In this digital world, every business dreams of ranking at the top of search engine result pages. The growth of digitalization has impacted human life a lot. For every small query, we ask questions from search engines like Google and Bing. And to answer these questions, all businesses post some articles and blogs, and even some of the content is available in the form of presentations too. This shows that businesses are continuously working on search engine optimization. Basically, SEO is a technique that is followed by businesses to rank their websites at the top of the SERP.
White-hat SEO, black-hat SEO, and Gray-hat SEO are some of the common types of SEO that are followed by businesses. But wait, have you ever thought about which one is the best and legal? Yes, white hat SEO is a legal one that should be followed by all businesses. Though it takes time, believe me when I say it is worthwhile.
In this blog, we will discuss all the aspects of white hat SEO and learn which benefits an organization can get by following it.
What is White Hat SEO?
As we all know, white resembles purity, and in the same way, white hat SEO refers to strategies and techniques that are followed according to the guidelines of search engines like Google. Some businesses use inorganic methods to rank their websites higher, but those who do so may not enjoy a higher ranking on the SERP for a longer span of time. On the other hand, those who do not violate the rules of Google have more chances to rank their websites first for a longer period of time.
White hat SEO, also known as ethical SEO, is guided by the rules and regulations of search engines, and those who follow it enjoy being at the top. The major goal of white-hat SEO is to provide quality content to the user and stop webmasters from spreading false information across the web.
Techniques of White Hat SEO
Well, there are not such kinds of techniques to follow in white hat SEO as anything that is legal in Google’s book; that is white hat, and those that are not there are black hat. Let us discuss some of the common techniques that one should use:
High-quality content
Posting high-quality content is of high importance according to the Google guidelines, and never post a copied article or blog post on a landing page or on an official website. Always ensure that you are posting unique content that is not rewritten by tools. To generate high-quality content, some quite simple techniques can be followed, like using a unique headline, creating user-friendly content, and including a good meta description.
Build Links
Buying a backlink is not a good idea, and it is an organic way to drive traffic to a website. Creating a backlink in a genuine manner is a white-hat SEO technique. Without backlinks, your efforts are in vain, as all the high-quality content will be transformed into low-quality content.
Webpage Performance
Webpage performance is also considered in a white-hat SEO technique. Google also doesn’t like to crawl a webpage that is not mobile-friendly or a webpage that takes a longer time to load. So, in this scenario, the page is never indexed and ranked by a crawler. To know whether your webpage has any errors or not, you can improve it by using tools like page speed insights and mobile-friendly tests.
Keep short URLs
According to the research, it was found that webpages with short URLs are ranked faster than those with lengthy URLs. If possible, include some keywords in a URL, which will make it easier for the crawler to index a webpage. In simple words, URLs must be clean, short, and filled with targeted keywords.
Include relevant keywords
Keywords are essential for SEO, as with the right keywords and links, it becomes easier for Google to rank a webpage. So, before you select keywords, do proper research. You can do this by using some tools like Google Keyword Planner. The benefit of conducting keyword research is that you will stay away from using a keyword that has higher competition. The tools will help in finding a keyword that has less competition and is short. Besides, you can brainstorm on your own by typing it into a search engine, where Google will suggest phrases and keywords that are less competitive. Also, don’t forget to add keywords in a meta description or meta title.
Benefits of using White Hat SEO techniques
Though following a white-hat SEO technique would take some time, it is worth waiting for. Let’s dive into some major benefits that businesses can enjoy by following white-hat SEO techniques.
Your business will rank at the top of the SERP.
On all the search engines, both paid and organic results appear. Paid results are often seen at the top of the search engine, and below that are organic results, which occur manually with the internal guidance of search engines. And all the web traffic is directed towards the webpage, which appears organically on the first page.
White Hat SEO will save your cost:
Businesses can save a lot of money when following techniques according to Google’s guidelines. Some businesses that follow a black hat technique often indulge themselves in a problem because Google charges a penalty to those websites, which also affects their ranking. Following a white-hat technique does not only save you money but also time, as you know the practices will lead you to a higher ranking one day.
Risks are not involved:
When businesses follow a white-hat technique, they do not invite any kind of risk. They need not fear Google updates, as they know that whatever the update is, it will not affect their ranking and performance because they themselves are following organic techniques. Thus, risks are minimized when businesses work according to white hat principles.
Develops your brand reputation:
Using white-hat techniques will make you famous among your customers and stakeholders, and it will foster a long-term relationship with your clients. It means that the world will start believing in your business, and you will be renowned for using ethical methods. As well, this will excite your customers, and all clients will love to stay connected to your businesses.
Build network with online users:
White-hat SEO techniques will build your network with online users. Do you know how? You will post content that is user-friendly and unique. You will automatically be able to drive more traffic to a webpage, but besides that, you will be able to connect with an online user. And whenever they search for anything, the first thing that their eyes will catch is your website.
No secrets from search engines and users
All the business information is shared transparently without hiding anything from users or search engines. And you will not face any problems whenever Google updates its algorithms. So, when business follows white-hat techniques, it will generate a sense of confidence among the users, employees, clients, and stakeholders. Thus, you will be able to build your business in a better manner.
Black Hat SEO VS White Hat SEO
Till now, we have discussed what a white hat SEO technique is and how beneficial it is for organizations. Now, we will see the difference between white-hat SEO and black-hat SEO. Black hat SEO is followed by those businesses that want to rank their webpages as soon as possible, and they even don’t put any extra effort into writing content or building links naturally. And if businesses tend to follow these practices again and again, they will fall into a large problem and thus will not be able to rank up their pages soon. Some of the black tactics followed are:
- posting copied content on an official blog or in an article.
- Content that is not user-friendly.
- Adding a link to the keywords that do not match websites.
- Adding links to an unreliable site.
On the other side, white hat SEO is the opposite of black hat SEO. It is said that in business, patience is very important, and a perfect website takes time to rank. Using false practices will ruin one’s reputation with Google. But following White Hat will boost your ranking slowly and gradually. Tips for following white-hat techniques are:
- Build links on a reliable site.
- Develop a perfect content marketing strategy and always post unique content.
- Understand your audience.
- Stay updated with Google’s guidelines.
This is the major difference between black-hat SEO and white-hat SEO. So, to build lifetime value among the audience and stakeholders, it is highly recommended that organizations start using white-hat SEO techniques.
FAQs related to White Hat SEO
Q1. What is the difference between white-hat SEO and black-hat SEO?
The major difference between white hat SEO and black hat SEO is that the former follows the guidelines of Google, whereas the latter violates the rules of Google or any other search engine.
Q2. How is white hat SEO implemented?
You can implement white hat SEO by following some simple steps, like:
- Check your current website.
- Conduct keyword research.
- Develop high-quality content.
- Be active on social media platforms.
- Enhance the speed of your website.
In this way, you can implement white-hat SEO.
Q3. What is Gray Hat SEO?
Gray-hat SEO is the third type of SEO, and it lies between white-hat SEO and black-hat SEO techniques. Businesses that follow Gray hat SEO are at high risk, as Google never crawls those websites either.
Bottom Line:
If businesses need to stay ahead of their competition, they need to follow white-hat SEO techniques. As search engines are becoming more advanced these days, it will be better for organizations to adhere to the guidelines of Google. This shows that a white-hat SEO technique will be more powerful in the coming days.
