What Exactly is Black-Hat SEO ?

You have no doubt heard of black-hat SEO, you know it is frowned upon and you most likely have no intention of using it. But do you actually understand what this term refers to? Or to put it this way, can you easily and quickly spot the evidence of black-hat SEO in a web marketing strategy?

Research seems to suggest that while general awareness of black-hat SEO as a concept is indeed widespread, the fundamentals of it remain something of a mystery to most.

 

With this in mind, what follows is a short overview of some of the most common black-hat SEO examples:

Keyword Stuffing

What is keyword stuffing? As far as Google and the major search engines are concerned, the use of keywords to manipulate the SERP rankings to any degree whatsoever. Therefore, all manners of keyword research and SEO-friendly website content would technically qualify as black-hat. The reason is that you were not attempting to influence the SERP rankings, you would not pay attention to your use of keywords. Nevertheless, there is a big difference between using a few keywords in your content and cramming literally dozens into your copy at the expense of its overall quality. Therefore, it is only the latter of the two that is really considered black-hat and dangerous.

‘Strategic’ Redirects

We use the word ‘strategic’, but a more appropriate word would be ‘sneaky’. This is a technique similar to cloaking, though in this case the user is immediately diverted to a different page when clicking the link. The page has been engineered to curry favour with Google and climb the rankings, though when accessed by an Internet user redirects them elsewhere. All of the major search engines condemn such sneaky redirects and spare no expense to identify and punish the perpetrators.

Cloaking

Cloaking is a technique whereby the search engine spider is shown a piece of content, though the user is shown something completely different. It is a common marketing process used to fool the major search engines into thinking the website in question contains content they never really present to the actual web user. Spam websites often use this technique, in order to pull in traffic and avoid being punished for publishing spam content The only problem is that in this day and age, actually getting away with cloaking is borderline impossible.

Paid Links

Google rewards high-quality backlinks as they are both indicators of quality and difficult to establish. That is, unless you just buy your way into backlinks. The point of backlinks is that they are provided in cases where websites of high quality deem the source in question to be worthy. If you buy backlinks, you cannot say you have earned them - you may not even deserve them. Therefore, even if you think you are buying quality links of value, you are still indulging in the dark side of search engine optimisation and could land in a world of trouble.

Substandard Content

If you try to produce quality content and come out with substandard, that is fine…kind of. By contrast, attempting to pack a website with filler content of zero value simply for SEO purposes is a big no-no Most of Google’s recent algorithm updates have been geared towards assessing the quality of website copy, not simply the quantity thereof. While it is still relatively easy to get away with substandard copy to a degree, it is nonetheless getting harder all the time.

Key Questions to Consider Before Joining a Social Network

For small and large businesses alike, the limitless potential social media holds can be a double-edged sword. Billions of people from all backgrounds glued to their social accounts on a 24/7 basis, just waiting to be engaged and influenced by brands like yours.

All well and good, but where on Earth do you even start?

No business can realistically afford to spread itself with even effectiveness across all social networks. There are just too many of them, and the whole thing would be far too time-consuming.

 

Instead, therefore, it is a case of considering which social networks are likely to work best for your business. Something that can be surprisingly simple to figure out, after considering the following five questions:

1. What is your main motivation for choosing this platform?

This will instantly help you narrow things down, as you need to consider your motivations carefully. Are you considering joining a social network because it is popular, trendy and has a massive global audience? Or are you doing so because the platform could genuinely support the mission and objectives of your business? Be where the temptation to bandwagon-hop where social networking is concerned, as it often paves the way for wasted time and money.

2. Do you have the resources?

You also need to consider carefully whether you have the resources you will need to run a viable campaign on the platform in question. It’s important to remember that the content creation process on platforms like TikTok is completely different to that of Facebook or Twitter. You may have your needs covered comfortably for your current social requirements, but do you have the resources to branch out into new territory?

3. Are your customers using this platform?

A little research is all it takes to discover exactly who is using which platforms, and for what reasons. Depending on the age, location, preferences and even income level of those you are targeting, some platforms could be entirely more suitable than others. For a good indication of where your audience is, take a look at the platforms your biggest (and most successful) competitors are focusing their efforts on.

4. Who will oversee the project?

Two options here – one being to handle things in-house, the other being to outsource. Of course, you’ll need to be involved in your own social media efforts to at least some extent, due to the nature of the beast. They want to see you, talk to you, hear about you and connect with you – not with an unrelated third party. Even so, outsourcing at least some of your social media marketing activities could help you get the most out of your project.

5. What are our specific goals for this initiative?

Last up, a social network selection should be based primarily on your brand’s broader goals and objectives. Are you looking to generate leads, get new customers on board, boost your brand image and reputation, sell more products, diversify into new markets, or simply build better customer relationships? Some platforms are better than others at helping businesses achieve these and other goals, so consider your selection wisely.