Time to Throw Away the Black Hat?
In a recent WebmasterWorld thread about link strategies, ken_b stated he was inclined to think of link building in terms high and low risk rather than colors of hats. I agree with him. Discussions tethered to colored hats are really about what Google prefers and not about the efficacy of any particular link building strategy. The moment someone invokes hats, the discussion changes from what does and does not work to what Google does and does not approve of. It narrows the discussion. I'm not saying it's an invalid discussion. I'm only noting that people should be aware that the discussion has suddenly become limited.
What would Google Say?
The discussion of what Google prefers is a legitimate one. But I'm not certain everyone is conscious that it's a narrowly defined discussion that can be filed under: What Would Google Say? Understanding what Google says is important because it's useful to know and understand boundaries. But those boundaries are artificial constructs, they are only ideas, propaganda if you will, not timeless truth or ethics on the level of right and wrong, good or bad. It is right or wrong relative to Google. But webmasters are not Google.
Towards a meaningful dialogue
In the real world, from the hundreds of webmasters I've personally met and discussed this with, people are more interested in defining and understanding high and low risk strategies. While Google's gravity still exerts a pull on the discussion, webmasters are interested in the success rate of any given link building strategy and the concomitant risk involved. Virtually all link building stategies contain a risk, even seemingly benign acts such as swapping links carry a potential downside. The discussion may become more meaningful, therefore, if the paradigm of black and white hats is set aside in favor of High and Low Risk strategies.
What do you say? Is it time to throw away the white hat/black hat paradigm?
What would Google Say?
The discussion of what Google prefers is a legitimate one. But I'm not certain everyone is conscious that it's a narrowly defined discussion that can be filed under: What Would Google Say? Understanding what Google says is important because it's useful to know and understand boundaries. But those boundaries are artificial constructs, they are only ideas, propaganda if you will, not timeless truth or ethics on the level of right and wrong, good or bad. It is right or wrong relative to Google. But webmasters are not Google.
Towards a meaningful dialogue
In the real world, from the hundreds of webmasters I've personally met and discussed this with, people are more interested in defining and understanding high and low risk strategies. While Google's gravity still exerts a pull on the discussion, webmasters are interested in the success rate of any given link building strategy and the concomitant risk involved. Virtually all link building stategies contain a risk, even seemingly benign acts such as swapping links carry a potential downside. The discussion may become more meaningful, therefore, if the paradigm of black and white hats is set aside in favor of High and Low Risk strategies.
What do you say? Is it time to throw away the white hat/black hat paradigm?
Search Engine Commentary by martinibuster || Time to Throw Away the Black Hat?
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