By Amit Raj
Getting a website to feature on the first page of search engines is a hurdle. Considering the host of misleading information out there, achieving this is made even harder. That is why I compiled this piece for anybody seeking to see a rise in their website’s rankings, but is just going round in circles trying to figure out what to do next! Before I dive in, let me first explain the difference between “Black Hat SEO” and “White Hat SEO”.
White Hat SEO
This is the most natural and essential type of SEO. It involves the utilization of strategies that most search engines such as Google prefer. Repetition of these strategies will not just get you to the first pages, but it will keep you there for a long time. Some people are discouraged from using White Hat SEO because it takes some time to yield results. If you are contemplating giving up, remember that the yields are more than worth it.
Its main strategies are:
- Creating great and relevant content that most people find useful.
- Contacting the relevant websites and asking for link ups or featuring.
This is especially important considering that backlinks are crucial in showcasing your trustworthiness to Google’s system.
Black Hat SEO
Black Hat SEO strategies are currently outdated as Google has grown to dislike them. You might be blinded by the quick results you are likely to get; forgetting that these results are short-lived. The moment that Google notices the loophole, it shuts it down, and your rankings will drop in no time. If you ever come across an SEO strategy that seems too good to be true, it is probably Black Hat.
I chose not to be a Black Hat SEO expert due to its distinct disadvantages. All the same, if you hear anything regarding article spinning, Web 2.0 blogs, Xrumer or PBNS, run away. Any of these strategies attempts to trick search engines and will yield you no good.
Here are the key features of Black Hat SEO:
- Creating an article within your niche with a particular keyword density and your links inserted strategically.
- Spinning it in several ways to evade plagiarism.
- Posting it on several blogs.
If you keep spinning your content, you will be in an everlasting hurdle of trying to outsmart the Google’s system. This is both energy and time-consuming that leaves you in a constant tussle of trying to figure out why you did not do it correctly right from the start.
Choose the Best Strategy: White Hat SEO
Over the years, I have tried a variety of approaches, and I have come up with a process that suits any industry. The guide below is based on the assumption that you are developing a website from scratch. All the same, it will help you regardless of the level your business is presently in.
On-page SEO
The strength of anything is dependent on its foundation. A strong foundation yields significant progress. When it comes to SEO’s basis, you need to develop good on-page technicalities:
- Ensure that your theme is responsive on all platforms, i.e., mobile and desktop.
- Your site should load quickly; thus consider investing in VPS hosting.
- Include links within your content; as such consider creating a blog that caters to the needs of your audience if you lack one.
- Make sure that your blog’s framework is set up appropriately so that search engines can index your site correctly.
Content
One of the famous tips all over the internet is the importance of starting a blog. The problem is no visitors get to the site even after establishing a blog. When your rankings do not improve, you are likely to give up and try a different strategy. Having a clear content strategy is important for your website. The problem with most blogs is that the content does not conform to the target audience and is poorly written.
If you want to understand how content writing for SEO works, these tips will come in handy:
- Find out what your niche audience intends to know about and create high-quality content based on this. You can use tools such as buzzsumo to discover top performing content within your niche.
- Consider guest posting on top websites within your niche. Request to post interesting articles that fit the needs of their audience. You can showcase the content on your site so that they can have a glimpse of what to expect. Guest posts are essential in building backlinks and establishing the authority of your website.
- Consult top websites within your niche for link building purposes. High-quality content makes this easier.
- Use your content to create a link building campaign. You can start with looking for opportunities where you can include a link on sites within your niche. You can use various tools such as Semrush to spot such opportunities. Sites with broken links are ideal.
The idea of repeating the same keyword throughout the content is no longer working as Google recently blocked this loophole. Google’s algorithm now reads web pages the way human beings do. Therefore, concentrate on creating excellent content that will make readers dive deeper into the website.
We can conclude that good SEO is defined by a great website design and excellent quality content that is attractive to your target group. This is the strategy that Google prefers and being consistent in the processes outlined in this article will get you on the 1st page of search results. It might seem simple thus unrealistic, but remember that most successful ventures are the simplest as well…
