Digital Deep Tech Logo 3
Let’s Talk Strategy
Get SEO Proposal

90 Days Free SEO Couse

White Hat vs. Black Hat SEO

White Hat vs. Black Hat SEO Techniques: The Ethical Approach

White Hat vs. Black Hat SEO

Table of the content

Introduction

  1. Quick Wins vs. Long-Term SEO Success
  2. Getting to Know White Hat SEO: The Right Growth
  3. White hat SEO techniques: taking it deeper
  4. Understanding Black Hat SEO: The Dark Side of Optimization
  5. Why White Hat SEO is the Ethical, Long-Term Answer
  6. White Hat SEO- Real Life Applications
  7. Practice White Hat SEO

Conclusion

FAQ

Introduction

Hello, I am Deepak Sharma, an experienced Local SEO expert with more than 7 years of experience and a founder of Digital Deep Tech. One of the most debated topics in the area of search marketing is the difference between White Hat vs. Black Hat SEO techniques. I’m going to teach you today that there are differences between the two approaches, why selecting the right path is so important, and how White Hat SEO sets a person up to be an enormous success in the long term.

 

SEO is not overnight traffic. It is the base of building ethical online reliability that will stand the test of time. In there, some strategies may give in to faster promises and from there comes Black Hat SEO to the discussion. But is it worth it?

1. Quick Wins vs. Long-Term SEO Success

Most entrepreneurs prefer immediate results. All the more, the number of traffic is the better the possibility of sales, after all that subsequently translates. The dangers, however, are such that in a rush to rank better, most businesses pay heed to tempting strategies offering quick wins but tend to pretend not to care about long-term aftermath.

 

Agitation:

I can readily imagine wasting hours and dollars on the most dubious of Black Hat SEO techniques. It’s like a gold mine in the short term-your website shoots to the top of the ranks, your site starts seeing huge amounts of traffic, and you begin to enjoy the much-awaited conversions. Exactly one month after the date of the penalty imposed, your site gets penalized. Your rankings crash, your traffic is gone, and you’re Google’s flagged site. This will probably take months to recover from, or even worse, your site never fully recovers.

 

Of course, while White Hat SEO may indeed be a much longer process, it, on the other hand, forms a solid, reliable base of long-term success for sure. And so through ethical SEO, you’ll collect stable and sustainable outcomes that ensure, for sure, your business would thrive in this challenging digital space.

White Hat vs. Black Hat SEO Techniques

2. Getting to Know White Hat SEO: The Right Growth

Content quality: your content has to fill a need for answers in the form of questions and the resolution of a problem that their audiences are looking to answer. Not stuffing keywords, as many people would do this.

  1. UX: Google feels the user needs to be able to use the site with ease; this involves quick loads, navigation, and proper view on mobile devices.
  1. Keyword Research: Use Ahrefs or Google Keyword Planner to find relevant keywords for your target audience. The keywords organically will come out in your content.
  1. On-page optimization: Fine-tune every little meta tags, alt text, internal linking and structured data that web crawlers can understand what’s happening at your website.

This will be natural link building, rather than a purchase, but this will happen based on the contribution of value in partnerships and good content that others may link to.

White hat SEO is the long game. It’s all about having a site Google would like to rank because it gives value to the user.

How I Can Help You Succeed with SEO

3. White hat SEO techniques: taking it deeper

You’ll be able to find most techniques of White Hat SEO that can help your site rank with the lowest possible risk of penalties. I advise you, SEO expert, to take these strategies to sustainable growth.

1. High-Quality Content Creation

Content forms the backbone of SEO. Google algorithms seem to like a website with content that is informative, useful, and of course, original. Hence, each time you content creation, ask yourself whom are you targeting. Do you help solve their problems? Do you answer questions in which they have inquiries? Such content will, by necessity, attract the right backlinks and propel your rankings.

Action Steps:

  • Uncover questions your potential target audience asks frequently with the help of AnswerThePublic tools.
  • Write a blog post, guide, or even video content to answer all of these questions fully.
  • Your content must make sense and be reading-friendly. Value addition, not keyword stuffing, is the goal.

2. Creating A Great User Experience

It is going to make a great user experience in SEO rankings. Google will tell you how much time users spend on the page, how many pages they visit, or even how fast your site is loading.

Let's Discuss Your Project

Get a free one-week consultation and share your vision for digital marketing with us.

Book an Appointment Now!

Action Steps:

  • Page Speed: Compress images, minify code, and include a CDN to improve load times.
  • Mobile Optimization: Ensure your site is mobile-friendly, as Google now includes mobile-first indexing. Utilize the Google Mobile-Friendly Test
  • Navigation: Streamline navigation. Facilitate finding what people are looking for in as few clicks as possible.
SEO Trends in 2025

3. Keyword Research Mastery

White Hat SEO relies much on proper keyword research. Knowing exactly what people are looking for gives you an idea on how to stuff those terms into your content naturally. Long-tail keyword usage is also a very good strategy in attracting niche audiences in looking out for special terms.

Action Steps:

How I Can Help You Succeed with SEO
  • Find relevant keywords through SEMrush, Ahrefs, or Google Keyword Planner.
  • Focus on search intent-understand why someone would search for a term. Align your content with what users are looking to get-through information, to make a purchase, etc.
  • Do not keyword stuff. Place them in a natural way in your headers, meta descriptions, and text wherever applicable.

