Which SEO technique should be avoided? 5 Black hat methods
We get it. There is so much good information out there about how to do SEO and the things you should be doing. But what if you are sat there thinking ‘which SEO technique should be avoided?’ So if you have never climbed the ranks of Google or experienced a swift and drastic drop in search engine rankings for key search terms. This could be because you have used black hat techniques in the past. Or you possibly paid an “SEO specialist” in the past to enhance your site and they used them.
Under closer examination, any good SEO consultant in Swansea could reveal problems with your site. And one of these problems could be for example the implementation of spammy links on dubious foreign article websites, which ultimately link back to your site.
Google takes a rather dim view of this type of search engine poisoning. They will quickly punish site owners by rendering their sites invisible in searches. The big lesson here? It’s simply not possible to deceive search engines by utilising black hat techniques to boost rankings. While this may have been feasible in the past, the best you can hope for now is a temporary lift before search engines catch on and subsequently punish you mercilessly for attempting to dupe them.
Which SEO technique should be avoided? All of these 5 below
1. Spammy backlinks
This is a common occurrence and often found in website footers. You’ve undoubtedly encountered these links before – a multitude of them with anchor text that describes a single service or product, or multiple locations. Don’t engage in this practice; it’s desperate and ineffective, and if deemed your links are solely for ranking purposes, you’ll be penalised.
2. Bought directory links
Purchasing a link on a high-quality, human-edited, no-follow directory is acceptable, as it poses no SEO value and won’t harm you. However, procuring a link on a generalised directory for SEO purposes is looked down upon by search engines. It’s frowned upon to such an extent that search engines will crease their foreheads in disapproval. Steer clear of this practice.
3. Link exchanges
Search engines are seeking to provide high-quality and relevant content, with the number of natural links from other pages serving as one of the main barometers for content quality. Reciprocal link exchanges, however, are not considered a quality indicator and at best, will be ignored by search engines. If your site has an abundance of reciprocal links, you’ll be penalised.
4. Article spinning
If you search for “article spinning,” you’ll discover numerous free tools that supposedly paraphrase and reword articles, allowing for their use without penalty for publishing duplicate content. However, these spinning tools usually create substandard copies and duplicate content detection software in search engines can often sniff out a spun copy. Not to mention, it’s a lazy and unscrupulous practice.
5. Hidden text
Despite it being 2023, this shady tactic still occurs. It involves utilising text and background of the same colour to obscure keywords from everyone except search engines. Don’t do it – it’s shameful.
Conclusion
Attempting to deceive search engines by employing black hat techniques is unsustainable. If you’re seeking to outsource to an SEO company, inquire about their tactics and methodology. If it seems unethical or sketchy, it probably is, and you should walk away.
Do you think your site has possibly had black hat work carried out on it? Don’t hesitate to contact our Swansea SEO specialists, and we’ll investigate on your behalf.
