Beware of Grey Hat SEO Techniques
Monday, November 9, 2009, 04:01 PM
Posted by Administrator
When it comes to
search engine optimization, website developers must walk a fine line. Although a search engine’s purpose is to guide users to what it is they are looking for, search engine optimization is essentially a process by which a web developer tricks the search engine into bringing a site to the top.
However, there are ethical ways of optimizing a site for quality search engine ranking and there are unethical ways and the search engines pay very close attention to the ways in which a website makes its mark.
Search engine optimization experts and search engines are not natural enemies. The search engines actually give developers room to work, but they are always on the lookout for dirty tricks and they thoroughly police each and every optimized website.
It is easy for a website to get flagged by the search engines, even if it is the result of a genuine mistake, and it can take months to correct the problem and get that site re-indexed into the search engine. Often, whether malicious or not, search engines will penalize websites that appear to be practicing “grey hat” SEO techniques. Grey hat SEO techniques are those that fall somewhere between legitimate techniques and spam.
Maliciously, grey hat techniques are used when a website is desperate to quickly boost its search engine ranking. Patience is the key and can mean the difference between a site’s optimization being labeled grey hat or white hat.
A technique known as “cloaking,” is a typical
grey hat SEO technique where content is presented differently to users than it is to the search engines. Cloaking raises suspicion among search engines, but there are times when cloaking is essential and not malicious at all.
There are many legitimate reasons to use cloaking techniques, particularly with websites that feature image-based content or where the majority of content is located in members-only areas. A reputable search engine optimization firm will contact search engines directly to apprise them of such situations and wait for approval. Only a search engine optimization expert who understands the ramifications of grey hat optimization will know that this is the white hat approach to the situation.
It is the fine line between grey hat and white hat search engine optimization that makes SEO just as much of an art as it is a science.
Experienced search engine optimization professionals will have already developed an understanding for what is acceptable and what is not when it comes to optimizing. That’s why having a
search engine optimization expert on-hand for your
website development project is always a must.
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