4. Ethical Link Building

Link building is another one of the essential bases upon which a strategy might be constructed in SEO. However, with relatively little effort, it is also somewhat widely abused.

 

Thus, a leading example of wrong application is found in black hat SEO link buying schemes that, due to their swift outcomes, appear very attractive even though they are much too dangerous with regards to the increasingly rising powers of Google identifying unnatural links.

Action Steps:

  • Guest Blogging. Publish guest posts on authoritative sites in your niche. This gets you quality backlinks and puts you in touch with a lot of good people.
  • Create link-worthy content: Such as long guides, infographics, or original research. It’s pretty easy: the more epic your content is, the more people will link to it.
  • Relationship building: That is where you get to network within your niche. This normally usually leads to natural links. Attend those events, webinars, and engage on social media platforms.

5. On-page SEO Optimization

On-page SEO would be the work you are doing right on your website, enhancing your rank. That would include optimizing your content, HTML source code, and even technical aspects.

Action Steps:

  • Title Tags & Meta Descriptions: Any page should have a unique title tag, along with a descriptive meta description including your target keywords.

  • Headers: H1, H2, H3 header tags helps define headings within your content so users and engines easily understand your content

  • Image Alt Text: Do include descriptive alt text on images, otherwise, the engines won’t know what that image is about.

4. Understanding Black Hat SEO: The Dark Side of Optimization

Black Hat SEO is described as the approaches adopted by individuals to manipulate and exploit search engines and therefore rank. These tactics yield short-term results but carry with them massive risks. Google is a major search engine that has more than enough in place to actively penalize sites that employ such unethical practices at times getting your site fully deindexed, which in the process kills your online presence.

Some Common Black Hat SEO Techniques

This is an overview of some of the most common Black Hat SEO techniques you should avoid:

 

  • Keyword Stuffing: Keyword stuffing involves cramming as many keywords into your content to manipulate rankings. It is a messy choking, and search engines quickly notice it.

 

  • Cloaking: A presentation of one version of your website to the search engines and another to a user. This is a deceptive technique that falls foul of Google’s Webmaster Guidelines.

 

  • Buying Links: Buy the backlinks from paid service or link farms instead of getting it. These types of artificial links are poorly accounted for and move towards penalty.

 

  • Duplicate Content: Duplicate as well as copied content from other sites or duplicate page on your website. Search engines prefer unique content; duplicated content falls under the penalty of bad sites.

Black Hat SEO will most certainly seem like the shortcut on how to top the rankings; after all, who would not want a shortcut? It is a heavy bet, nonetheless, because once you have been caught, your site might be suffering from penalties for months or even years to recoup. Some of those costly items are lost traffic, lost revenue, and credibility damaged – forgetting these are some costly things.

5. Why White Hat SEO is the Ethical, Long-Term Answer

White Hat techniques are magic to sustaining genuine SEO success. Having spent over 7 years in the SEO industry, I have seen just how well long-term results help build an ethical strategy. White Hat takes longer to show results, but those results will be that much more stable and resistant to future algorithm updates. Here’s why:

 

  • Sustainable Growth: Unlike Black Hat SEO which gives an illusion of temporary victory, White Hat SEO derives its victory from a sound foundation.

 

  • Trust and Credibility: Ethical SEO brings along the achievement of gaining the audience and search engine trust, sure enough to yield better rankings and conversions.

 

  • Low Risk: The policy developed by the search engine eliminates the risk of penalty that could break your world online.

6. White Hat SEO- Real Life Applications

  • Content Creation Tools: Use Grammarly, Hemingway Editor to write so that your content can be read, concise and grammatical. Tools like Yoast SEO can also ensure that at the time of writing, your piece is SEO-friendly.

 

  • SEO Analysis Tools: The tools include SEMrush, Ahrefs, and Google Analytics which nearly make sense if you are to track the performance of your SEO. They will provide insights into your keywords, backlinks, traffic sources, and help identify areas for improvement.

 

  • Mobile Optimization: With growing numbers of people using mobile devises to access sites, making sure that your site is responsive is a do. Use tools like Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test to check your site in the mobile version.

7. Practice White Hat SEO

I have seen in years passing by and how a chain of clients fell into the Black Hat SEO trap. One client in a mid-sized e-commerce business was highly growing with black hat SEO methods. In a night, their site started growing overnight but after three months, it got penalized, and overnight, they lost 70 percent of their traffic.

 

We came in and assisted them in their recovery through a White Hat SEO strategy. For the next six months, our overall objective was rebuilding their credibility through content marketing, ethical link building, and improving their site’s user experience. By the end of the year, their traffic not only recovered but was up 35% from pre-penalty levels.

 

This is how a long-term, ethical approach to SEO can be really, really powerful. Black Hat may appear to be the shortcut in the short term, but the dangers are infinitely greater.

Conclusion

While Black Hat techniques may yield temporary benefits in terms of rankings, your long-term success regarding your site will rely on white hat ethical SEO methods. Good quality content and an excellent user experience with the gradual build-up of users’ and search engines’ trust will help usher in sustainable growth while avoiding all the pitfalls associated with Black Hat tactics.

