This article is to outline the difference between Black Hat SEO and White Hat SEO. What each technique mean? What are the pros and cons of each approach? and what is the best strategy to utilize?

Search engine optimization is composed of several different techniques. The majority of these techniques are aimed at fulfilling the basic requirements search engines need in order to measure a website’s importance and rank it accordingly in the search engine results or SERPs. Search engine optimization is generally classified into two categories:

White Hat SEO and Black Hat SEO.

The techniques that conform to the search engine guidelines are called White Hat SEO. On the other hand, the SEO techniques that don’t play by the search engine regulations are called Black Hat SEO. White Hat and Black Hat are the two opposite ends of the search engine optimization spectrum. In reality, SEO can be more closely described as grey or a moderate combination of both Black Hat and White Hat techniques. In most cases, what is important is not whether Black or White Hat technique is utilized; rather what effect that particular technique will have to the site.

What is White Hat SEO?

White Hat SEO techniques are legitimate and ethical and don’t violate search engines’ terms of service. This is a strategy that abides with the website guidelines that has been published by major search engines such as Google. White Hat SEO methods focus mainly on the creation of unique, high quality, search engine-friendly content. By keeping the website content fresh and high quality, the value of the website to visitors as well as to search engine spiders’ increases. Meeting these requirements result in a favorable search engine ranking.

White Hat SEO also involves enhancing on-page factors such as site structure, title and Meta tags, keyword density, link placement, and others. Internal linking, which ensures that every page in the website is found and indexed by search engine is also a proven White Hat SEO technique. Another good White Hat SEO method is the intelligent reciprocal linking, or the exchanging of links with sites that are related and relevant to your websites content.

Pros and Cons of White Hat SEO

White Hat SEO methods generally produce positive results that are more stable and longer lasting than those with Black Hat, since White Hat involves playing by the rules of the search engines. Practicing White Hat SEO avoids the risk of being penalized by search engines, such as being banned or removed from the SERPs. However, White Hat SEO techniques often take months, and even years, to produce results.

What is Black Hat SEO?

Black Hat SEO means using techniques that are not approved by the search engines or go against their rules. Some of the common Black Hat SEO practices include spamdexing – which in itself is composed of several unethical SEO techniques such as keyword stuffing (or the inordinate of use keywords to raise the keyword count and density) and the use of hidden or invisible text (same color as background) on web pages. Cloaking, which involve giving a different page depending on whether the page is requested by a search engine or a visitor, is another common Black Hat technique. Basically, any SEO techniques outside of the search engine web guidelines can be considered Black Hat.

Pros and Cons of Black Hat SEO

Black Hat SEO techniques are designed to create increased traffic results immediately. Black Hat SEOs usually take pride in their ‘no rules’ approach in optimization. However, websites that use Black Hat SEO risk being penalized and banned by the search engines once discovered.

So in conclusion, White Hat SEO is highly recommended between the two, it is safe. However, if you want increased traffic immediately then Black Hat SEO will absolutely help. Just don’t neglect the risks of such strategy; some have been successful utilizing some techniques while other has been unfortunate.

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