What is Black Hat SEO?
SEO techniques are widely used to generate organic traffic and achieve a better position in SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages).
However, there are more questionable ways — and less effective in the long run — of achieving this.
One of them is Black Hat SEO: a set of actions to fool Google’s algorithms in search of a better ranking.
Just like the use of correct keywords, the increase in the authority of a page, and efficient link building make a page stand out among the first results on a search engine, some people started to cheat this system and adopt ethically questionable practices in pursuit of the same goal.
Black Hat SEO practices go in the opposite direction from what Google recommends, particularly in terms of quality content and positive user experience.
These techniques aim exclusively at the top of a search result, paying any price to put your pages in the first positions, with little or no planning.
Black Hat SEO represents any action aimed at manipulating the rules and best practices stipulated by Google (or even Bing) in search of a better ranking.
The results can be relevant and often come fast, but the price to pay is high and can definitely damage your marketing efforts.
What is the difference between White, Grey, and Black Hat SEO?
Now that you know what Black Hat is, but maybe you haven’t understood the reason for that name yet, right?
It references the old western movies, where the bad guys were usually identified by the color of their hat, while the “good guys” used the accessory in white.
However, this idea was not restricted to the colorless films of the past and is also used within Digital Marketing. Therefore, besides Black Hat SEO, there are also White Hat and Grey Hat.
The first term you already know, but let’s learn more about the other two.
White Hat SEO
Practices that seek to optimize a page’s performance according to Google guidelines and rules are considered White Hat SEO.
That is, those that put the user first, producing relevant content in blogs, engaging in social media, and even adopting a responsive design.
The White Hat is, therefore, one of the “good guys” who try to improve the performance and ranking of their pages appropriately, following the rules of the game and not harming any of their competitors.
They do that simply by offering the best possible user experience within their marketing plan.
Grey Hat SEO
Have you ever heard of the expression grey zone? It happens when a situation or a certain action is not expressly bad or good, but it is something dubious.
Grey Hat SEO, therefore, happens when practice for performance optimization is not considered good, but it cannot be defined as bad either.
It represents a process that usually follows the best SEO practices, but ends up using Black Hat techniques in specific situations to search for some faster result.
Very common, for example, when we talk about sending email marketing without permission or comments in posts aimed at link building.
Why shouldn’t you use Black Hat?
The first reason for not using Black Hat SEO within your Content Marketing strategy is simple: you are not thinking about the user; that is, you are not producing relevant material for your buyer persona.
This way, you end up being unfair to those you want to convince to become your consumer.
Besides, you are also not being honest with your competitors. Of course, everybody is fighting for the attention and resources of the user.
However, it is necessary to play clean and surpass the other competitors with honest techniques and, mainly, offer superior service and/or product to the potential client.
Black Hat SEO can generate returns quickly, putting, for example, your brand among the first results in a search page, but it does not do this by offering relevant content to the users.
This directly affects the timeline: it works in the short term and has little relevance in the medium and long term.
Therefore, it becomes unfeasible to plan solid actions aiming, for example, at customer loyalty.
You can even generate more traffic, attracting visitors using your position. However, you can’t build a solid relationship with those who tend not to continue on a page after realizing that the content is not relevant.
Consequently, the bounce rate is likely to increase. Think about the following example: you click on a page precisely because it appears among the first results.
You access it and come across repeated keywords and irrelevant or unattractive content. What do you do? You leave the site immediately.
Another important point to remember when we talk about reasons not to wear the Black Hat in search of a better ranking is Google.
Yes, the most popular search engine in the world does not approve of this type of practice, and, when it identifies it, all your Digital Marketing planning and actions can be damaged at once.
How does Google penalize Black Hat SEO?
The sanctions that can be applied by Google vary in terms of weight. However, the penalties usually imply a drop in ranking, reduction of PageRank score, decrease in organic search traffic, and restriction in positioning new content and publications.
This way, Google will remove the page from its list, considering that you do not normally use Black Hat practices since it considers the website as a whole.
That is, if there are not a significant number of irregularities, Google recognizes that it was a mistake and steps back.
Also, the only alternative to reverse a punishment is to try to identify the problems and immediately correct them.
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