Black hat, white hat, and gray hat are terms used to describe the different ways you can go about doing search engine optimization (SEO). But what does each one mean? And which one should you choose for your business? That’s what this guide will explain. We’ll cover three fundamental areas of SEO strategy, then dive into detail on each of the three types of strategies and explain their pros and cons so you can figure out which will work best with your company’s goals and resources.
1. Types of Search Engine Optimization
Search engine optimization can be done in many different ways, which means there are also many types of SEO. There are three main types of SEO that you’ll hear about: White hat search engine optimization, black hat search engine optimization and gray hat search engine optimization. If you’re just starting out with your online business and haven’t yet figured out how to implement your own SEO strategy, white hat search engine optimization is probably a good place to start. Let’s take a look at all three to see what they mean!
2. Which is the best option for me?
You’ve probably heard all three of these terms and wondered which is best. White hat SEOs are in it for a long-term relationship, so they’re not interested in taking shortcuts or hurting other people by using underhanded tactics. They want to work with search engines, not against them. The problem is that black hat SEO can be very effective at getting quick results; once you get your foot in the door, it’s hard to kick it out without committing to what could be a long process of cleaning up your bad reputation. In short, gray hat SEO is better than nothing—but don’t let anything but white hat tactics touch your website if you can help it.
3. How to know if you are using the wrong type of SEO
If you find that your search engine ranking drops after following an SEO technique, you are likely using black hat SEO. Although many businesses have been successful with black hat SEO, most of them have been penalized in some way by search engines. When deciding on an SEO strategy, keep in mind that it may not work for a long period of time. Google’s Panda and Penguin algorithms were created to stop spammy techniques like black hat SEO from working. Instead of achieving high rankings, businesses who used spammy techniques found their websites banned from search results altogether. Those who use white or gray hat methods can expect more consistent results over time. If you want to stay away from Google penalties or sudden ranking drops, white hat is your best option.
4. Learn from others who made mistakes.
It’s easy to make mistakes when you don’t have a lot of experience in a field. But rather than allowing your blunders to cost you in embarrassment or money, look at them as opportunities to learn from others who made similar mistakes. So often, it’s easy to look back on our past and point out our own errors in judgment. If we make that same mistake again, it may seem like stupidity – but there is usually more to it than that. Learn how someone else handled their mistake so you can do things differently next time around!
5. Should I hire an expert to help me decide which type of SEO is right for me?
The short answer is yes, absolutely. It’s always best to let an expert who knows what they’re doing handle your website. Especially when it comes to things like Search Engine Optimization (SEO). It’s easy to get lost in your own little world and do everything yourself or have family and friends pitch in without any formal knowledge of how to work with a website. But there are some key things you should know before deciding which type of SEO you want for your business. We’ll take a closer look at each type below
