White hat SEO (the kind that uses methods that improve the site for your users as well as for search engines) is great for improving your website overall, but it’s a little slow for getting results in the search engines. It takes a lot of work, and depending on the keywords you’re targeting, you’re never guaranteed one of the top spots in the search listings. No wonder people look for alternatives.
Despite the warnings against it, Black Hat SEO is still alive and well. Why? Because it promises quick results by tricking search engines into thinking that the site is more relevant or of better quality than it really is. Using tricks like cloaking or shady linking practices work great in the short run; your website will likely move right up the search result ranks, much quicker than it would using more ethical methods. Of course, within a short time, the search engines will catch on and your site will be penalized, either by being knocked back down the SERPs or even entirely removed from the search index.
There’s a big difference between purposefully pursuing black hat SEO techniques and using one or two questionable methods because you don’t know better. It’s 2013; the people intentionally using black hat know the risk, and they continue to use it. Why?
For starters, they think that they can beat the system. By staying one or two steps ahead of Google, they won’t be caught as quickly. That’s true, but they will eventually get caught, and all of the time and effort they put into the black hat SEO will be for nothing. That same work could have been put into white hat SEO methods, and they would be much further along overall.
The second reason it’s still so popular is that some people really don’t see that what they’re doing is wrong. These are usually the people who are new to owning a website, did a search on how to get their site into search engines, and came across some bad advice. Most people who run a website fall victim to this trap at least once. There is a lot of confusing information out there, and when it works for these newbies, they spread the advice on to more newbies. These are the people that end up so confused when their site suffers during the most recent round of algorithm updates. For anyone reading this that’s new, the only way to know if an SEO tactic is legit is to ask yourself if it will make any positive impact on how visitors experience your site. If it’s not going to create a better site for your users, it’s probably not something you should be doing. Also, do your research. Find an authoritative site or two, and see what they have to say.
Black hat is also popular because it’s touted as a quick solution for people who want to hire someone to perform their SEO. If you’re paying someone to do the SEO for your site, results matter. If they get you to that number one position within a couple weeks, you’re not likely to look too closely at how they managed it. They collect their money, and you are thrilled with the results, until your site gets penalized, or until you get a warning that your site is violating Google’s webmaster guidelines. When you try to contact your SEO expert, they are suddenly unable to take your calls. It’s a tough situation, but it does happen, and often. If you’re hiring someone else to perform your SEO, check into their background, and ask to talk to some long-term clients. Also, pay attention to what they’re promising. SEO, when done correctly, takes time. Anyone promising immediate results is likely a scammer.
Despite the risks, black hat SEO isn’t going anywhere. The best thing anyone can do is to make sure that the SEO tactics they’re using on their website are legit. Even the accidental use of questionable SEO methods can be a costly mistake.
Has your site ever been penalized for not using legitimate SEO methods? What steps are you taking to prevent that problem in the future?
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