The decline of Black Hat SEO
Goodbye and Good Riddance
First, by definition, black hat SEO is attempting to fool Google – or other search engine – algorithm by using bought or unconnected links and keyword overloading – among other tools – to give your website a better rating during keyword searches. It was incredibly popular among spam sites, and to a degree it still is, but as search engine algorithm tools become more sophisticated, the black hat SEO tools have become less effective. In fact, if Google algorithm crawlers discover black hat SEO on your website you can enjoy watching its popularity take a steep nose dive into the nether regions of search popularity. For business owners the meaning is clear. Avoid black hat SEO like a visit from the tax collector. If your SEO team starts talking about new black hat techniques and how they will help your business, it’s time to find a new SEO team. Although your website might profit in the short run, the long term effects can be unacceptable for your business and, especially, your brand. Google, for one, is constantly watching for the newest tricks and gimmicks to create unsupported search engine optimization. As a general rule, once discovered, it is only effective until the next update. During 2016, Google had ten major updates and 500 – 600 minor updates. For websites using black hat SEO that’s like playing Russian roulette with six bullets in your revolver.