You may have heard white hat versus black hat in other walks of life, but in this article, I want to talk about white hat and how it applies to SEO. According to Webopedia, white hat SEO, “refers to the usage of optimization strategies, techniques and tactics that focus on a human audience opposed to search engines and completely follows search engine rules and policies.” What does that mean exactly? It means your SEO strategy is one that focuses on creating quality content that people will actually WANT to use. Webopedia later calls it “Ethical SEO”. Obviously, that term is a little subjective, but in the long run it suggests that you’re focused on building a quality destination for searchers, versus trying to trick someone into visiting your site. At BizMilk, we’re definitely focused on white hat SEO. If you go back and review our blog post titled Content is King, you’ll see that we’re preaching about the benefits of creating authentic content. There’s only one reason to create authentic content…you want to create an online destination that provides value to anyone that visits.
When working with your Internet strategist, make sure you’re taking a white hat approach. Consistently ask yourself, “would I be upset if I came across this page?” or “would I feel as though I’ve been tricked into reaching this site?”. By staying focused on your potential customers and providing quality content that provides value, you’ll steer clear of any potential dangers like being banned by search engine results. That is the kiss of death for anyone looking to improve their online presence…which is why you’re looking for SEO help to start with…right?