 

Remember, SEO is a marathon, not a sprint. White Hat – A foundation for future success in your business. I am Deepak Sharma. I am here to guide you through great confidence and ethical practices on the ever-evolving landscape of SEO.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is White Hat SEO?

White Hat SEO means best practices used for optimizing a website with a search engine. The same practices are applied, according to the Google’s recommendations, and their aim is more to add value for the users than playing games with algorithms.

Black Hat SEO is one of the unethical practices that makes you compeller to get the positions in the search engine. You know keyword stuffing and link buying are against the rule of Google and automatically penalize you.

White Hat SEO is important because it forms a sustainable, credible base for your website to stand on for the long term. And the more that you can avoid penalty risks-and, to boot, actually ensure that your site actually delivers value to users.

 

White Hat SEO will take some time, but in general, you should be able to gain some momentum in 4-6 months. It’s also long-lasting and not prone to being affected by search engine algorithm changes.

White Hat SEO will take some time, but in general, you should be able to gain some momentum in 4-6 months. It’s also long-lasting and not prone to being affected by search engine algorithm changes.

No. Black Hat SEO is never worth the risk. All right, so it delivers short-term gains but, at a long-term cost: penalty and damaged reputation.

Absolutely, yes one can recover a Google penalty, but sure it has to take some serious months of work. Look out for all the Black Hat practices that your website is indulging in and take off all of them. Remove bad backlinks with the help of the Disavow tool and start White Hat SEO.

In order to keep your site in the White Hat SEO stream, you’ll want to concentrate on creating high-quality relevant content and earning organic backlinks, ensure good user experience optimization of your site, and follow Google’s best practices.

Search engines detect Black Hat SEO techniques with complex algorithms and machine learning. Irregular linking patterns, keyword stuffing, cloaking, and all the other evil tactics contrary to their guidelines will be used to penalize the said sites.

Hire SEO Expert

About the Author

Deepak Sharma is the founder of Digital Deep Tech and a renowned SEO and digital marketing expert with over a decade of experience. Passionate about helping businesses enhance their online presence, Deepak specializes in creating SEO strategies that drive traffic and generate leads.

Follow me on LinkedIn —>

Get Free Consultation Now!

White Hat vs. Black Hat SEO Techniques: The Ethical Approach Read More »

Google's Search Algorithm Updates

Overview of Google's Search Algorithm Updates

Google's Search Algorithm Updates

Table of the content

Introduction

  1. Algorithms Constantly Shift and How It Creates Impact
  2. Why It Is Difficult to Keep Pace with Algorithm Updates
  3. Understanding Google’s Search Algorithm Updates
  4. Key Concepts and Terms Explained
  5. Actionable Takeaways: What to Do Today

Conclusion

FAQ

Introduction

As a local SEO pro and owner of Digital Deep Tech, the one question that I keep hearing echoed into my ears more than ever lately in conversations with clients and fellow marketers is: How do you possibly keep up with Google’s constant changes to its algorithm? And, at the end of the day, it’s not easy — Google’s search algorithm updates march forward 24/7, affecting how sites rank and perform online for businesses.

 

In this blog post, I will walk you through the nitty-gritty of what these updates mean, why they matter, and how your website stands to still do well despite algorithm change.

 

Of course, the changes in Google’s search engine algorithms are very hard to understand. But by breaking down the problem and giving you practical solutions, we’ll be sure to get you ready for whatsoever updates come at you.

1. Algorithms Constantly Shift and How It Creates Impact

The problem most businesses face, though, is trying to keep up with what appears as an endless stream of updates that issue. Google makes changes to its core search algorithm multiple times per each year. This affects everything from their local SEO rankings to the simple visibility of a website on SERPs.

  • Technological surprise: Google does not announce most the changes announced. It mostly blindsides most businesses with a surprise and unforeseen change in rankings.

 

  • Devaluation of content: What worked last month now suddenly becomes the reason why your website has started ranking lower. Imagine Google’s Panda update, which went out aiming at websites with thin contents, leaving many to improve on the quality of their contents.

 

  • Loss in revenue: For businesses that rely heavily on organic traffic, a significant decline in ranking may force the clock backward to altered sales and lead generation strategies. You may wake up one morning and find out that your top-performing pages can no longer be found on page one in Google’s results, with dramatically reduced visibility and related traffic.

To a business owner or an SEO expert like you, the changes, like these, are uncertain; this is because they culminate in sudden drops in revenue and rankings.

Businesses Can't Find Themselves Online in 2025

2. Why It Is Difficult to Keep Pace with Algorithm Updates

No doubt you’re running to keep up with a new Google search algorithm every couple of months. Business owners and marketers all across the board love getting frustrated, confused, and even panicky when their seemingly overnight plunges in rankings make them so. So, why is it so darned hard to keep up?

 

  • Lack of transparency: Google only occasionally shares the details involved in its algorithm updates. Even big updates, such as Penguin and Hummingbird, were disclosed with vague statements that SEO professionals had to speculate upon for what actually changed. This takes some time as the SEO community decides which factors to alter and which ones not to change based on the changes that occurred.

 

  • Fast updates: It is changing at a pace that has never been witnessed before. Google reports it issues thousands of updates in the span of just one year. Some are utterly inconsequential; others quietly changed how Google’s core search algorithm functions, so ranking websites accordingly.

