There are hundreds of different tactics and techniques that an SEO can use on your website but the strategy is the overarching policy and direction that dictates what kind of tactics that they will use. Its important that you take an interest in your website’s SEO strategy because different strategies have different levels of risk and you want to make sure that the risk falls within levels that you are comfortable with.
Search Engines aim to return the best websites for any given query. With this in mind, there are two ways to approach SEO;
- Trick the Search Engines into thinking your website is the best (Stealth SEO aka ‘Black Hat SEO’)
- Make your website the best then tell the search engines about it (White Hat SEO)
SEO Risk
While the search engine algorithms are top secret, most search engines have guidelines which educate webmasters about how they can make their websites better in the eyes of that search engine. The guidelines also identify techniques that they deem as manipulative and don’t want you to use. If you are caught using manipulative techniques that violate the guidelines you could receive a penalty. This is where the risk comes from. Manipulative techniques can have many positive benefits, often producing faster results at a lower cost than using SE approved techniques but there is always the risk of being found out and receiving a hefty penalty which could send your business back to the stone age.
Cost and Value
Over the last few years, white hat link building has become more and more expensive to the point that we now believe it to be beyond the reach of most small business owners if outsourced. This is partially because the definition of white hat link building has changed over time (there was never any official definition) and partially because the process has actually gotten harder and less fruitful.
The link building we do for clients is one that we believe to be low risk but still valuable and affordable. Read more about the technique here.
Ethical SEO
An ethical SEO company will always explain the tactics and strategies they intend to use on your website and any risks associated with them. Learn more about ethical SEO.
Wicked Cow Marketing is proud to be an ethical SEO provider.