As it turns out, national retailer JC Penney was in trouble with Google last month, after it hired a Dallas SEO firm that engaged in some underhanded tactics to propel the department store’s pages to the top of Google search results for several shopping-related keywords.
How did it work? A series of questionable links to the site’s content on flimsier pages created the appearance of more references to JC Penney products where they didn’t really exist; this artificially pushed the store’s site to higher Google rankings.
The Dallas SEO firm, SearchDex, was fired by JC Penney; but Google doesn’t allow black hat SEO practices to go without consequence. When you mess with the number one search engine in the world, you are manually demoted by Google staff – well, JC Penney was, anyway. The site plummeted from the #1 spot they held for those keywords immediately. Now, Overstock.com is in similar hot water with Google. Make no mistake: If big name retailers can’t get away with black hat SEO, neither can small business owners. Google lets no one , including our California SEO firm.
What is black hat SEO? In a nutshell, it attempts to improve rankings in ways that involve deception. They may involve using hidden text (“spamdexing”), or the “cloaking” method, which uses a different page depending on whether the page is being requested by a human visitor or a search engine. Either way, it’s bad news for your website if your Texas SEO provider uses them.
It can’t be overstated: White hat SEO practices, which involve creating content that is relevant to users, is the way to go. Our Dallas SEO clients know that our firm insists on white hat SEO practices only, which ensures that your site will achieve honest Google rankings that last longer, and with no penalties – because you haven’t done anything wrong! When you contact Crest Media, our Texas SEO consultants will be glad to tell you more.
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