Wikipedia describes search engine optimization (SEO) as the process of improving the quantity or quality of traffic to a web site from search engines via "normal" or un-paid ("organic" or "algorithmic") search results as opposed to search engine marketing (SEM) which deals with paid inclusion. observe of the phrase "paid inclusion."  What they are referring to is "buying links."  Now this is a novel idea.  If you get Google ads for your website is that not a "paid inclusion?"  If you pay to be in the Yahoo directory is that a "paid inclusion?"  Google is comparable a mom and dad informing their child do not do what I do, do as I say!

It has been said that Blackhat SEO is mutually a falsehood and a reality.  Any person doing SEO will have to deal with this procedure at some occasion.  Not to face the Blackhat SEO process is to exist in denial.  The BH techniques today are the grey and white hat techniques of tomorrow. It's an essential truth; innovations often occur inside the Blackhat community of SEOs.  These techniques are considered, modified, and finally accepted into conventional SEO.  The thing about the BLACKHAT WORLD is that these people are inventive and forward thinking.

It has been said many times  that you ought to be on familiar terms with with SEO to know how Google's algorithm can be exploited.  This is a good thing for countless reasons however for the majority it is important for two reasons:

1.  You can get a decent appreciation of your competition and how they obtain the "edge" on Google.

2.  You acquire information and techniques you can exercise to advance in the Google search engine.

We are all aware that knowledge is power.  What many people do not appreciate is that the majority of Black Hat procedures are not Blackhat at all!  Blackhat is like a double edged sword. 

Some have argued that Blackhat SEO is for the feeble.  They go to say Black Hatters are individuals you can't win the game and have to resolve to dishonesty. In my estimation, even if you don't choose to employ what some call Black Hat SEO to advance your website it is good practice be knowledgeable about  your competition and what they are doing.  That's only common sense. 

Certain White Hat purists go as far as claiming that buying aged domains that are expired is Blackhat SEO.  In a respectable business model purchasing old domains and reviving them makes perfect sense.  The age of the domain is important in Google's algorithm so you have a head start on your competition.  And what is the difference if I want to sell my domain to somebody?  Going further, is Microsoft's Bing doing Blackhat by buying data and content from Yahoo?  All this begs the question; who makes the rules on the internet? 

Fake news reports are often seen as blackhat.  From a marketing strategy they are seen as brilliant.  This technique is done everyday by the media but it is never referred to as Blackhat!  Really, people throw around the term Blackhat SEO so much it has little meaning. 

The BLACKHAT WORLD of SEO is so much more than hacking, rogue bots, keyword stuffing and so on.  In fact, hacking is not actually viewed as Blackhat by the BLACKHAT WORLD.  The Blackhat World SEO is largely centered on procedures to advance a website or how to make money online. 

Google and Whitehat SEO members would have you believe that automating software to  you in posting in your blogs for instance, is Blackhat.  They are opposed to any automated software devoted towards SEO.  Granted allot of software and scripts in the Blackhat World have been made to make the most of Google.  Nevertheless you just can't paint the Blackhat World SEO with a broad brush.  There are oodles of ways you can employ that can help your website ranking well in Google that are not from the Dark Side of the Blackhat World. 

If you go to any website that offers freelancing you will find lots of of Black Hat people from all over the world.  They offer to submit your website to thousands of websites for pennies.  They tell you that all of these submissions are done by hand.  You have to read between the lines with claims like this. 

First, if you are foolish enough to fall for this, a thousand back links to your website will hoist a gigantic red flag for Google if it is completed in a brief period of time. Secondly, your website will soar in the SERPs but you will collapse hard coming down in a exceptionally quick time.  And, when you take a good look at your links and you will realize they are from a paid directory and your anchor text is non existent.  This is the kind of practice I call Black Hat.

However, if you find a honest person to do this, who took time to come across quality back links for you and did this over a month, then I would call it White Hat.  The aim is apply  programmed SEO software with self-control so your results look organic or naturally produced.  Don't get greedy or irrational. 

Here is one final illustration of automating software for twitter for scheduling and repeating tweets.  Automatically tweeting RSS feeds from yours or other blogs is ok as long as the Twitter account has a real person attending it who tweets manually,  as well.  Again, moderation is the key to making it look organic and natural. 

Here is a statement by White Hat people who have bags of cash for Google ads and have no notion of the intense competition on the internet nowadays.  "If your content is worth a damn you won't need to trick readers or bots with fake substance.  I invested time into the content and usability of my site and it's returned a 350% jump in my traffic last year. I'm getting links you can't begin to fake or even buy.  Make sites for people, not search engines."

This is great stuff for your "arm chair philosopher."  Truth is that you are competing alongside lots of Blackhat SEO savvy people who can have their site indexed in 3 days and have a position on the first page on the 4 days! And the curious thing is they are not using Blackhat SEO to do this!  If you want to compete these days on the internet and you want to be visible, you need have to know the cutting edge of SEO.  You have to be aware of what new and ground-breaking procedures the BLACKHAT WORLD is doing with their SEO.