A basic definition for Search Engine Optimization or SEO is that it the practice of optimizing a web page or a whole web site in a way that would make it more search engine friendly. This is done primarily to effect a higher ranking in search engine result pages and increase web traffic for the page or site. SEO requires an extensive knowledge of how search engines and the Internet works. It involves a variety of both technical and creative techniques. These techniques usually differ depending on the approved or preferred practices observed by different SEO firms.

It is these differences in SEO practices that such classifications as “white hat SEO” and “black hat SEO” came about. Traditionally, the term white hat was used to refer to ethical hackers who hack IT systems to keep them secure and protected. In SEO terms, white hat SEO practices are those that follows rules and policies set by search engines themselves, while black hat SEO refers to aggressive practices that “manipulate” search engine and disregard human audiences. Most black hat practices violate rules set by search engines. Spamming, which is basically what black hat SEO is about, presents several risks. The biggest risk is of a website being banned from search engines. Black hat practices are just all about “quick fixes” – they can give you a good result one moment and get you completely out of the running the next.

White hat SEO, on the other hand, produces long-term results that can make a website more credible. Examples of white hat practices include backlinking and link building. Writing content targeted at human readers is also an important white hat practice. Most people refer to white hat practices as ethical SEO.

Reliable search engine optimization firms like Blackwood Productions make use only of white hat practices for a number of reasons. First and foremost, white hat SEO practices produce more long term results, which has a lot to do with search engines becoming smarter over time. White hat practices, which are the “legal” as defined by most search engines, build strong and credible websites which would stand most changes in how search engines index and rank. Moreover, websites built and optimized by means of white Hat SEO practices gain solid links over time –links that would continue to reap good results for it in the years to come. This is perhaps the best advantage of white hat practices: they can promise stability of a website and consequently, an online business.