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Black Hat SEO – Is It Really Worth It (Quick Answer – No!)

Black Hat SEO vs. White Hat SEO In the realm of Search Engine Optimization (SEO), black hat SEO is a term used to refer to
black hat vs white hat seo

Black Hat SEO vs. White Hat SEO

In the realm of Search Engine Optimization (SEO), black hat SEO is a term used to refer to the adoption of aggressive strategies and tactics. Blackhat SEO usually involves strategies that focus not on human users but on search engines.  This type of technique usually ignores guidelines set by search engines and most often than not violate their “terms of service”. While black hat techniques may increase search engine rankings, the results are not long-lasting and may possibly result from the site being banned. Some common black hat tactics include Article Spinning, Link Schemes, Keyword Stuffing, Automated Queries to Google, Creating pages or domains with duplicate content, and many more. To answer the question of whether black hat SEO is really worth it, the answer is no, especially if you are trying to build a long-lasting and sustainable business.

White hat SEO, on the other hand, refers to techniques and strategies that follow the guidelines set by search engines. The exact opposite of white hat SEO, it uses strategies that improve search rankings while staying within the bounds of the search engine’s terms of services.  Some above-board white hat practices are using descriptive, keyword-rich meta tags, link building, improving loading times and user experience, quality content, and guest blogging.

The Evolution of Black Hat SEO with Google Updates

Google is very clear and explicit regarding it policy against black hat SEO strategies.  Through the years, it has utilized more sophisticated algorithms for zeroing in on cheaters who are taking top search results. Google periodically runs new algorithms that assess websites for any black hat SEO practices. If Google detects any type of malpractice, penalties are meted out. Penalties run the gamut of having the opportunity to clean up your site and being eligible for re-evaluation to a permanent ban. Google also has a team of engineers who investigate and are able to flag individual sites through Manual Action Penalty. Whenever there are Google Updates, the SEO community will be abuzz with the news. Many websites that use black hat SEO strategies feel this very keenly with an abrupt drop in ranking.

Quick Results are Blinding, The Possible Damage is Massive

Due to the use of questionable tactics, websites that utilize black hat SEO techniques experience successful results, boosting them to the top of the rankings. While it may temporarily result in high page rankings for your website, using black hat SEO can possibly hurt your website permanently. Once you get penalized by Google and other search engines, it may be hard to recover.  As the years go by, Google penalties are getting more severe, including a permanent website ban. 

Following Google Main Guidelines for SEO the WadiDigital Way

Effective SEO strategy is simple, efficient, and transparent. This is the WadiDigital way. WadiDigital is a digital marketing company that’s dedicated to your company’s success by doing it the right way, following a detailed plan for every SEO project. The WadiDigital team is composed of industry experts who pursue the highest standards and integrity in the SEO industry.

About the author

Paul Gladstone
Paul has 20+ years of digital marketing, business, and project management experience. He leads B2B Organic Marketing at Wadi, supports Glasgow Rangers, and enjoys off-road ultra running.

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