Every internet-based business nowadays knows that their ranking in the main Search Engines is, to some extent, their bread and butter. From independent creators to huge brands, how close to the top their website appears on organic results heavily influences their revenue. This situation gave birth to practices collectively called SEO (Search Engine Optimization) which aim to make sure the content has everything it needs in order to be ranked as high as possible. Depending on their nature, they can be categorized in 3 groups, and those of us that make our leaving by offering services to improve the efficiency of websites know it is our duty to let clients know which ones are they using and what possible consequences they could bring.
No heroes, villains or neutral parties per se
The nature of the SEO practice is usually identified by the color of a hat. This comes from old western movies, where character’s headdresses somewhat indicated their alignment: white for lawful heroes, black for evil villains and gray for… well, those in the middle. However, in the SEO world, what comes into question is not the legality or morality of the activities, as all of them are strictly within the framework of the law and moral codes of most societies. So, what does it mean to wear one or another hat while trying to improve your site’s results?
As an alternative to laws and enforcement agencies, we have guidelines offered by the Search Engines. They are essentially what the SE wants from creators in order to rank them high. Therefore, being a white hat SEO practitioner means using tactics to follow those norms to the letter in order to merge your content with the platform’s policies.
On the other hand, being a SEO black hatter doesn’t mean being a hacker. Instead, this involves using tactics that go against the SE’s guidelines. This is a highly risky practice because, though still legal, it will most surely be punished once found out.
Finally, the gray hat SEO is something of a blurry line in between the other two. It means that even if these practices do not go against the guidelines per se and therefore are not immediately penalized, they are not something you would be willing to let the platform know you are doing.
Differences besides colors
The difference among the three of them lies in the intention of the practitioner. If one is just intending to make sure everything goes according to the guidelines and anything that does not is strictly avoided, white is the color their hat. On the other hand, if what they seek is maximizing short-term benefits by using tactics that go against the rules while trying not to get caught, then they are certainly a black hatter. Finally, if you are willing to follow the norms but at the same time looking for loopholes in order to going ahead of the rest, then a gray hat is in order.
Effects and consequences
The word optimization says everything what SEO is about. Therefore, the goal of each type of practice is to get better results and each has its pros and cons:
- White hat SEO
Pros:
- Long-lasting benefits
- It encourages creators to generate high value content
- Avoids penalties and bad rankings
Cons:
- Though guaranteed, the results take time to show
- It requires great skills in content creation or a team of professional content management
- You may not be able to rank among the first results if the competition is using other tactics
- Black Hat SEO
Pros:
- Visible short-term results
- Greater cost-efficiency benefits
Cons:
- If found out, the whole brand may suffer the consequences of removal from indexation
- The benefits are short-lived
- It could potentially lead to bad reputation
- Gray hat SEO
Pros:
- Medium term results
- Can get your site a head start without being considered cheating
- If found out, the SE won’t necessary penalized you
Cons:
- SEs are constantly monitoring results, therefore gray hat practices can fall under scrutiny
- The line between black and white can move with every update, therefore what today was permitted, tomorrow may as well be penalized. Creators will have to constantly monitor the policies and act in consequence.
At the end of the day, a good SEO is a successful SEO. All these practices and techniques are just tools, means to achieve a goal. Of course playing by the rules is always a good idea. However, the best professionals in the industry agree that designing a campaign involves evaluating all the possible outcomes, managing the risks each type of hat involves and taking into consideration what the competence is doing in that regard. Meanwhile, if you are managing the SEO of your own website, don’t forget to read our best pieces of advice for content creation. After all, there is where the basics lie.