An Introduction to Black Hat SEO: A Brief Overview

The notion of search engine optimisation (SEO) has existed since the halcyon days of the Internet.

SEO techniques are primarily used to help a website rank higher within a search engine results page.

This is crucial in terms of online exposure, inbound visitors and ultimately, generating an appreciable return on investment.

However, there are many ways in which search engine optimisation might be employed. One term which users may encounter from time to time will involve the notion of “black hat” SEO.

What do these strategies entail and what are some common approaches associated with such techniques? Let us examine these and a handful of other pertinent questions.

Black Hat SEO: A Brief Overview

The team at SEMrush defines black hat SEO techniques as those which are intended to circumvent or otherwise manipulate current search engine algorithms. The main goal is nearly always to increase the exposure of a website within a SERP.

We can think of these strategies as being like “smoke and mirrors” within the digital domain.

Perhaps the main takeaway point is that black hat SEO is intended to please search engines as opposed to the average user. Thus, it will often detract from the quality of the website in question.

Now that we know about the basic principles of black hat SEO, let us move on by taking a quick look at some of the most common tactics as well as what each entails.

What Black Hat SEO Tactics Will Some Websites Embrace?

To be clear, some of the techniques which will be outlined below were acceptable at one point in time.

The good news is that search engines such as Google and Bing have become much more discriminating regarding what types of approaches are permissible. Below are some relevant examples of black hat SEO.

Stuffing Keywords

We are all aware that keywords have always enjoyed a prominent position within any successful SEO strategy.

In modern times, these elements are even more important thanks to increasing search volumes and more personalised content.

However, there are still times when long-tail phrases and singular words may be “stuffed” within a block of text.

Keyword stuffing is arguably one of the oldest black-hat tactics due to the relative ease with which it can be accomplished.

Simply stated, multiple variations of a single word will be included within a segment of content. Most importantly, these words will add no value to the material in question.

Google has listed three instances that can be considered to represent keyword stuffing:

• Excessive repetition of specific words or phrases to the point where the text reads clumsily.
• Including numerous phone numbers that are not necessary.
• Including geotags within a text (such as cities or regions) that are not warranted or otherwise superfluous.

Here is a rather dubious example of how keyword stuffing may appear:

“Our SEO team can provide unique digital marketing solutions. These digital marketing solutions will offer numerous benefits. Are you curious to learn more about digital marketing solutions? If so, consult with one of our experts.”

As we can see, this text is completely unnatural, and it could even detract from an otherwise high-quality product or service.

Let’s also remember that search engines such as Google will penalise websites that use keyword stuffing as a tactic. That means it should be avoided at all costs.

Content Cloaking

There are many facets associated with a successful marketing campaign. One tactic is to present the right solutions to the right website visitors at the right times.

This may also involve slightly adjusting specific pieces of content to cater to specific demographics.

Unfortunately, some webmasters take this concept to an entirely new level. This is known as “cloaking” within the SEO community.

Content cloaking involves offering one type of content to visitors while presenting another to search engine algorithms.

The main intention here is to enable the material to rank higher within multiple discrete SEO categories.

To be clear, there can indeed be times when modifying existing content is perfectly acceptable. Perhaps you are marketing your services to customers who speak different languages.

You may also manipulate the existing HTML within a site to adopt a mobile-friendly edge. These are permitted by all search engines.

However, completely changing content to cater to SERP rankings along is another black hat technique to avoid at all costs. Once again, this approach can result in stiff penalties.

Misleading Redirects

Have you ever clicked on a link only to be taken to an entirely irrelevant page? This is one example of a strategy known as “sneaky redirecting”.

While users can often be hoodwinked by this approach, there are even times when search engines are sent to one page while human visitors are directed to another.

Creating such backlinks is often performed to manipulate search results and therefore, artificially boosting SERP rankings.

There can be specific types of redirects (such 301 redirects) that intentionally link an authoritative page to another with nearly no value. Once again, the goal is to pass on this level of authority to another section of a website.

Not only will misleading redirects detract from the end-user experience, but your rankings may suffer as a direct result. Search engines such as Google and Bing take these tactics seriously.

Poor Content Quality

A recent study conducted by PointVisible has found that an impressive 60 per cent of all B2C businesses consider quality content marketing to represent their top priority.

This only stands to reason when we highlight the fact that the average website visitor is more discriminating than ever before.

So, it is logical that some site owners seek to circumvent traditional approaches by creating low-quality content in the belief that “more is better”.

Here are some additional examples of how content can be manipulated using black hat SEO techniques:

• “Scraping” content from another website.
• Inserting invisible keywords within the HTML text.
• Creating content-based around one topic and then switching this material for an unrelated topic once page ranks have improved.

As the professionals at MarktetingV20 rightfully emphasise, quality should trump quality in terms of content marketing.

Not only will poorly written material negatively impact the perception of your business, but the black-hat strategies stated above will hardly engender feelings of trust and brand loyalty.

Buying or Selling Links

This lesser-known tactic should also be examined. Some website owners are under the false impression that there is nothing wrong with buying or selling links.

But this isn’t true. These practices can influence individual page rankings.

In other words, do not provide any type of financial remuneration to a site that intends to link to your content. Both the seller and the buyer may be punished as a result.

If you have mistakenly become involved in such a scheme, it is possible to employ the disavow link utility offered by Google.

This tool tells website crawlers to disregard a specific URL of your site when determining its overall ranking.

Blog Spamming

Blogging is one of the best ways to increase the exposure of a website. However, one practice should never be used.

This involves including links to your site within the comments left on the page of a third-party blogger. This is nothing more than another form of spamming.

If you wish to use blogs to generate inbound hits, employ outbound links within your posts or hyperlink the blog directly back to your site. Never leverage the comments section on another blog to advertise your products or services.

Putting Your Best Foot Forward

Is black hat SEO illegal? The simple answer is no. However, it does violate numerous guidelines stipulated by major search engines such as Google, Bing and Yahoo.

Therefore, all the techniques highlighted throughout this article should be proactively avoided.

There are plenty of ways in which you can promote your website without violating these well-established guidelines. Be sure to consult with a professional to learn more or if you have additional questions.