Search Engine Optimization—Black and White Hat Approaches

Today the first stop for many people looking for information or to make a purchase online is one of the major search engines. So appearing toward the top of the search results has become increasingly important. Search engine optimization (SEO) is a process that manipulates Web site characteristics and incoming links to improve a site's ranking in the search engines for particular search terms. This chapter provides a detailed discussion of the SEO process. SEO methods that stay within the guidelines laid out by the major search engines are generally termed “white hat,” while those that violate the guidelines are called “black hat.” Black hat sites may be penalized or banned by the search engines. However, many of the tools and techniques used by “black hat” optimizers may also be helpful in “white hat” SEO campaigns. Black hat SEO approaches are examined and compared with white hat methods.