hat tactics they disapprove of. What are some typical black hat SEO strategies?Is black hat SEO truly detrimental?Absolutely. Employing black hat SEO tactics can lead to your website being banned from search engines. As search engines become more adept at detecting spammy and unethical practices, the risks of using these strategies grow.Although you may see some short-term gains in rankings or traffic, these results are fleeting. Google can penalize you severely, including de-indexing your site, which can severely damage your rankings, traffic, and potentially your business. The only sustainable way to enhance your online presence and drive improved leads, traffic, and rankings is through white hat SEO, which requires time but yields substantial rewards.Be aware of these red flags:
Reporting — Do they provide regular reports? What is the source of the data? If the data source is unclear, how can you trust the accuracy of the information? My recommendation is to seek agencies that utilize Google Analytics, a highly reliable data source.
Transparency — Are they transparent about their work? Or do you feel in the dark about what they are doing for your site? Lack of knowledge is not bliss. If you’re penalized by Google in the future, you’ll regret not paying attention to the tactics being used.
Lack of Recommendations — If your SEO agency remains behind the scenes, with no suggestions for website improvements, the tactics they are using may be questionable.
A white hat SEO agency should work as a partner to ensure your online success. A positive sign is when they make actionable suggestions for site improvements across various areas, such as creating helpful content, updating sitemaps, optimizing technical files, and disavowing harmful links. If your SEO agency isn’t providing regular recommendations, it might be time to seek a new one.That sums up black hat SEO. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out!
