How to Avoid Shady Black Hat SEO Tactics!

Why You Should Avoid Black Hat SEO

Let’s be honest – we’ve all been tempted to take a shortcut at some point. Or maybe you’ve received an email from a so-called “marketing wizard” offering you a guaranteed spot on Google’s front page.

With the amount of effort it takes to rank through organic SEO, it can be incredibly tempting to find a loophole. I mean, if it takes 6+ months just to get noticed… wouldn’t it be nice if things moved faster?

Let’s talk about Black Hat SEO – and why you should avoid it at all costs.

What is Black Hat SEO?

Black Hat SEO refers to any tactic designed to trick or manipulate search engine algorithms. These strategies typically go against Google’s guidelines. They’re not illegal – but they are unethical, and they can seriously damage your visibility in the long run.

In the early days of search engines, algorithms were easier to manipulate. That’s where Black Hat SEO took hold. But those days are long gone – and falling for the same tactics today can hurt you more than help.

Why is Black Hat SEO risky?

Search engines succeed by being useful. Their entire purpose is to deliver the best, most relevant results to users. If someone ranks high by cheating the system – without offering real value – that undermines the whole point. That’s why search engines work hard to detect and penalize those tactics.

Black Hat tactics to avoid

Keyword stuffing

Ever landed on a page where a phrase is repeated so often it stops making sense? That’s keyword stuffing. It’s not just annoying – it’s a red flag to search engines.

Tip: Use your keywords naturally – in headings, meta tags, and URLs. If it feels forced, it probably is.

Paid backlinks

Buying backlinks is a fast way to fake authority – and a fast way to get penalized. It might work for a while, but it won’t last.

Tip: Create content people want to link to. It takes time, but the results are better and more sustainable.

Manipulated structured data

Structured markup can help you stand out with rich snippets. But if you fake ratings, prices, or delivery times – it’s just another black hat trick.

Tip: Keep your structured data clean, accurate, and honest.

Organic SEO: the long-term strategy

Organic SEO is about building visibility and trust over time. With strong content, solid site structure, and technical health, your store earns its place – and keeps it.

Ready to grow your SEO – without shortcuts?

Book me for a day

I’ll help you set up a strong SEO foundation – no tricks, no hacks. Just real strategy you can build on and maintain yourself.

Already a Growth Partner client?

As your eCommerce Manager, I can manage your ongoing SEO strategy – from content and structure to technical insights. We agree on a fixed plan and price, so you know exactly what you’re getting.

Black Hat may seem tempting. But White Hat wins in the long run.

Get in touch and let’s build something that still works six months from now.

– Frederik, eCommerce Manager