Introduction to Search Engine Optimization

You could spend days or even weeks researching optimization methods and many more hours applying the advice you found . . . only to have your site banned because you stumbled into bad advice by a pseudo-expert in search engine optimization. Such an 'expert' could cost you dearly, not only with the search engines, but a great deal of time and energy as well!

What is Search Engine Optimization?

White hat search engine optimization consists of applying techniques and strategies that comply with the search engine's terms of service. In other words, they are search engine friendly and will never cause problems that will cause your site to be penalized or banned.

Some of these white hat techniques include code optimization, keyword placement and density, target selection, naming conventions, clarity, file size, content quality, grammar, and other strategies I can't divulge here since I earn part of my income selling my DIY SEO ebooks.

Other factors that affect search engine ranking are external to the site, including link strategies, trust factor, hosting variables, link popularity, and domain age.

Black hat search engine optimization is generally considered to be attempts at artificially inflating your web site's search engine ranking using methods the search engines do not condone or even explicitly forbid. If a search engine determines your site uses black hat optimization techniques they will lower your web site site ranking or even ban your site from their database, depending on the severity of the offenses. They may even investigate and penalize other web sites you own.

Black hat techniques include using link farms, link baiting, invisible text, content switching, doorway pages, keyword stuffing, duplicating content, and cloaking to name just a few items. I have no problem with the black hatters using these techniques on their own sites, that's between them and search engines. However, using these techniques on client's sites without disclosing that they use black hat techniques isn't very ethical, in my opinion.

I've used the same search-engine-legal optimization strategies since 1997, along with new ideas I've developed along the way, and have never run afoul of the search engines because of my own doing. I've always enjoyed good rankings for many keywords at many search engines for many different kinds of sites with topics as diverse as recreational real estate to web design.

I have ran afoul of the search engines once, though it wasn't my fault. My site was hacked and by the time I discovered it my site was already in trouble with the search engines, in fact, that's why I noticed it. I'm currently rebuilding my standings with them and by the time you read this I may well be back in their good graces.