Black hat GEO is real – Here’s why you should pay attention
AI-driven search has enabled large-scale manipulation. Here’s how it happens, what Google’s doing, and why best practices still win.
Topic: Black hat SEO
How to spot and avoid shady link building vendors
Avoid the pitfalls of link network spam. Here’s how to spot scammy pitches, identify toxic sites and protect your brand’s SEO.
Link devaluation: The hidden threat of SpamBrain
Learn why buying links could be a recipe for disaster as Google tightens its grip on spammy SEO tactics.
Video: Drew Madore believes Google’s ranking algorithm uses user experience signals
Many SEOs do not believe Google when they say they do not use Google Analytics or Chrome data for ranking purposes.
Video: Drew Madore on how “black hat SEO” has changed over the years
What was considered "white hat" SEO in the old days may now be considered "black hat" SEO.
Chapter 6: Link building & ranking in search engines
Here we get into the link building elements of the Periodic Table of SEO Factors. Links were the first major “off-page” ranking factor used by search engines. Google wasn’t the first search engine to count links as “votes,” but it was the first search engine to rely heavily on link analysis as a way to […]
Off-Page SEO
Off-Page SEO is the other main type of SEO. It means anything you do off of a page to improve your page ranking. It mainly means inbound links. An inbound link is simply a link from another website to yours. It now (kinda) includes social media, which is why social media is useful for SEO. Google looks […]
Looking back at 2018 in search: A time traveler’s year in review
What does 2018 have in store for search marketers? Columnist (and time-traveler) Dave Davies pays a visit from the future to share what this year's major search developments will be.
Private blog networks: A great way to get your site penalized
Columnist Kevin Rowe explains what private blog networks (PBNs) are, how to identify them, and why you should steer clear.
New, unconfirmed Google ranking update ‘Fred’ shakes the SEO world
The webmaster and SEO community, along with the automated Google tracking tools, all show strong signs that there was a Google algorithm ranking update.
Google May Have Penalized Another Underground Link Network
Did Google just penalize the SAPE link network again? Many "black hat" SEOs are reporting serious ranking drops in Google.
SearchCap: Microsoft Catapult, Google HTTPS Factors & Bing Conversational Search
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: BrightLocal Opens Its 2014 Local SEO Industry Survey Local SEO firm BrightLocal has posted its third annual local SEO industry survey, asking SEO professionals to answer 20 questions on SEO business […]
Google’s Matt Cutts On SEO Myths: Ads Correlate To Organic Results & More…
In a recent video from Google Head of Search Spam Matt Cutts, Matt talks about the biggest SEO myths he sees today. By far, the biggest myth, according to Cutts, is how people think Google makes changes to their search results with the only intent of making more money. Matt said buying or not buying […]
The Donkey Cutts SEO Game: Avoid Panda & Penguins
Google’s head of search spam, Matt Cutts, is such a celebrity in the SEO community that one agency built a game for him named Donkey Cutts. The game works like Donkey Kong but replaces the objects based off of Google ranking signals. So you pick your character and then your goal is to reach the […]
Google May Have Penalized Another Major Link Network: Ghost Rank 2.0
Google has significantly penalized another underground link network over the weekend and we believe that one of the link networks targeted by Google is named Ghost Rank 2.0. A few weeks ago, Matt Cutts, Google’s head of search spam, tweeted “Thinking of ghost-related puns for a spam network. “They try to look super natural, but […]
SearchCap: The Day In Search, June 17, 2013
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the Web. From Search Engine Land: Google’s Matt Cutts: Stock Images Do Not Impact Search Engine Rankings Google’s head of search spam, Matt Cutts, said in a recent video that using stock images from a stock image […]
SMX Advanced: You&A Conversation With Matt Cutts (Pandas, Penguins & Payday Loan Spam)
Day one of our SMX Advanced show is almost over, but there’s one last session still to come: the traditional “You&A with Matt Cutts” keynote session. Search Engine Land’s founding editor, Danny Sullivan, will be sitting down for a lengthy chat with Matt Cutts, the head of Google’s webspam team. The session is due to […]
Google’s Matt Cutts: Black Hat & Link Spammers Less Likely To Show Up In Search Results After Summer
A video from Matt Cutts, Google’s head of search spam, today answers some of the questions about what webmasters and SEOs should expect in the near future in regards to SEO. The primary question Matt asked and answered was, “What should we expect in the next few months in terms of SEO for Google?” Matt […]
Google Sends Hundreds Of Thousands Of Webmaster Notifications Each Month & 90% Are Black Hat Related
Google’s Matt Cutts shared some new statistics in a recent video about the types of notifications Google sends out via Google Webmaster Tools. Google sends approximately “hundreds of thousands” of messages each month to webmasters. The categories of those messages break down as follows: 90% of those messages are black hat related 4% are notifications […]
90% Of Google Webmaster Messages Are Regarding Black Hat Issues
In a recent video by Google’s head of search spam, Matt Cutts said that 90% of the messages sent out via Google Webmaster Tools are related to black hat issues. Whereas only 3% of those messages were specifically about unnatural links. This video response comes in response to many webmasters thinking that of the 700,000 […]
Q&A With Google’s Matt Cutts On How To Use The Link Disavow Tool
It’s been almost two weeks since Google launched its link disavowal tool. Some have been busy diving in and using it, but others have had more detailed questions about it. We’ve got some answers, from the head of Google’s web spam team, Matt Cutts. Question: How do people know what links they should remove? Answer: When […]