 

  • The competition is going to be keen: With the large companies trying to rank top in Google, failing to know or miss one or two updates may make it leave the competitors’ way ahead of you. You will require strict monitoring with regards to Google’s update to stay ahead of the competitors in the market.
How I Can Help You Succeed with SEO

3. Understanding Google's Search Algorithm Updates

So how does one keep tabs on what Google changes in its search algorithm without driving oneself crazy? You adapt a strong and resilient SEO strategy by being accommodating with each update.

a) E-E-A-T: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness

Most of Google’s ranking system is based on the concept of E-A-T, or Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. This means that it wants to rank web pages with the highest quality and credibly contented ones.

 

  • Creating E-E-A-T: Begin to demonstrate expertise in the material. A case study or real-life example published with some deep pieces is evidence of authority in a niche by an SEO expert such as myself. You do this for your area.
  • Authority Building: You now start receiving inbound links from other websites, which are all relevant and trustworthy to your niche. Guest posting, content collaborations, and mentions in roundups will do this.
  • Reliability: Your website should have a secure connection (HTTPS), and information posted on it should be clear and correct. You can include reviews, testimonials, contact details, among others to show that you don’t have just any old business but a serious business.

b) Fresh Relevant Content

Evergreen content, or high quality content that endures through time, is one of the best ways to deal with algorithm updates. The search ranking algorithm from Google favors a website only because it offers value to users. Do not waste your time focusing on short trends but instead produce timeless pieces.

 

  • Refresh the content occasionally: There are a couple of articles which are old and also the blog post is older even though it is attracting traffic. Start checking them out and refresh them with the latest information. This does not only have an influence on your ranking but also lets Google know that it is active and relevant.

 

  • Solve the user’s problem: As I write content, I am always thinking about how it is going to serve the audience. Look out for tools like AnswerThePublic and People Also Ask by Google for questions your audience is asking so you can draft content around the answer.

Let's Discuss Your Project

Get a free one-week consultation and share your vision for digital marketing with us.

Book an Appointment Now!

c) Optimise for local SEO

Local SEO is still one of the best activities that should not be neglected by Google’s local search algorithm. If your business delivers service in a given geographic location, then local SEO optimisation is a necessity if you are to have maintained visibility on the web.

 

  • Place-oriented keywords: When writing your content, make sure that you have used keywords that are place-oriented in your meta descriptions and headings. For instance, if you are offering SEO services in Sydney, make sure that you have used words such as “SEO services in Sydney” on your website.

 

  • Claim your Google My Business account: A well-optimized Google My Business has to be a part of any local SEO strategy. Ensure your business details is correct and accurate as well as see that satisfied customers do your business a favor by posting their reviews.

 

  • Consistency of NAP: Ensure you have a similar NAP for all business platforms like citations, URLs, or directories. Different versions of your NAP lessen your rank in local SEO.
SEO Trends in 2025

d) Investment in Mobile Optimization

With Google offering mobile-first indexing, what’s going to be crawled and ranked by default now is the mobile version of your website. If your website is not mobile friendly, then you are at risk of falling back in search rankings.

  • Make your mobile page load faster: This is bound to degrade your SEO performance because it’s pretty long in loading the mobile pages. Use Google PageSpeed Insights to identify all the places; your site needs to load pretty fast on mobile device.
  • Streamline mobile navigation: Clean, easy-to-tap buttons make all the difference between a frictionless user experience or not. Less is more. Clutter: Avoid it. Those intrusive interstitials like pop-ups might cost you a great user experience and rankings.
How I Can Help You Succeed with SEO

e) Use Structured Data (Schema Markup)

Structured data is probably one of the most under-leveraged SEO tools, also known as schema markup. It’s basically an HTML addition with which search engines get better information about the content of your site, and that leads to things like rich results: featured snippets or answer boxes.

 

  • Schema markup: Schema marking for review, rating, and pricing information should also be there. Add this to your website using tools like Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper.

 

  • Visibility: Rich results bring out your content more in the SERPs. This will enhance your CTR and subsequently your ranking.

f) Build and Maintain a Strong Backlink Profile

Backlinks were always one of the key drivers for the Google search ranking algorithm, but now it’s quality over quantity. It is no longer about having as many backlinks as possible from anywhere.

  • Quality not quantity: Instead of having dozens of such links, have a few from good-quality sites in your niche. A relevant backlink from a good website will always weigh more than dozens of such irrelevant backlinks.

 

  • Creating Quality Backlinks: Good content is the best way to earn backlinks. This could be a data study, an exclusive case study, or a complete guide; but make sure that your content is something that would link to it by people in your niche.

 

  • Monitor the backlink profile: Use some tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Moz to monitor your backlinks. Disavow regularly any links that harm your rankings by being spammy or harmful.

g) Stay on top of announcements from Google and industry news

Although Google does not update everything, as a Search Engine Optimization expert, it’s very important to be in the know and know all that is happening because there are very intensive changes made in the algorithms. I do follow up on all the latest updates on the official blog of Google and track the leading vendors of the SEO industry so that no important update evades me.

 

  • Google Search Central Blog: This is the official Google channel for information about updates to algorithms, search trends, and best practices.

