SEO doesn’t always wear a Black Hat

by Kat Cole

I have been working as an SEO copywriter for a little less than three months after successfully proving my worth during a month long internship. Although writing content for purposes of search engine optimising is a creative challenge that I thoroughly enjoy, I am still unable to say that I am an expert in SEO.

In fact, I contend that no one in the realm of SEO – including engineers, web developers and the like –can claim that they are complete experts. And how could they be? The algorithm on which Google determines which content of the internet should appear as a result of Google queries is a mysterious matter and one that is shifting all of the time. The algorithm is such a close guarded (and complicated!) secret that even Google’s own employees are likely to be largely clueless too!

That’s not to say that those who work in SEO cannot make great impact to the Google positions (and therefore, the revenue) of their clients. I have seen some incredible improvements for the clients of the SEO company that I am employed by as a result of our efforts!

From what I have experienced so far, I argue that it is not enough for a business to merely focus on their Google positions through link building alone as this does not provide sustainable results. If your website is not user friendly and the service that you provide is less than perfect you’re bound to be eventually squandered by your competitors in both Google rankings and profit. High traffic does not necessarily translate into high sales if you have a website that is not easy to use and navigate.

There has been debate as to whether SEO is a legitimate marketing tool. Of course, “black hat” SEO efforts (finding a loophole in the algorithm and exploiting it) will not produce sustainable results. Some argue that the work of those in the SEO industry is completely based on a “blind faith” – and to an extent, it is – but by providing Google with the content it likes (useful, timely and current, well presented information), “white hat” services for improving search engine ranking for clients are tenable and very worthy of investment.

The enigmatic algorithm that is central to SEO efforts is exactly what keeps those employed within the industry on their toes. With constant changes occurring, continual innovation is required making it a discipline that is difficult to get bored with. 

Kat Cole is a Brighton University graduate (Communications and Media BA HONS) with a love of music and social media. She also has an interest in odd toilets from around the world, with her favourites including female mouth shaped urinals in Vienna and controversial nun shaped urinals in Amsterdam!