Black Hat SEO

Black Hat search engine optimization involves techniques that deceptive in nature so that the ranking of the website can increase instantly.

Common deceptive techniques used in Black Hat search engine optimization are link harvesting, keyword stuffing, and spamdexing. Cloaking is also done in Black Hat search engine optimization and this gives different page results whenever a page is requested by the search engine or by a web surfer.

Professionals in White Hat search engine optimization usually use text that is of the same color as the background or text that is positioned off the screen to mislead the search engine since keyword stuffing is prohibited by the major search engines.

There are stiff penalties for Blank Hat SEO and they include penalties such as reduction in the ranking and even the banning of a website. Even major corporations such as Ricoh and BMW have suffered the wrath of search engines for Blank Hat SEO techniques.

White Hat SEO

White Hat search engine optimization techniques involve the use of targeted keywords, making websites user-friendly and search engine friendly, and creation of informative content.

Professionals in White Hat search engine optimization usually go for social bookmarking, blogging, and link building. All these techniques are accepted by major search engines.

While White Hat links and content are meant for human use, Black Hat links and content are meant for search engines. This means White Hat techniques are visible while White Hat techniques are invisible to humans. The low quality resulting from Black hat techniques will push away surfers, even if the website is ranked highly.

The Solution

It is possible to achieve search engine optimization without resulting to Black Hat techniques. There is no need of these practices because White Hat SEO techniques are easy and the risks of the alternative are too great. SEO is long term and if you involve yourself in Black Hat techniques, search engines will catch up with you sooner rather than later.

The importance of web traffic in an online venture cannot be overemphasized. This is because the higher the traffic, the greater the chance of making a sale. However, more important than a large traffic is a targeted traffic.

According to recent statistics, most people find websites through search engines. You will not achieve success by simply submitting your website to countless search engines. There is intense competition and search engine optimization is only achieved by being smart. Search engines do not charge anything to rank pages and you should take advantage of this free advertising.

Improving Link Popularity
All major search engines have positioning systems that use algorithms to calculate the number of hyperlinks towards a website. This is an effective way to generate a targeted traffic because:

• A though-out link strategy is an effective method of catching the attention of a large number of visitors.
• If you have hyperlinks in credible websites, this is equivalent to the website recommending your website and people will think your website is also credible.
• Search engines factor in link popularity when ranking websites.

Note that links will take between 2 weeks and 6 months for results to be seen. However, the results are worth the wait.

Key Phrases in the Domain Name
The URL should have the keyword if you want to rank highly and consequently, to attract a targeted traffic. The name of the website should also include the key phrase. You can generate the right key phrases using keyword tools.

Balanced Keyword Density
Make sure you have a balanced keyword density. Keyword density is number of times the keyword is in the content. If you overdo it, the search engine robots will think you are spamming, also called keyword stuffing, and you will rank lowly. You even risk getting banned. If you do not have enough keyword density, the search engine robot will not rank you. You should use the keyword once in the title, once in the beginning of the content, once or twice in the middle, and once towards the end.

The secret to online success is having the right keyword. With the right keyword, your web pages will be search engine optimized. This means when people search for the keyword, your web pages will be high in the search engine result pages. Most web surfers only go for what is top in the results list and so the increased visibility will also increase your sales.

Keyword Density Analyzer

You can use a density analyzer to get an indication as to the words that the search engine robot will see on visiting your website and the frequency of these words. This is an important tool because you will then be able to know the keywords that are already search engine optimized in your web pages. You will also be in a position to change prominent keywords that are not relevant to what your website is about since relevance is important with search engines.

Google Returns

When you type in a keyword on Google’s search box, the number of possible pages is indicated on the side of the page. This is an effective way of choosing the right keyword because you will find out whether your keyword is crowded or not. If it is too crowded, people will not find you. If the returns are few, this is an indication that not many people are searching for the keyword.

Google Keyword Tools

Google has keyword tools to help you pick the best keywords. These tools are free of charge. You can also use pick a niche keyword through goodkeywords.com, wordtracker.com, and Overture.

Effective Use of Keywords

Once you have found the right keyword, use it in Meta tags. You should check on the frequency of the keyword, even if it is a good keyword. If you overuse a keyword, the search engine robot will think you are spamming and if you do not use it enough, the robot will not pick you. Use the keyword at least 4 times in a page.

Bing Vs Google – Why You Rank Well on One

Reasons for Difference in Bing and Google Ranking

Bing and Google are some of the most widely used search engines in the world. It is not uncommon to rank highly in Google and poorly in Bing, and vice versa. It is important to know the reasons why ranking in the two search engines vary because page ranking increases your website’s visibility and consequently affects your sales.

The Length of the Text

If your web pages have a larger amount of text, they will rank highly in Bing. You should try to have content that is 350 words or longer if you want to rank highly in Bing. Google does not place much importance on this. To rank highly in both search engines, make sure you have as much text as possible in all your web pages – there is no penalty from either search engines for having a large amount of text, but if the content is too large, readers may get bored.

Titles

Bing places a lot of importance on title tags – way more than Google. Having the keyword in the title will therefore help you perform better in Bing than in Google.

Age of the Domain

The older the domain, the higher you will rank with Google and Bing. You should consider buying a domain if you are starting out.

The Language

If the website is optimized with relevant keywords, you will rank highly with Bing. Natural language did not use to be very important for Google, but it is catching up. You should therefore strive to optimize the website with LSI keywords to do well with Bing and to do better with Google. Having LSI keywords means you do not repeat keywords exactly as they are just to fool the search engine.

Outbound Links and Back Links

Bing places a lot of importance on links – way more than Google. This means to you will rank highly with Bing if you have a have many outbound links and back links.

It is important to update your WordPress website to avoid hackers and keep your page secure. Many WordPress users, however, are afraid that their website settings and themes will go back to default when they update. The following tips and techniques should ease your mind while updating your website.

1. Back up all files before updating

Just to be safe in case something goes wrong in the process, have a database backup for all files used for your WordPress website. This ensures that you have website settings to fall back on.

2. Only edit the theme and plugin files, not core files

The core files provided by WordPress are the ones that keep your website up and running. Do not alter these files, but work with the theme files and plugin files. Since the theme and plugins are what determine the way your website looks and feels, they are more malleable than the core files.

3. You can update automatically or manually

Depending on your preference, you can do the WordPress update automatically or manually. Automatic update is done by clicking on the auto-update link on your website’s admin dashboard. Manual update is done by downloading the WordPress auto-update plugin, then clicking on it to use the step-by-step process.

4. Disable all plugins before updating, and reactivate them after the update is done

You need to disable the active plugins on your WordPress website to have the update run smoothly. The only exception is the Maintenance Mode plugin, which allows for your website’s maintenance and upgrading. Once the update is complete, go back to your dashboard and activate your plugins on the “Recently Active” section, and your website will be good to go.

5. Take your time while updating WordPress

The main concern about doing a WordPress update is more to do with making a mistake and losing your website altogether than getting hack attacks if you do not update. Remember that many websites have been updated and still remained in good condition, so take your time and update your site.