SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is a procedure of strategies and techniques which determines the visibility of a website in the web search engine’s organic results by obtaining a high-ranking placement. Generally, the higher ranked website on the search result page (SERP) appears more frequently. Therefore, it receives more targeted traffic.

SEO aims at the different variety of searches for instance, news search, video search, local search, industry-specific vertical search engines and image search. It examines the working of search engines, the priority of the people searching, the search item or keywords typed in the search engines frequently and the search engine which is popular among the targeted audience.

Basic types of SEO

There are two basic types of SEO:

• On-page Optimization- It refers to website components which consist of a webpage, such as HTML code, images and textual context. On-page SEO is a procedure of optimizing the individual web pages to achieve higher rank and more targeted traffic in search engines.

• Off-page Optimization- It refers mainly to backlinks (the links from other websites which are pointing towards the site which will be optimized. It provides above mentioned back links and it involves a lot of daily work. It assists in maximizing the performance of website in search engine for target keywords.

Techniques of SEO

There are evident differences between the approach and results of the two types of SEO namely, White Hat SEO and Black Hat SEO.

• White Hat Search Engine Optimization:

It uses the techniques to enhance the rankings of search engine which do not conflict with guidelines of search engine. It has an ethics of high level. Some of the White Hat SEO techniques are: high quality content development, website HTML optimization and restricting link acquisition campaigns aided by high quality content and manual research and outreach. The results of White Hat SEO are gradual but are lasting growth in rankings.

• Black Hat Search Engine Optimization:

It uses the technique of utilizing the weaknesses of search engine which conflicts with the guideline of search engines. It has a very low level of ethics. Some of the Black Hat SEO techniques are: hidden links, stuffing the page with keywords in the Meta tags, hidden text and blog spam. The results of Black Hat SEO are unpredictable and very quick and therefore short-lasting growth in rankings.

Both the types are supported by websites but among them the ones who tend for stable and long-term goals, stay away from Black Hat SEO. However, many of the work of SEO companies are operated in Gray area which is suitably named as Gray Hat Search engine Optimization. Due to either pressure from client for delivery of results or design, most of the SEO companies intend to deliver solutions and results to customers by using techniques which do not cross the line of black hat SEO and are much outside the optimization that could be considered as white hat SEO. The SEO companies using Gray Hat SEO are perceived as affordable because they have to minimize cost by applying questionable techniques to give away results.