What is SEO Spam?

In SEO (search engine optimization) terminology, it refers to SEO manipulation techniques that are used to increase search engine ranking, but violate the search engine's Terms of Service. 

Commonly used SEO cheating (SPAM) methods:

1. Mirror sites (Shadow domain): Using high graded website to receive high ranking, then transfer it to a low graded customer's website.

2. Excessive usage of keywords or hidden keywords: Constant repetition of keywords in the article, or hiding them on purpose.

3. Transparent words: Creating invisible keywords that can only be see by the search engines.

4. Improper usage of links: In order to increase web links, link farms are connected to the website, hoping to increase ranking.

5. Meta SPAM: Constant repetition of key words in the Meta tag.

6. Doorway Page: Creating false doorway page to trick the search engines. (For example an opening page or an image page.

What is SERP (Search Engine Result Page)?

A search engine results page, or SERP, is the web page that appears in a browser window when a keyword query is put into a search field on a search engine page. The list of results generally includes a list of links to pages that are ranked from the most popular to the least popular from the number of hits for the particular keyword. The list will include not only the links, but also a short description of each page, and of course, the titles of the webpage. The term “search engine results page” may refer to a single page of links returned by a query or the entire set of links returned.

Many search engine results pages have different types of listings. These types of SERPs are found most commonly in larger search engines, such as Google.com and Yahoo!. They include results such as:

Contextual
Algorithmic
Sponsored listings
Images
Maps
Organic search listings
Definitions
Suggested search query refinements

Major search engines can also offer specific search engine results pages that pertain to specific the specific types of listings. Search engine results pages can also be the results page for an image search, a map search, a news search, a blog search, or many of the other options major search engines offer.

Listings that have been indexed by the search engine's spider, listings that have been indexed into the search engine's directory by a human, and listings that are paid to be listed by the search engine.

What is Black Hat SEO?

Black hat SEO is a type of unscrupulous search engine optimization tactic used to raise a website's search engine results page (SERP) ranking illegitimately or lower the ranking of a competitor's site. 

Some examples of black hat SEO techniques include keyword stuffing, invisible text, doorway pages, adding unrelated keywords to the page content or page swapping (changing the webpage entirely after it has been ranked by search engines).

Search engine providers, such as Google, consider optimization tactics that are deceptive or don't conform to their guidelines to be black hat methods. Such tactics may be detected by an algorithm and result in an automatically lowered ranking. A manual site review that detects deceptive practices can result in the website's removal from the search engine's index. 

Black hat SEO is more frequently used by those who are looking for a quick financial return on their Web site, rather than a long-term investment on their Web site. Black hat SEO can possibly result in your Web site being banned from a search engine, however since the focus is usually on quick high return business models, most experts who use Black Hat SEO tactics consider being banned from search engines a somewhat irrelevant risk.

What is White Hat SEO?

White hat search engine optimization (white hat SEO) refers to SEO strategies that aim to build a quality website over the long term by focusing on the website’s audience. White hat SEO techniques include creating unique, high-quality website content and providing links to other relevant content on the site. White hat SEO tactics adhere to all search engine rules and policies, which act to dissuade webmasters from gaming search engines at the expense of the reader's experience.

White hat SEO is also known as ethical SEO.

What is Organic SEO?

Organic SEO (search engine optimization) is the phrase used to describe processes to obtain a natural placement on organic search engine results pages (SERPs).

Organic SEO include using keywords and keyword analysis, backlinking, link building to improve link popularity, and writing content relevant for human readers.

How does SEO work?

SEO is not an exact science. The best practices for SEO evolve frequently because it’s based on ever-changing algorithms set up by the search engines to give people the best results. So, for example, if Google decided it favored websites with purple backgrounds over those with any other color, SEO best practices would have to change to match that parameter.

Google’s preferences are less random than favoring the color purple, of course, but you get the drift. An accepted practice in SEO a few years ago may not work now, and that leads to the perception that SEO does not work: if you are using outdated guidelines or practices, your site simply won’t rank well.

SEO only works when you use the current best practices. When you do this, Google and other search engines will increase your website’s ranking, leading to an increase in traffic and, in turn, conversions.

But when you do SEO incorrectly, it does not work. And that can also lead to the perception that SEO is ineffective.