White Hat in SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is a set of strategies used by site owners that increase the chances of being on the first page of search engines when certain keywords are typed in.
These strategies comply with major regulations set by Google, only because they are genuinely earned through the quality of content found on the websites. These strategies include increasing content quality and authenticity as opposed to Black Hat SEO techniques, in which the most important factor is beating the algorithms made by Google.
There are over 200 factors that are used for page ranking, you can either learn them all and beat the algorithms, or simply make quality content. Quality content is a very general statement because there is much work that goes into providing this quality content.
Searching for information on the web seems extremely straightforward when you are the seeker. For companies who use the internet as a vessel for making money, keywords and searches become increasingly technical and strategic. At the top of every search, you can find websites that are displayed as advertisements. This means that the people who are in charge of them have paid copious amounts of money to be there. Usually, instinctively, people tend to stay away from those kinds of pages and immediately jump down to the “golden triangle,” the following top 3 results.
Now, why is it important to be in the top three? About 90% of people who search online do not go past the first page. Let alone the top 3 results. The most efficient way to reach these positions is through White Hat SEO techniques.
White Hat SEO companies have SEO experts who dedicate themselves to making sure paying customers have high-ranking positions, through SEO techniques that are acceptable by Google.
What do White Hat SEO services include?
White Hat SEO services include:
- Preliminary audits
- Keyword research
- Competitive analysis
- On-page, optimisation
- Technical optimisation
- Off-page optimisation
Being able to pay for these services does not necessarily grant a customer the actual services provided by the company. To verify that a potential customer qualifies for these services, a preliminary audit is necessary.
In this audit, a group of SEO experts considers many factors. First off, the exact keywords that are looking to be used, whether or not there is strong competition for it and whether or not the customer already has a good chance, to begin with.
After this initial test is passed, keyword research is provided. A team of experts will dedicate time to research which keywords are usually typed in by the audience a particular website targets. This makes sure that your site is receiving quality traffic.
Competitive analysis is also handled by a group of SEO experts. This technique researches what the website owner’s competition is doing on the market to be successful. This includes looking at the specific keywords being used. The goal of this is to compare to the most successful website that is part of the given to attract the target audience better.
Technical optimisation is as it sounds, technical. Making sure the website itself doesn’t have any glitches, making sure that the page doesn’t have any broken links (links on the page that do not direct the viewer correctly) etc.
Finally, off-page optimisation is used to establish credibility. This includes making sure that the website is referred to by others as a quality website.
Now, given the amount of work that goes into creating the best possible ranking position, the rates for this can be very pricy. Rankpay.com states that there are generally 4 basic forms of payment, project-based, performance-based, monthly retainers, and hourly rates. Project-based ranging from about £1,000 to £5,000, and hourly from £75 to £150.
Can someone avoid paying these insane amounts? Absolutely.
White Hat SEO techniques are not only available to companies who provide these services. White Hat tactics for SEO include keyword building, link building, user experience, content quality, credibility, and even author reputation.
Going through the list that was stated above on your own can make a very big impact on the success of your website.
First off, you can conduct research by personally entering the keywords that you would like to be associated with. For example, if you wanted to come out for “best cheesecake recipe,” it might be more competitive than having a more specific keyword like “Joan Steven’s cheesecake recipe.” However, the search for the second keyword might not bring a large quantity of quality traffic because it is too specific.
After typing in your desired keyword, see what the competitors are doing. Which keywords are being used? To receive quality traffic to the site, one must make sure that the keyword is not only extremely relevant to the content of the information but also given credibility by the number and quality of backlinks.
Backlinks are a set of references from other sources that use the information on your website. Valuable content does not come from one day to the next; a lot of research has to do with the credibility of a site, and Google will trust better credibility. If the person who links to your page has higher credibility on their own, your credibility increases.
How can you increase the amount and quality of backlinks on your own?
Make connections with people in your area of interest, build relationships and collaborate with them. Social media is a tool for success in this case because it can be used to your advantage in a variety of ways. Follow people who have shown expertise on your topic, speak on podcasts, earn certificates, and make yourself a reliable source on your topic of choice.
This goes hand in hand with building your reputation. In this day and age, it is all about reputation, and social media is a great platform to establish an author's reputation. Make sure the content you are providing is something you are doing. It would be difficult to write about the best hiking trails in LA if you live in Detroit. Get out there and do what you say you are an expert at.
An important factor that plays into reputation is stating your reputation within your site. Explain what you do, why you do it, and what you believe makes you most qualified to be writing about this. In other words, an “About” page on your website can tell your readers about who you are in the most straightforward way possible.
User experience is extremely important. Subtopics in your topic need to be easily found, and the question that is being answered by your information should be answered within the first two sentences of your article. It should be easy to read and the formatting should be pleasant to the eye. You want to make sure that you think of the things that you enjoy finding on pages when you search for things. Always be a couple of steps ahead of your audience and think of what other kinds of information they might be interested in knowing about and include it. Think about the questions someone might have after reading the information you provide.
Now, besides including all the things that make a post fun to read, there are certain technicalities Google searches for when ranking websites. Google pass/fail measurements make sure your website is secure, fast, useful and easy to use. SSL security certificates encrypt your site’s visitors. This means that outside sources cannot access what the viewer is doing on your website. A safe site can be distinguished as “https” instead of “http.” This is easy to do since many website hosts offer the certificate for free once you contact your host directly.
Faster websites are more likely to succeed than those that are slower because people are likely to stay on a page if content is readily available. To make sure your website is fast, you need to find the best web host, and that might not necessarily be the same as finding the cheapest one.
Solid-state drive web host companies have faster available websites because they have no moving parts. Since it is all electrical, the websites perform at a much faster rate. Although better isn’t always cheaper, it might make a difference in your ranking position. To make sure it is effective, make sure the links you provide are safe and direct. Anything that fails to open or redirect your viewer lowers your credibility and lowers your probability of ranking high according to Google.
Conclusion: What is White HAT SEO?
In the end, Google is always looking to maximise user experience, and they do it by making sure they provide the most useful, trustworthy and credible results. Strive for these results through hard work and dedication so you can reach well-earned top rankings, without having to pay for SEO expert advice. Good luck!