 

  • Use industry tools: Tools like MozCast, SEMrush Sensor, and Rank Ranger monitor changes to the Google algorithm. When you know an update has dropped and how it could affect your site.

 

  • Join SEO communities: You can join online SEO forums and communities; most are on the SEO group on LinkedIn or specific groups on Reddit, where you can connect and share with other professionals and learn from them.

4. Key Concepts and Terms Explained

To succeed through updates in Google’s search algorithm, one should understand a few key concepts. Therefore, to save your time, here is a quick glossary of terms:

  • Google Core Search Algorithm: it is the algorithm from Google, ranking web pages mainly based on such factors as content quality, number of backlinks, and user experience

 

  • Google Local Search Algorithm: type of Google’s algorithm that is involved in delivering relevant results depending on the user’s location

 

  • E-E-A-T: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. These are among the most significant factors that Google uses in determining the quality of the content.

 

  • Mobile-First Indexing: The way Google indexes websites mainly on the mobile version.

 

  • Schema Markup: Structured data or content that lets the search engines understand your material and delivers a rich result.

5. Actionable Takeaways: What to Do Today

Get ahead of Google’s search algorithm updates with actionable tips that can be applied today:

 

  • Content Audit: Go through the old material and inject new info so that it looks fresh.

 

  • Optimize for speed: slowing down your website can harm your rankings. Test the performance of your site with GTmetrix, and many other tools.

 

  • Customer reviews: These are the only thing worth its price in local SEO. You want your customer to comment on Google. You need them to comment other places as well.

 

  • Quality backlinks: guest posting, shareable content, influencer partnerships in industries.

Conclusion

Advancement of the search algorithm will keep marching at Google, but with the right strategy in place, you can almost keep up with the advancement. Proper consideration of high quality content with local SEO optimization besides keeping mobile friendly and having a strong back link profile in place will keep you much better positioned to handle whatever comes your way.

 

Do you want to know the art of succeeding in SEO? Just WhatsApp at +91 9780668174 or schedule a one-to-one meeting. You can share this blog on social media too, so spread the word and keep others updated!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What are the updates of Google's search algorithm?

The Google’s algorithm updates refer to the changes which Google makes to the ranking web pages in search results.

There are thousands of updates done by Google every year, but not all of them are the major changes.

Sudden changes in traffic or rankings may be a sign that you have been hit by an update.

Quality content always that gives value to your users.

If your site is suffering from negative effects, then audit for problems and improve your content, backlinks, and technical SEO.

E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness- Key ranking factors in ranking very well on Google’s search.

Yes, since Google makes use of mobile-first indexing, it makes mobile optimization very important to rank.

A quality backlink is an important step in building up the authority and ranking of your website.

  • Utilize location-based keywords
  • Optimize your Google My Business profile
  • Incur customer reviews

It tells Google what it is, and this improves the chance of getting indexed, and it will be caught in the feature results. Schema markup helps the search engines to understand your content much better and gives a high possibility of rich results, thus improving how visible you are.

Hire SEO Expert

About the Author

Deepak Sharma is the founder of Digital Deep Tech and a renowned SEO and digital marketing expert with over a decade of experience. Passionate about helping businesses enhance their online presence, Deepak specializes in creating SEO strategies that drive traffic and generate leads.

Follow me on LinkedIn —>

Get Free Consultation Now!

Overview of Google’s Search Algorithm Updates Read More »

Find the Right Keywords

Keyword Research Made Simple – Find the Right Keywords

Find the Right Keywords

Table of the content

Introduction

Why Finding the Right Keywords is Challenging
Poor Keyword Research Impact
How to Find Keywords that Rank and Drive Traffic Solution
1: What is Keyword Research?
2: Why Keyword Research is Necessary?

3: Using Google Keyword Planner to Find Keywords

4: How to Use SEMrush for Keyword Research
5: How to Find Keywords Using Ahrefs
6: Low Competition, High Search Volume, and High Search Intent Make Perfect Keywords

Useful tips for Keyword Research

Conclusion

FAQ

Introduction

Day 8: 90-Day Free SEO guide! Today we delve into advance keyword research, which provides the basis for most SEO strategies. Learn how you can find-and then use-the right keywords to dramatically enhance the visibility of your site and increase your rankings on Google, YouTube, LinkedIn, and much more.

Hello, I am Deepak Sharma, Local SEO Specialist, and founder of Digital Deep Tech. Today, I would like to give you a way through which you can discover the best keywords for SEO. You may wonder how to identify that actually drives real traffic. If it’s yes then don’t skip this lesson

Why Finding the Right Keywords is Challenging

Many fail to strike good SEO keywords because they haven’t identified their target search intent for their target audience. They either make a very broad and also overly competitive choice, or the opposite: “going niche” at the expense of attracting only a trickle of traffic. Keywords are not words just thrown around the content; they should relate to the user’s intent and fit within your industry.

 

It seems almost too intimidating because finding those killer keywords is a daunting task alone, and still, one could opine that even with the millions of tools and strategies, it is just too much to swallow. If you are not adequately guided, then you will end up wasting precious time and resources on ineffective keywords that never deliver.

Businesses Can't Find Themselves Online in 2025

Poor Keyword Research Impact

If the keywords you are using are inappropriate, then the content gets lost there. That is kind of like writing a great book and then putting it on the shelf.

