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The secret of Black Hat SEO practice. Why it is dangerous and how to counteract it.
Black hat SEO, or black hat method, is a set of approaches to website optimization based on manipulating ranking algorithms. Webmasters use them to quickly achieve KPIs.
Instead of providing valuable content to users, these techniques are aimed at quickly improving visibility through dubious means.
Note: We in no way advocate the use of such black hat techniques. This article is for informational purposes only to identify and combat negative SEO attacks on your website.
A little bit of history: in fact, such approaches were relevant 10-15 years ago, when Google was just starting to develop content ranking algorithms. Back then, it was possible to get a page to the top in a few days. Website owners created pages with a list of keywords or several versions of content for search engine crawlers and users. Subsequently, they received targeted traffic with minimal effort and tried to put the work on a conveyor belt.
Fortunately, the days of black hat SEO are over. Today, they are used less and less, and search engines quickly detect them and take appropriate measures. Up to a lifetime ban of the site that is promoted in this way.
It can also be:
When novice webmasters ask the question about the advisability of using black hat optimization methods, they often get the answer that black hat still works effectively. But it is worth considering that each case of successful promotion is unique.
For example, if a webmaster has created 10 dorways and managed to successfully promote one project, there is no guarantee that you will be able to repeat this success. Even if he has disclosed his optimization scheme in detail.
The fact is that Google’s ranking algorithms make decisions about sorting the top of the SERPs individually. In some niches, the competition can be very high, and in others, there is no competition at all.
Keyword stuffing: This Black Hat technique involves stuffing web pages with an excessive amount of keywords in an attempt to manipulate search rankings. However, this often results in irrelevant and poorly written content for users. Search engines have become “smarter” at detecting keyword stuffing and penalize sites that use this practice.
Cloaking: Cloaking is a deceptive technique in which different content is shown to search engines and users. For example, a search engine may see one content and users may see another. However, search engines are constantly improving their algorithms to recognize and block websites that use cloaking.
Link farms: Link farms involve the creation of artificial networks of websites or web pages for the sole purpose of linking to a target site. This manipulative practice aims to deceive search engines by making them perceive the target site as more popular and relevant than it actually is. Search engines clearly disapprove of these practices and often penalize sites that engage in link farming.
Invisible text: Hidden text with a keyword canvas is a classic black hat. This technique makes content appear more keyword-rich than it really is. However, search engines have become skillful at recognizing and penalizing sites that use invisible text.
Pay attention!Hidden text is always a sign of black hat SEO. In certain cases, it is, on the contrary, a plus. For example, when you increase the accessibility of the site using the attribute of the tag by adding a text description of the image.
Doorway Pages: These arelow-quality pages optimized for specific keywords that contain little or unreadable content to drive search traffic. These pages provide minimal value to users and are considered unethical by search engines.
The niche of developing dormant websites is gradually dying, but you can still see such projects in the search results. Sometimes they get access to traffic, but the profit is unlikely to be long-lasting.
We do not recommend using prohibited methods of promotion. Moreover, the importance of black hat SEO is greatly exaggerated. Today, most of these methods do not work. Therefore, it is better to focus on creating high-quality content and using useful website promotion tools.