All SEO is Blackhat : Do You Agree?

It's not literally illegal, but it's compared to being illegal because it violates certain rules, just like breaking a law is.

 

What I said was that it's illogical to call all SEO black hat. I certainly didn't claim that there aren't different "types".

 

To me, Black Hat SEO uses unethical methods. Like spamming eg. comments spamming. Or creating billions of subdomains. Things that affect other people.
White Hat SEO is cleaner, like buying links, exchanging links, submitting to directories, and no cloaking of pages etc.

 

ughh... how is it unethical? If I used it on a client's site without their knowledge - that's unethical....

Other than that HOW is it unethical?

 

It breaks the rules .

 

Breaking the "rules" isn't "unethical".

 

I agree...who says we have to follow the rules of search engines? No one doing SEO obeys the rules of search engines... Google says buying link to boost pr is against its rules..people do that...how is that any different?

 

Care to elaborate?

I'd consider it unethical...

 

The same search engines that come by uninvited and use the text on your pages to boost their results and their bottom line? The same ones that require you to OPT OUT of being listed with them instead of asking before they index you? Oh the laws of THOSE search engines. I just wanted to make sure we were clear on that. Are you aware google has been sued and LOST for listing thumbnails of peoples images in their image results? Are you aware that what they do is perfectly legal UNTIL they started making a profit on it with adwords which then turned them into copyright infringers? These are the companies whose "laws" you think we should all abide by? Get real.

 

No, they actually give tips on what a good site should have

 

Google has a long history of hating any SEO's period.

 

White hat is just a different way of gaming the search engines than black hat SEO. They both reach the same end.

White hat SEO techniques are simply techniques that people haven't overdone or exploited yet...

So yes there is a difference and simple logical deduction says if there is a difference they are different. BUT.... They are also both the same and are used to reach the same end. If they weren't both the same in a lot of ways they wouldn't both end in "SEO".

In other words... this argument is pointless. Both sides are right.

It's like arguing the difference between a slam dunk and a lay up. Either way it's 2 points.

 

The line between white hat and black hat is merely an opinion. All our "SEO" activities are done specifically to manipulate SERP results. Other wise we would not bother with carefully crafting our pages to "optimize" them. We would just build whatever we damn well felt like, link to whoever we wanted and accept links from whoever wanted to give a link. This is, by the way, what Google tries to preach to us. Build your sites as though search engines did not exist. But if we all did that we would have silly flash sites that look cool but get absolutely no search traffic.

 

Very well said. I think this about clears it up for everyone

PS... There's a poll on that blog and I voted that I agree that all SEO is blackhat. And it seems like alot of other people feel this way too...however the other side is beating us, so if you agree make sure to vote cause were losing...

 

Your side will lose . That guy even mentioned a line, so if there's a line to mention, then we must be talking about something on each side of the line. White, and black hat.

 

But the line is merely a construct. It does not really exist. It's all a form of manipulation.

For the record, if i must stand on a side of that artificial line, it's on the white side. I just choose to try to cover my black hat with a white veil. Though the dark side is rather tempting

 

Once you go black you can never go back

 

Don't you just love that quote

 

I'm totally agree w/ you guys

Anyways, without any strict definition of what black hats or white hats are... I think we should already know which one is "bad" and "good".

I don't think anyone would love to see spammy comments on your blogs do you?

 

Not unless you're Michael Jackson.