 

It does not matter whether you have the best blog posts, videos, or social media content; without proper keywords, you are invisible, and all efforts then lead to failure.

 

Probably the most frequent mistakes are targeting a whole lot of short-tail keywords that appear super competitive. They do bring a lot of traffic, but usually they are very general terms and those conversion rates are much lower.

 

On the other hand, trying to target extremely niche keywords can bring you search volumes that are just extremely low and in turn extremely limited audience reach.

How I Can Help You Succeed with SEO

How to Find Keywords that Rank and Drive Traffic Solution

Luck is that these proven methods and tools exist to help find the right keywords. In this blog, I will show you how to find keywords with Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, and Ahrefs and give you actionable steps, tips, and free tools for beginners.

Let’s get rolling

1: What is Keyword Research?

Keyword research is how you determine what people type into a search engine. Keywords gives you an idea of what people are looking for and enables you to work towards filling that need better. The bottom line is to rank higher in a search engine and get more organic traffic to your site.

 

Key Concepts and Terms:

 

  • Short-Tail Keywords: Short, one or two words phrases with a high search volume but lots of other competition. Example: “SEO.”

 

  • Long-Tail Keywords: More elongated phrases 3-5 words; less competitive, but rather targeted. Example: “how to boost SEO for small business.”

 

  • Search Volume: Number of searches for a keyword per month. This metric will help you decide the popularity of the keyword.

 

  • Keyword Difficulty: This is how hard it will be to rank for that keyword. Again, this will guide your choice of keywords according to your authority.

 

  • Find Competitors’ Keywords: You may get to know the gaps in your strategy and what opportunity you may bank on by knowing the kind of keywords used by your competitors in ranking.

 

  • Keyword finder: This is something you use to find other keywords for your scheme, depending upon the volume of searches and competition. Most of the tools contain a lists of relative keywords that are likely to motivate your content strategy.

2: Why Keyword Research is Necessary?

Keyword research is vital since it tells you exactly what people want in your industry. In the absence of keyword research, you may be optimizing on terms that no one is really looking for. That means you would waste all that effort and, at the same time, due to such not tap into an opportunity.

 

Keywords you are finding which your audience is actively searching for:

  • Improves website visibility
  • Increases organic traffic
  • Reaches the target audience at the right time
  • Boosts conversion rates.

In addition, keyword research enables you to write on subjects relevant to the issues and concerns in people’s minds. An answer for all their questions puts your brand on the radar as a go-to voice in the subject area under research; in addition, you help them gain confidence and return to your website more often.

Let's Discuss Your Project

Get a free one-week consultation and share your vision for digital marketing with us.

Book an Appointment Now!

3: Using Google Keyword Planner to Find Keywords

The very first one I have, and perhaps the most popular of them all is Google Keyword Planner. This is free, easy to use, and tells you exactly what people are searching for.

 

How to Use Google Keyword Planner in a Step-by-Step Guide

 

Step 1. Log into Google Ads: If you haven’t already created a Google Ads account yet, then create one. You do not have to run any ads when using Keyword Planner.

 

Step 2. Access Keyword Planner: Keyword Planner can be accessed from the login window. Tools and Settings menu >> From “Planning”, select Keyword Planner.

 

Step 3: Select Tool There are two options below: Find new keywords: You can add some words or phrases about your business and find new keywords. This allows you to enter keywords already listed and show the amount of searches as well as predictions: Already have a list of keywords? This tool shows you how often those keywords get searched.

 

Step 4: Enter Your Keywords: Enter a word or phrase that makes sense for your industry. If you’re in the roofing business, you may want to enter “roof repair services”.

 

Step 5: Analyze the Results: Google Keyword Planner will provide you with a massive list of keywords related to what you entered. The results include average monthly searches, competition level, and bid ranges. Zoom in on the keywords with medium- and low-competition and decent search volume.

 

Step 6: Filter the list: Filter the list of keywords with competition, location, and search volume. Then sort so you can zero in on the keywords that better meet your needs.

 

Step 7: Export your keywords: Finally, when you find some keywords that catch your eye, you’re able to export those into a CSV for further analysis.

 

Step 8: Develop Keyword Plan: Use the insights you are garnering to create a content plan. It might be video or even social media post ideas.

Low Competition + High Search Volume The Ultimate Keyword Strategy!

4: How to Use SEMrush for Keyword Research

advanced keyword research seo tips

SEMrush is one of those sweet paid tools that go much further than keyword research and have the capability to carry out competitor analysis and SEO audit.

 

How to Use SEMrush for Keyword Research Step by Step

 

  1. Login to SEMrush: If you aren’t a user already, sign up for a free trial for sure

 

  1. Keyword Magic Tool: Left-hand menu: Click “Keyword Research” > Keyword Magic Tool

 

  1. Seed Keyword: Input the broadest keyword possible in your niche. So if you are targeting travel SEO, it might likely be something you would just type: “best travel destinations.”

 

  1. See Keyword Suggestions: SEMrush will now give you a number of associated keywords along with their search volume, keyword difficulty, and competition.

