As with any approach to marketing online, the ways in which you can do SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) will differ depending on who you ask. And while the majority of the tactics you learn are viable, which work the best can be very subjective.
When looking at SEO methods for your fitness website, there are usually two types of SEO advice you'll come across.
White Hat and Black Hat.
White hat vs. black hat SEO are both a means of accomplishing the same goal but which route you choose would determine your approach and chances of you being penalised by Google in the future.
Let's take a deeper look into the differences between these two types of SEO and the strategies that they involve. We will also delve a little bit into the less discussed middle territory, which goes by the name of grey hat SEO.
What is White Hat SEO?
Simply put, white hat SEO refers to ethical ways of optimising your personal trainer website for search engines. To get a better idea of what this means exactly, there are various criteria that a strategy has to meet for it to be classed as White Hat.
Following Search Engine Guidelines
White Hat SEO is commonly known to follow Google's Webmaster guidelines. This means that they do not attempt to trick the algorithm laid out by Google and are following their guidelines rather than attempting to manipulate search rankings.
Following Search Engine Guidelines
White Hat SEO is commonly known to follow Google's Webmaster guidelines. This means that they do not attempt to trick the algorithm laid out by Google and are following their guidelines rather than attempting to manipulate search rankings.
Focusing On Human Interaction
White Hat SEO will make changes that will help website visitors. Google's top priority is providing users with the best, meaningful, most relevant and valuable results for their keywords.
Therefore, it makes sense that the right way to do SEO involves providing your fitness website visitor with relevant information and value as well as with an experience they enjoy. For example, a good looking design and headers that tell the website visitor exactly what they're on for:
Some of the best SEO strategies work on making the user experience as best as possible. This can be done in multiple ways, including creating high-quality content, placing relevant CTAs and links on your website and even a small thing like making pages load faster.
In turn, this makes the value that visitors gain from your personal trainer websites even greater. These strategies are Google approved and certified.
A Long-Term Approach
White Hat SEO strategies keep the experience of the visitors at the top of their priorities. However, due to the nature of the methods involved, they are often more intensive and take more time to build up.
As a result, incoming leads can take longer to achieve than with some other online marketing methods. The length of time building your SEO strategy takes is counterbalanced by the impact it can have on your website's ranking in Google, especially for the long-term.
These Google-approved strategies make the overall user experience outstanding and let you achieve rankings that remain steady for the keywords you choose. The investment you put into boosting your site in the correct way creates results that last for years.
We, at My PT Website apply the same strategies to our Managed SEO clients as we do for our own website. Our online marketing efforts focus mostly on Search Engine Optimisation which is now responsible for mos of our incoming leads for our website service.
While the keywords and the target market will be different for personal trainers, the same tried and tested strategies work for our clients too. It requires some financial investment and a significant amount of time in the first few months, then some more every month for consistency.
What is Black Hat SEO?
In short, black hat SEO focuses on techniques that are the polar opposite of white hat SEO. The tactics below are some of the things you can expect to find in Black Hat strategy.
Violating Search Engine Guidelines
Tactics used in Black Hat SEO will often go against the guidelines of Google. In the majority of cases, the strategies used are outlined as things Google look down upon.
Violating Search Engine Guidelines
Tactics used in Black Hat SEO will often go against the guidelines of Google. In the majority of cases, the strategies used are outlined as things Google look down upon.
Using Manipulative Tactics
Rather than focusing on ways to make the experience better for users, black hat SEO will work on ways to manipulate Google's algorithm to make search rankings higher.
Tactics done in this way aim to trick Google into thinking a website has more value than it actually does by taking advantage of the aspects Google uses to rank websites.
Focusing On Quick Victories
The strategy you will find in Black Hat SEO uses exploits to work around Google's algorithm and find loopholes which can be taken advantage of. These exploits allow for improvement in search rankings with little work in a short space of time.
These tactics do often produce powerful results, but because of their nature, they often don’t last very long.
This is mainly because Google is always updating its algorithm in order to combat such types of tactics.
Google's algorithm prioritises the best experience for Internet users, and therefore websites taking advantage of Black Hat strategies can lose their rankings via algorithmic updates. This makes Black Hat a 'churn and burn' type of method.
Grey Hat SEO - What Is It?
Grey hat is a much less common term than the other two and you are less likely to hear it in regards to SEO. However, it still has relevance and as you may have guessed, it focuses on strategies that fall in between the two sides of White and Black Hat SEO.
The practices of Grey Hat SEO could be looked at as manipulative but have not been explicitly stated by Google practices to not be used.
While they could be seen as less dangerous than Black Hat tactics, there might still be consequences if used.
Some of the tactics involved within Grey Hat SEO include building a microsite, using link directories and more. SEO experts will often debate about whether using Grey Hat tactics are safe.
The practices of Grey Hat SEO could be looked at as manipulative but have not been explicitly stated by Google practices to not be used.
While they could be seen as less dangerous than Black Hat tactics, there might still be consequences if used.
Some of the tactics involved within Grey Hat SEO include building a microsite, using link directories and more. SEO experts will often debate about whether using Grey Hat tactics are safe.
Risks Involved In Black Or Grey Hat Strategies
The fact of the matter is, using Grey or Black as strategies can garner quick results that can also come at a great cost. Because of Google's constant algorithm updates, any tactics used that fall within these territories can become null and void.
And this is just via Google's algorithm. Google also makes use of human reviewers that can demote website rankings and flag domains they think are violating guidelines.
In the worst-case scenario, websites can be expelled from search results completely. This can make black hat, and to an extent grey hat, tactics almost the opposite of the intended purpose of SEO.
And this is just via Google's algorithm. Google also makes use of human reviewers that can demote website rankings and flag domains they think are violating guidelines.
In the worst-case scenario, websites can be expelled from search results completely. This can make black hat, and to an extent grey hat, tactics almost the opposite of the intended purpose of SEO.
White Hat vs. Black Hat SEO - The Right Choice
As you go further into digital marketing, the debate of white hat vs. black hat SEO is one that will pop up very often. White Hat SEO is incomparable in terms of long-term and sustained results, and will allow you to see the greatest return on investment in the long run.
While Black Hat SEO can allow you to get a quick advantage, such tactics can lead to you earning yourself penalties and possibly losing the search visibility you want.
Want to go even further than SEO? Take a look at our piece on how SEO compares to Facebook Ads.
While Black Hat SEO can allow you to get a quick advantage, such tactics can lead to you earning yourself penalties and possibly losing the search visibility you want.
Want to go even further than SEO? Take a look at our piece on how SEO compares to Facebook Ads.
