A complete guide to white hat seo techniques

Thought about taking a shortcut to work to save time? Well, shortcuts, in many scenarios, can feel like the most obvious option, but not when you are a search engine optimizer. White hat seo is the long but the correct route you take to reach your ranking goals online. While it wasn’t so much in consideration, in the past, the constant improvement of search engine algorithms has forced every online marketer and SEO expert to consider white hat seo techniques as the primary method. 

Many beginners and seo enthusiasts believe that black hat seo techniques are the only way to take their websites to new heights. That’s not true. Using techniques that misguided search engines like Google can seriously damage a website’s reputation. In extreme cases like Google, put it in a sandbox. Recovering from Google sandbox is impossible. Being said that, white hat techniques have several benefits and, that’s what we learn through this article. You don’t need to practice black hat SEO intently, but sometimes it can happen by accident. So, we gander through everything about white hat seo and its comparison to the black hat to make you think about everything there is. 

What is White Hat SEO? 

White hat seo is a technique that encapsulates methods used by search engine optimizers that abide by the rules and norms set by search engines. White hat seo expands into every kind of seo practice, including on-page, off-page, and technical seo. 

• As search engines have developed, so have their terms and conditions. Google Algorithms like Panda, Hummingbird, RankBrain, and BIRT are prominent examples of the norms applied to enhance user experience. 
  
• In a general sense, every step you take to improve your website’s visibility and overall performance comes under the umbrella of white hat. However, there are many under the shadow techniques that search engine optimizers have discovered over the past years. These techniques are termed black hat seo. Hence, the inception of white seo. 
  
• The term White hat seo has increased in popularity because of the growing black hat techniques people have used in the past. So, learning about it is inevitable for any beginner. 
  
• Yes, you can use black hat seo, but you need to understand that your website is highly dependent on traffic coming from search engines like Google. So, if you fail to follow the terms set by them, you won’t find the success you need to grow. Additionally, white hat techniques do not restrict to a particular niche of websites like e-commerce or blogs. No matter the kind of website you own, white hat seo techniques are paramount. 

Is white hat seo always the best choice? 

Well, to go the long haul, you need to follow white hat seo practices, always.

• The important thing to remember is that you alone cannot generate traffic from referrals. To gain authority and rise higher on SERP rankings is the ultimate goal of any search engine optimizer or white hat seo agency. Now, if you don’t follow the terms and conditions put forth by Google, it will not rank you. 
  
• Not ranking is one thing, but things can escalate even further and your website can be banned from search engines. It means you will need to start from scratch. That’s not something any SEO would prefer. 
  
• Things like buying links and Guest Posting for a fee is considered black hat through one lens but not from another. In fact, link building is a seo tactic that still feels the heat because some do it the right way, others not so much. 
  
• Practicing some kind of black hat technique will come your way someday, but you need to remember the risks involved in doing a black hat. If caught, all your hard work could be for nothing. So, why take that risk? Follow the guidelines, practice white hat seo tactics and grow slowly but gradually. 

Why is the white hat seo important? 

Well, we know that Google releases new updates on its algorithms. But, why does it do that? Why can’t Google just leave things as they are? 

• As a website owner, you too need a fair playing field as someone else. How can that happen when others can just cheat their way up? To prevent that, Google constantly releases algorithm updates that keep everyone in check. 
  
• You need to practice white hat seo because it is the only way you are going to rank on Google, or Bing, or any other search engine. 
  
• Remember, you are doing search engine optimization after all. The words search and the engine is very important in the context that they set the terms and you follow them. 
  
• Something as simple as keeping your website easy to navigate with optimized content can be your first step towards white hat seo. Another example can be hiding keywords in the same color as the background of your page. In other words, cloaking is another black hat seo that is deceptive. Filling your content with too many contextual keywords is another black hat seo technique. These and many such examples make it difficult for website visitors to have a seamless experience, and that’s what Google doesn’t want. 
  
• You practice white hat not only for search engines but for your website visitors too so that they can have an uninterrupted experience.
  
• Through white hat techniques, you keep your website in the good books of search engines like Google. These terms and conditions are always evolving. So, you need to be on top of them to miss no opportunity in gaining brownie points and ranking higher. 

What are the various white hat techniques in seo? 

Everything you do, right from the content development stage to link building, is white hat seo. However, the way you do it can sometimes be the difference between what’s ok and what’s not. Some of the most considered white hat techniques include — 

• Always be relevant and focus on providing quality content to your visitors. Cluttering your content with keywords or writing with no intent but to add keywords is the wrong way to do seo. Rather, focus on delivering quality content. If you are a blog, find your niche and help your users with targeted content. Restrict your keyword usage and employ it in a manner that doesn’t interrupt the flow of content. From visible fonts to the background color, make sure your website content is readable.
  
• Follow a Silo structure — Silo structure is architecture for websites. It helps you categorize your website URLs which ultimately assists users to navigate through pages easily. If your web pages and URLs are haphazard, they can be a big red flag for Google.
  
• Meta descriptions should have a call to action, but they cannot mislead visitors. Use meta descriptions to your advantage and write informative and attractive meta tags. 

White hat seo is the general practice of SEO that you employ in your daily life as a marketer. It is only when you begin to contemplate and apply black hat techniques that you begin to differentiate white hat techniques and black hat seo. Read about Google Panda, Hummingbird, BERT, and Rankbrain, among other algorithms, to learn more about the importance of the white hat and why to avoid black hat seo. 

Also Read : Top 6 SEO Strategies For OTT Platforms