 

  1. Use Filters: You can easily filter these results through keyword difficulty, by the search volume, and even specific match types- broad, exact, or phrase match. Look for those long-tail keywords in which the keyword difficulty is relatively lesser.

 

  1. Competitor Keywords: You will compare your site with competitors, and through the Keyword Gap in SEMrush, it will highlight which competitor is ranking for what keywords that you are missing.

 

  1. SERP Features Analysis: SERP features (like featured snippets, local packs, etc.) associated with your target keywords will be provided to you through SEMrush for crafting content by focusing on those needs.

 

  1. Export and Export Your Keywords: Once you get the correct keywords, you can export them to use in your campaigns of SEO.
How I Can Help You Succeed with SEO

5: How to Find Keywords Using Ahrefs

Ahrefs is actually a paid tool that’s really helpful for keyword research as well as competitor analysis. While the tool mainly stands out from its competitors through great backlink research, it performs well at keyword research.

 

Step-by-Step Keyword Research Using Ahrefs:

 

  1. Login to Ahrefs: If you do not have an account you can sign up for a free trial.

 

  1. Keyword Explorer: Once in Ahrefs find Keyword Explorer on the main dashboard.

 

  1. Input Keyword: Just like in SEMrush input a broad keyword related to your niche.

 

  1. Interpretation of Results: Ahrefs will give you a list of the related keywords, their search volume, keyword difficulty, and the number of clicks each produces. Ahrefs is amazing at showing click potential; prioritize your keywords by actual clicked users.

 

  1. SERP Overview: Ahrefs gives you the full overview of the SERP overview. In return, it tells you the top-ranking pages for a specific keyword. So, you’ll understand what content ranks and how you can use similar content to make your own rank better.

 

  1. Keyword Difficulty Score: Use keywords with low keyword difficulty score and high volume to easily win.

 

  1. Content Gap Analysis: This will tell you which keywords your competitors rank for, but you don’t. That’s a great opportunity to grab much more traffic.

 

  1. Export Your Keywords: Once you have all that keyword data collected, it is always possible to export it for further use.
keyword research for website

6: Low Competition, High Search Volume, and High Search Intent Make Perfect Keywords

There should be a balance in terms of competition, search volume, and search intent when doing the keyword research. You need to zero down to have a higher volume but less competition keywords that are going to be a game changer for your SEO strategy.

Perfect Keyword Criteria

  1. Low Competition: You would want to target keywords which attract relatively fewer websites trying to rank for them. That will give you a better chance getting into the first page of searches. SEMrush and Ahrefs provide a keyword difficulty score, which makes it easy finding such low-competition options.
  1. High Search Volume: Find keywords that have a number of searches per month. It means a pretty good number of people are currently looking for that kind of information.
  1. High search intent: Keywords must represent what your audience may want to find. If someone wants to search for “best travel SEO strategies,” the probable intent of the search would be to have actionable tips. The more you understand search intent, the better it allows you to present a user with content that directly deals with their needs, thus increasing the chances of engagement and conversion.

Tools to Use: Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, Ahrefs will aid you in filtering them based on competition and search volume. This way, you’ll know the perfect keyword that fits all three criteria discussed above.

Generating Your Keyword List: After finding the niched keywords, you can narrow it down to the most targeted list for the content strategy. Using long-tail keywords catering to a niche audience segment will give better conversion chances.

keyword research services

Useful tips for Keyword Research

  • Follow the Trends: Keep updated on the trending keywords moving up within your niche through Google Trends. Below, I applied a mix of trends to take my content game up quickly and consistently.

 

  • Check your Competition: See what kind of content they are creating and strategy they follow. SEMrush and Ahrefs will give you a hint about what kind of keywords they are getting traffic from.

 

  • Use Related Searches: Google the term you are trying to rank for. Then, scroll to the bottom for “Related Searches.” Many of these phrases produce long-tail keyword ideas.

 

  • Review Your Keywords Periodically: Keyword research is not a one-time activity. Review your keywords periodically to ensure they remain relevant to your intended audience’s interests and search behavior.

Conclusion

Keyword research is actually considered the very first and most basic action for any solid SEO strategy. For this, you can use programmatic SEO tools that help point out the correct keywords to attract traffic and engage your audience, such as Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, and Ahrefs.

This just means that low competition, high search volume, and high search intent are the basis to have a good list of keywords. As you follow this 90-day SEO course, do not stop practicing your keyword research skills because it is sure to make a huge impact in increasing the visibility and traffic of your site.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. How would I know which keyword to focus on?

Identify relevant keywords with a high search volume, minimal competition, and aligned with your content.

No! Keyword research is also worthwhile for PPC campaigns, content marketing, and social media strategy.

Yes! Indeed, some free tools like Google Keyword Planner appear incredibly useful. But the paid ones like SEMrush and Ahrefs offer much more comprehensive data.

As often as you can, at least every couple of months, to stay on top of trends and changes in how your audience will be searching.

Shoot for a natural flow of writing. For SEO optimization purposes, that would be 1-2% keyword density.

They are usually one or two words, so they have a high volume of searches and therefore also a high level of competition. Long tail keywords are longer phrases – they’re more specific – they must match the targeted query, so therefore usually have lesser competition, and higher conversion rates.

Make use of tools such as Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, and so much more while reviewing competitors’ sites, social media, and online forums to discover those words that are most important to your target audience. 

