As SEO specialists, we know that this practice requires the deep knowledge of experts and their time, efforts and strategies, so it is hardly obvious that it is a costly and complex job. However, anyone who has enjoyed the benefits of excellent search engine positioning knows that Search Engine Optimization is not an element that can be easily ignored within any digital marketing strategy.
Considering the immense difficulty hidden behind good SEO positioning, it is normal to find alternative methods that work as a “shortcut,” which can show good results in the short term. However, as tempting as it may be, the effectiveness of these practices tends to decrease over time, affecting the results of the Search Engine Ranking Reports and, even worse, the name of the brand that uses them.
These shortcuts are known as Black Hat SEO, and they consist of practical tricks designed to confuse search robots or the user so that it generates more clicks, visits or conversions dishonestly. Of course, in addition to the moral weight that this represents, after a short period, the search engines can detect these practices and penalize the websites that make use of them, which ends up ruining the positioning of the brand and all its chances of accessing new business opportunities via browsers.
Even more serious is that the practices hidden under that big hat are not at all subtle, which means that Internet users are fully capable of discovering the use of invasive or false elements. So, although these trapdoors may initially attract the user to click and enter site X, they will be aware that all the content related to the brand that has lied to them does not deserve their attention.
For all of the above reasons, below we will present some of the most common Black Hat SEO practices so that you can detect them and avoid them at all costs to ensure the best performance of your website in search engines:
Pay for links to attract traffic.
Most sites that charge for links are not highly regarded by users and search engines, which can lead to being linked to suspicious links. When a website has too many suspicious links, search engines reduce its relevance.
The recommended ways to have legitimate links that offer value and guarantee better positioning are:
- Third-party blog posts that have quality, value, and excellent positioning.
- Interactions with the audience on blogs and forums, for example.
- Constant activity on social networks.
Use keyword filler
Many people believe (mistakenly) that by stuffing too many types of keywords in SEO into a website, it will be easier for search engine robots to detect and rank the website. However, even if it is easy to find, a page that has this bad practice will be punished by search engines, which will significantly reduce its SEO ranking.
As this is such a common mistake, we can currently find different tools that allow us to properly use the number of keywords on the site so that it will not be penalized by robots.
Use hidden links
In the interest of having multiple links to relevant sites, many tend to hide URLs from the user’s view, which can lead to two major problems:
Once the user detects the hidden links, he will feel cheated and not enter the website again.
Link cloaking is illegal under Webmaster Guidelines, which means that if a search engine detects this practice, the consequences will not be pleasant.
Now that you know this, try not to fall into the deplorable game of Black Hat SEO, avoid being penalized by search engines and, most importantly, don’t ruin your reputation in front of your audience.
