An effective SEO strategy is an essential marketing tool for a small business. One way to build that strategy is by using white hat techniques, or best SEO practices that follow Google’s search engine guidelines.
In this article, we will define what white hat SEO is and discuss ways to use it so you and your website have a better chance of getting in front of your audience.
What is White Hat SEO?
White hat SEO is used to describe ethical and non-manipulative ways to optimize your website. Quality content, quick-loading pages, and easy navigation for users are a few ways to optimize your site for higher search engine results page (SERP) rankings.
It can take a while before seeing the results of white hat SEO practices. Your effort, however, will have a lasting impact because you are creating for your audience, regularly evaluating your keywords, and following rules that do not deceive algorithms.
What is Black Hat SEO?
Black hat SEO is the term for manipulative tactics that violate search engine guidelines. This often looks like websites with sneaky redirects, scraped content, keyword stuffing, and hidden links or text, resulting in higher ranking SERP.
These results are short-term and stop working once a search engine updates its algorithm. The practice can lead to penalties, fines, and even being banned.
Adding White Hat To Your SEO Strategy
How do you incorporate white hat techniques in your SEO strategy the right way and improve the placement of your website on SERP? Try these tips:
- Keep It Simple – Easy-to-follow website navigation boosts where your site ends up in organic search rankings. Don’t overlook optimizing web page titles, URLs, and metadata with keywords. When people can find what they need, it leads to more conversions.
- Speed Up Your Site – Slow websites frustrate visitors and rank lower on SERP. Get page speed insights, then look at how you could update functionality and features.
- Create Great Content – Taking the time to create content with your audience in mind will always result in a fantastic return on investment. Sprinkle in content-relevant keywords, though don’t overdo it. One primary keyword and 2-3 secondary keywords are plenty.
- Check Your Links – Backlinks that point from other websites to yours can significantly impact SERP. Add your social media links to your website footer, use call-to-action buttons, and bring evergreen content back out for the world to see in new blog posts.
Interested to know more about white hat SEO and how it can benefit your business? The marketing experts at Fisher Green Creative can lend a hand. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help.
Jenny Green, Co-Owner of Fisher Green Creative, specializes in digital strategy development, social media marketing, and SEO for small businesses. Away from helping clients or studying the latest marketing trends, Jenny volunteers her time coaching youth soccer, enjoys a cold craft IPA, and works to save the elephants. Connect with Jenny on LinkedIn or email.
