Web Writing101: Black vs. White Hat SEO

Posted by Lima Al-Azzeh Nov 12, 2008

Black Hat SEO is a term that means using “unethical search engine optimization techniques” in order to drive traffic to a site or to gain a higher standing in Google page rank. In a recent article L. Shepherd, Suite101's Online Publishing Feature Writer, talks about some of these ill advised techniques including keyword stuffing and hiding keywords.

Our resident SEO Manager, Marc Bitanga, gladly recommended some ethical “White Hat SEO” tips for online writers:

1) Keyword Research & Targeting- Take the time to research what keywords & phrases users may be using when searching for your topic. You may be referring to something as Widget X when a more popular search term would include Widget Y. Researching keywords will help you to avoid this problem early on and ensure that the right people are finding the right content.

2) Use Target Keywords & Phrases Strategically in Your Content- Place target keywords & phrases in the right HTML tags to increase search engine rankings. This is also known as SEO copywriting. Place target keywords in the <TITLE>, <H1>, and <H2> as well as the content body. Be careful not to overdo it, this may be considered keyword stuffing, and could negatively impact your user experience and your search engine rankings.

3) Attain Inbound Links to Your Articles- Search engines see incoming links as “votes” for the credibility and popularity of your article. The more inbound links you can attain from credible websites such as influential blogs, articles and editorial sites, the more credibility will be given to your article from search engines. This will help improve your rankings and page views.

Stay tuned for more advice from Marc, as well as more information on how to increase rankings and drive traffic to your site, in upcoming blog posts.