The
terms "White Hat" and "Black Hat" continue to cause controversy
and mirth in SEO circles, and you'll find little agreement on what they actually
mean. That's possibly a shame, as the SEO industry is extremely polarized,
and site owners should be able to make an informed choice about their SEO's approach
to optimizing their site. |
White Hat | Black Hat |
| My own definition of "White Hat" broadly (but not entirely) reflects
the almost-consensus within "White Hat" Internet forums | My definition
of "Black Hat" is entirely personal, as I have been unable to find any
measure of consensus among the "Black Hat" community. |
- White Hats take an ethical approach: considering all the
Internet stakeholders, not just the self and the client.
|
- Black Hats work in the clients' interest, plus protecting and promoting self.
|
- White Hats do not accept
'shades of grey' - SEO is clean and honest. Or not. Black Hat is a term of
convenience for anyone who is not 'White Hat'.
| - Black
Hats insist on grey hats, and deny the existence of Black or White. Very,
very few admit to owning a Black Hat, though many boast of their achievements.
Go figure.
|
- White
Hats make no attempt to deceive search engines; what you see is what you get.
|
- Black Hats would be prepared, willing and happy to deceive search engines
(and thus search engine users) in client's interest.
|
- White Hats favour honesty
with client about techniques, risks, rewards.
| - Black
Hats may be willing to deceive the client about methods: "results are
all".
|
- White Hats see search engines as friends; you want their help, you
adhere to their guidelines; a simple trade off.
| - Black
Hats see search engines as the enemy; deceit is the name of the game, SEs
are constantly looking to expose trickery and penalize guilty sites.
|
- White Hats see on-site measures
as helping visitors, as well as SEs; a better site self-SEOs, plus converts more
customers, and gets repeat visits.
| - Black Hats emphasize
off-site methods, getting 'bums on seats', with the hope that a percentage
will convert, or at least return by another route.
|
- White Hats emphasize the long term nature of successful SEO;
inexorable progress, without looking over the shoulder.
|
- Black Hats emphasize rapid results, accept risks, confident of a new
fix, as older tricks are neutralized.
|
- White Hats understand that 'Black Hat' success must harm sites displaced
by spam sites, and therefore is potentially illegal.
|
- Black Hats boast of income, but do not concede that this is arguably
defrauded from displaced better sites, and deny potential illegality. They
will not even discuss it.
|
- White Hats believe that if 'Black Hats' used their skills and experience
honestly, they'd probably be more successful than constantly rethinking strategy.
|
- Black Hats believe that 'White Hats' all secretly use 'Black Hat' techniques,
and are all 'holier than thou' hypocrites.
|
- White Hats condemn those who support, conceal, or apologize
for Black Hats, who harm the industry.
| - Black Hats
believe in the survival of the fittest, and have no time for wimps.
|
- For White Hats, it's all about
intention.
| - For Black Hats, it's all about technique.
|
Sources:
1. Alan Perkins' article SEO : Sleepwalking Ever Onwards?
2. Numerous
discussions at Best Practices Search Engine Forums (and lesser forums)
Published: 04 August 2005
This article may be published elswhere, provided
this footnote is included as is,
with a live link for the source: http://www.sick-site-syndrome.com/articles/
Copyright © 2005 Andrew Heenan. Comments very welcome. |
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