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Given that the core goals behind white hat and black hat SEO are very different, it
should come as no surprise that there’s very little overlap in the specific tactics
involved.
This means that tactics like writing high-quality, helpful content, increasing page
speed, improving user experience, and working towards mobile-friendliness are all
considered white hat — and are the types of changes that will have a lasting, positive
impact on your rankings.
In fact, they specifically say that the following practices can lead to consequences:
Algorithm updates
Google regularly updates its algorithm with the goal of improving the results it
delivers to users. And many of these updates are designed to close the loopholes that
black hat SEO exploits.For example, one of the most notable changes was the 2012
“Penguin” update that was designed to target sites buying links or using spammy link
practices.When this update was released, thousands of site owners using deceptive
link practices saw their rankings drop — and lost all of the results they’d gained
through those practices.Since then, Google has released countless updates targeting
manipulative SEO practices. So while these updates don’t target specific site owners
or “ban” them from search results, they can have a serious impact on the rankings of
sites using black hat tactics.
Manual penalties
Sites using black hat SEO are also at risk of a Manual Action from Google.These
penalties are given by human reviewers from Google’s team and indicate that a site
has been flagged for violating their guidelines.And unlike algorithm updates, manual
actions can prevent sites from appearing in search results altogether.In this case,
black hat tactics can have the exact opposite result from what the SEOs using them
intend.
Is Link Building Black Hat SEO?
One common concern among site owners is whether link building is considered black
hat SEO.After all, most site owners build links solely with the goal of improving
rankings. They don’t impact user experience, and their main purpose is to improve a
site’s credibility with search engines.So, does this mean you shouldn’t attempt to
earn links to your site?Fortunately, the answer is no — but you should be careful
about the tactics you use.As Google outlines in their guidelines, you shouldn’t
participate in link schemes and affiliate programs that don’t provide value. And you
should never attempt to buy links.But as long as you aren’t attempting to manipulate
Google’s algorithm with spammy, unnatural links, taking steps to earn them is not an
inherently black hat practice.
Conclusion
As you dig deeper into the world of digital marketing and the best ways to optimize
your site, the black hat vs. white hat SEO debate is one you may come across
often.And when you do, just remember that this isn’t a debate worth your time.White
hat SEO is, point-blank, the better approach — and you shouldn’t listen to anyone
who attempts to tell you otherwise.While black hat SEO may enable some site
owners to achieve quick wins, it directly violates Google’s guidelines, relies on
manipulative tactics, and is ultimately much more likely to lead to a penalty than the
results you want.White hat SEO, on the other hand, follows search engine guidelines,
focuses on a human audience, and takes a long-term approach — all of which are
essential for making a lasting, positive impact on your search visibility.So with that
in mind, you might be wondering what, exactly you can do to optimize your site in a
way that has a positive impact.And if that’s the case, you can find the concrete
strategies you’re looking for in our guides to on-page SEO and off-page SEO.