SMX East 2012: SEO Beware: Black Hat Tactics To Avoid & Be Wary Of
SEO Beware: Black Hat Tactics To Avoid & Be Wary Of Presentations from SMX East, October 2012 Like drugs, black hat tactics tempt those who want seemingly quick and easy paths to search marketing nirvana. But the highs they offer also never last, and can often lead to permanent disabilities. Nonetheless, all upstanding search marketers […]
Just Because Someone Works At Google Doesn’t Make Them An SEO Expert
I had an interesting email hit my inbox, someone showing me how a Google employee was “100%” sure there had been no Penguin Update. There was, of course, and it’s a reminder that just because someone is a Googler, that doesn’t mean they know how Google Search works. Google has nearly 25,000 employees (according to […]
Google’s Definitive Cloaking Video
Matt Cutts, head of Google’s Webspam team, posted a long video that he named the “definitive cloaking video.” Here is the video, I will post the main points below: Cloaking is showing different content to users than GoogleBot Cloaking Violation of Quality Guidelines Cloaking is High Risk It Is Often Used For Deceptive Reasons No […]
Google Says SEO Is Not Spam
Matt Cutts, head of the Google’s web spam fighting team, has gone on record by saying Google does not consider SEO to be spam. Matt said outright, “We don’t consider SEO to be spam,” and added that SEO is “a valid way to help people find what they’re looking for via search engines.” He did […]
Dilbert Cartoon: Caught For Paid Links On Google
Yesterday we had a Dilbert cartoon telling us to say no to black hat SEO and today we have a Dilbert cartoon telling us to say no to paid links: The comic reads: Employee: “Google found out that we use fake links to boost our search rank.” Employee: “Now our website only shows up when […]
Dilbert Cartoon Says “No” To Black Hat SEO
This morning’s Dilbert comic is on the topic of black hat SEO. Dilbert wisely decides to avoid those tactics: The comic reads: “I want you to use “black hat” methods to raise our website’s ranking on search engines.” “What do you like best about that ideas – the fact that it’s unethical or the near […]
Another Company Outed for Paid Links: Sequoia-Backed Milanoo
A story on TechCrunch today notes that a Sequoia-backed shopping site called Milanoo appears to be spamming Google with hoards of paid links that are helping them rank for things like [cheap dresses] and [evening gown]. They got news of the situation by way of a site called Digital Due Diligence that checked Milanoo’s backlink profile […]
SEO Remains A Viable Marketing Strategy For Anyone
Ah, another SEO is dead post from a non-SEO to get the blood rushing on an otherwise calm weekend. I’ve been ignoring these more and more lately, but in the wake of Google’s Farmer Update, it looks like everyone could use some history lessons. Don’t depend solely on SEO, but don’t neglect it, either.
SearchCap: The Day In Search, March 5, 2009
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web.
Google Believes It Has Ended (Some) Hijacked Listings In Google Maps
Recent statements suggest that Google believes it has eliminated the hijacking of claimed business listings in Google Maps, and that hijackings overall (of both claimed and unclaimed listings) are now a rarity. Speaking last week at SMX West, Google’s Jennifer Chin, also known as “Maps Guide Jen” in the Google Maps Help Forum, said that […]
Think Like A Blackhat By Matt Cutts
Google’s Matt Cutts posted a twenty minute video summarizing two presentations he gave last year. The video goes over what he considers to be virtual “blight,” or when a site or community becomes stale with spam. In addition, Matt shows us how to put on a “blackhat” and think like a spammer. The video is […]
SearchCap: The Day In Search, December 8, 2008
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web.
Do Search Engines Use Bounce Rate As A Ranking Factor?
Your web site’s bounce rate may be a significant factor in your search engine rankings. If the bounce rate on your site is high, you could end up with lower rankings in the search engines. Correspondingly, lower bounce rates may actually offer meaningful ranking boosts. (Don’t know what a bounce rate is? Hang on—definitions below.) […]
Crappy MP3 Sites, Comment Spamming & Enough Already
In covering search marketing for the past 13 years, I’ve tried not to be judgmental about certain marketing tactics some people might undertake. Search engines have “rules” that they themselves knowingly allow others to break. Arguments erupt over the idea that any type of marketing is “manipulation.” But at some point, enough is enough with […]
SearchCap: The Day In Search, November 12, 2008
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web.
SEO Ethics Are In The Eye Of The Beholder
True story. I was sitting at one of my computers, a bit flustered because I was trying to solve yet another CSS (Cascading Style Sheet) browser incompatibility, and I received the following email: I would be pleased to buy some text links on your website. Let me know if you are interested so we can […]
SearchCap: The Day In Search, August 29, 2008
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web.
SMX Advanced: Black, Blue, And Read All Over
Learning is a fundamental and highly adaptive function in human beings. More than any other species, humans are designed to be flexible learners and active agents in how we go about acquiring knowledge and skills. Yet much of what people learn happens without any formal instruction. Think about it. When we’re kids, we learn not […]
No, Advanced SEO Does Not Mean Spamming
Coming back from our SMX Advanced conference last week, I found myself doing some soul searching. How was it that some people could wonder if advanced SEO means spamming search engines? And have I been contributing to this confusion? For the record — no, advanced SEO doesn’t mean you have to spam. Not in my […]