Search engine optimization is one of the most important aspects of any business’s online marketing strategy. A well-maintained SEO plan provides a low-cost, long-term stream of relevant traffic into a website. Conversely, bad SEO can be very damaging to a business. Poor visibility on search engines like Google hands revenue over to competitors, forces higher spend on PPC advertising, and can damage trust with potential customers searching for you online.

Search engine optimization (SEO) works with algorithms to ensure that the most relevant and most popular webpages show up first in an internet search. SEO makes sure that the best websites get the biggest boost. However, SEO has a lesser-known, evil twin called black hat SEO. This term refers to a common trick of cybercriminals. Black hat SEO is meant to circumvent algorithms, exploit weaknesses, and create fraudulent links.

Learning how to optimize your website can be a challenge. At one time, it was only about figuring out what Google wanted, which was largely keywords. Now, it’s much more complex. Google is focused on not only delivering high-quality, relevant search results, but also on protecting people from malware and unscrupulous websites. Not only that, a hack of your website by others can give Google false information that directly impacts your rankings.