White Hat SEO Techniques: Everything You Need to Know

Your website ranks on the search engines based on the strategies you implement! So, choosing the right one is important. In recent years, doing SEO in the right way has become confusing for startups and businesses. There is a practice named white hat SEO that is the most effective method these days. Today, we will explore white hat SEO and its techniques to raise awareness regarding this. Let’s get started!

What is White Hat SEO?

White hat SEO refers to the ethical and legitimate ways of following an SEO strategy, aiming to improve website ranking, focusing on quality content and user experience. It is the opposite of black hat SEO, which aims at using manipulative techniques to artificially boost your ranking.

In the early days, people used to find ways to trick the search engines by keyword stuffing, link spamming, and invisible copy. But now things have changed! In this day and age, if the white hat SEO strategy is ignored, then it can lead to terrible consequences. Your website can be penalized or even banned from the search engines.

Benefits of White Hat SEO

White hat SEO will offer your business long-term, sustainable growth following ethical and user-friendly practices. Ultimately leading to higher search engine rankings, improved user engagement, and increased traffic.

Earlier, black hat SEO techniques were used widely as they delivered the best and quickest results for increasing website traffic. People used to find white hat SEO frustrating as it needed a lot of patience to get the desired results.

But as time moves, we are witnessing that white hat SEO is proving to be better than black hat SEO. Today, businesses are shifting towards white hat SEO because of upgraded technology, search standards, and the transparency of search engines.

Best 6 White Hat SEO Techniques For Startups and Businesses

Now, we have understood what white hat SEO is and its benefits. We must acquire the techniques to implement a white hat SEO strategy. The following are top techniques that you can adopt on your website:

Enlighten Yourself with Webmaster Guidelines

If you are not familiar with Google’s Webmaster guidelines, then you should look into them. It will ensure that you are following the appropriate white hat SEO strategy and not coming into the grey area of black hat SEO.

Webmaster guidelines are set as the best practices and recommendations to website owners so they can work according to the rules and don't fall under any unethical code of conduct. These guidelines cover a wide range of topics, including content, technical SEO optimization, and user experience, that will enhance your digital marketing skills.

Prioritize Quality Content

Remember that content is the king. Always focus on the content. If somebody comes to your website, the content becomes the most crucial aspect to grab their attention. And as many and many people will like your content, it will be trending soon and rank in the search engines.

You will never need to go for black hat SEO if you write the content strategically, following the white hat SEO. It's not just writing an interesting piece of content. The proper rules should be followed, like following the length, number of keywords, links, and naming the topic.

Using Keyword Research Tools and Placing Keywords Strategically

Keywords are crucial in SEO strategy. Some SEO companies put keywords wherever possible and expect a good ranking. The old strategy can’t be followed today, as the algorithm works differently. Google’s search engine doesn't react to low-traffic keywords anymore!

Keywords don't encompass a single term now but an entire phrase that should be put authentically and appropriately, keeping in line with the content.

There are various tools that you can access, like Google Keyword Planner, that will help you to follow a white hat SEO strategy.

Examine User Intent

User intent, also known as search intent or query intent, simply means the goal of the user while researching on the search engine. The focus is not on the words they type, but the need they are trying to fulfil with their search.

Let’s take an example to understand better. Suppose a user is searching for “best coffee shops near me,” has a different intent than another user who is searching for “how to make coffee at home.” Comprehending user intent is crucial while following white hat SEO techniques.

Improve SEO With Google My Business

In white hat SEO, GMB (Google My Business) is essential for local businesses. It enhances their visibility online and attracts more customers on Google Maps and search.

According to research, people usually don’t want to know about faraway places when they search for restaurants, cafes, or some other outdoor fun. Recent studies have shown that 82% smartphone users conduct a “near me” search.

It confirms that targeting the local customers is the best way for businesses to increase their sales. And the right way to attain this is by focusing on the GMB page of your company that comes under the white hat SEO strategy.

Strategize Link Building

Link building is the most dicey aspect in white hat SEO. Links are important can making websites rank on the top in search engines, but overdoing it can prove to be threatening.

An SEO company can help you in this process, but you need to keep in mind to avoid those who are selling or farming links. This can lead you to step into the black hat SEO territory. You should choose the digital marketing company that follows the white hat SEO strategy.

There are some good white hat SEO techniques for link-building, like you can consider guest posting. Google encourages relevant and contextual backlinks. Link farms and directories are considered low quality and even black hat by Google.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, SEO is crucial for you to grow your business. But you should not get enticed by black hat SEOstrategy, as it is not as futuristic and beneficial as white hat SEO. Most black SEOs get caught in the long run, which can even lead to the blacklisting of your website. So, it is always better to go for white hat SEO.

White hat SEO will provide your site with a solid foundation and save you from the risks of penalties and deindexing.