Remember that while it can be helpful to optimize each page around some keywords, above all else, you want to be delivering valuable, user intent-answering content. Quality always trumps keyword stuffing.

Use analytics tools, Google Analytics and Google Search Console to track keyword performance in impressions, clicks, and rankings over time.

Yes. However, don’t just keyword spam with the same keyword phrase over and over. Instead, target multiple keywords for every piece of content in support of your general SEO strategy.

Hire SEO Expert

About the Author

Deepak Sharma is the founder of Digital Deep Tech and a renowned SEO and digital marketing expert with over a decade of experience. Passionate about helping businesses enhance their online presence, Deepak specializes in creating SEO strategies that drive traffic and generate leads.

Follow me on LinkedIn —>

Get Free Consultation Now!

Keyword Research Made Simple – Find the Right Keywords Read More »

Short-Tail vs. Long-Tail Keywords

Short-Tail vs. Long-Tail Keywords: Which Should You Target?

Short-Tail vs. Long-Tail Keywords

Table of the content

Introduction

Choosing the Right Keyword Strategy

How to Use Short-Tail and Long-Tail Keywords Together

Why You Should Care About Long-Tail Keywords

Key Concepts and Terms to Understand

Keyword Targeting in Practice

Conclusion

FAQ

Introduction

As you continue in my free 90-Day SEO Course, it is time to get down to brass tacks on one of the most important decisions you will ever make regarding your SEO strategy: short-tail or long-tail keywords? I know this is one of the biggest challenges facing any SEO newbie-they just don’t know what each can and can’t do. Hello, this is Deepak Sharma-an SEO expert and founder of local SEO of Digital Deep Tech. I will be assisting you in making a decision about the most suitable keyword strategy for your business in this chapter.

 

Understanding your keywords is the most integral part of any SEO strategy, and by the end of this blog, you are going to understand exactly what short-tail and long-tail keywords are all about. You will learn actionable ways to target them properly and increase organic traffic.

Day 9 of the Free SEO Course

Learn advanced strategies, then reach out to get online training to take your skills to the next level!

Book an Appointment Now!

Choosing the Right Keyword Strategy

A great number of people think SEO is about ranking for popular, high volume keywords. For instance, who wouldnt want to rank for “SEO services” or “digital marketing”? The rub is that those keywords are pretty broad and, therefore very competitive. Trying to rank with such “short-tail” keywords will likely frustrate you with very little to show for it.

 

Often, the question clients will ask me is, “Should I target high-traffic short-tail keywords or is there more value in targeting long-tail keywords?” It’s a great question and one that, in reality, depends entirely on what your business goals are and what resources you have to draw upon. Let’s talk about why this is so important and what can happen if you get it wrong.

Why This Problem Matters

The wrong keyword choice can bring along lots of disadvantages in the process of SEO:

 

  • Wasting valuable time and money: You may have spent months ranking for a long-tail keyword but end up making little from it since you are competing with brands that have huge SEO budgets. It is part of the reason why most small businesses fail to reap returns from their investment in SEO.

 

  • Lack of proper Targeting: Ironically, the short-tail keywords are very broad. Thus, though they can also become good traffic drivers, the traffic which is going to arrive at your website is not the one which you wish for. Low conversion rates along with high bounce rates-all damage your SEO in the longer run.

 

  • Frustration: Most of my clients come to my desk after months with a failure to rank for short-tail keywords. It becomes understandable the frustration that follows. It becomes easy to give up when SEO makes no difference.

 

But don’t worry-that won’t be you. Now that we’ve covered the pitfalls, let’s take a look at how to approach this strategically.

long tail vs short tail keywords

How to Use Short-Tail and Long-Tail Keywords Together

So what’s the answer? Do you have to forget short-tail keywords and only use long-tail keywords? Not so much. Both have their application for use in a well-rounded SEO strategy, but you have to know when to apply which.

Here’s how to use them for you:

 

  1. Short-Tail Keywords As Awareness Builders: Short-tail keywords-those broad terms like “SEO services.” They have a wider reach of audience, and those people who usually search for such are still in their early buyer journey. For example, “digital marketing” person may not be close to purchasing something but is at least interested in learning more about it.

 

My Pro Tip: Employ short-tail keywords across high-profile pages like your homepage, services page, or in PPC ads to establish overall brand awareness. Just don’t forget that ranking with these short-tail keywords is a long way off and into the future as well as not immediately there with conversions from this traffic.

 

  1. Targeted Conversions using Long-Tail Keywords: For instance, “affordable SEO services for small businesses in Sydney”. Maybe they send fewer searches, but they attract more relevant traffic. In other words, people who know exactly what they want and are closer to making the purchase decision. Long-tail keywords, I must say, are the bread and butter to any successful SEO campaign. There’s a higher conversion rate involved and also easier to rank for them.

 

My Pro Tip: Ensure the higher majority of your content is focused on long-tail keywords. Your blog post, product pages, and landing pages are excellent uses for those keywords because it will allow you to be specific while drilling down into subjects that resonate with the pain points of your target audience.

What is a Short-Tail Keyword?

Let’s dive in and take a closer look at exactly what short-tail keywords actually are and why they’re so often so enticing to try to target.

Definition and Traits of Short-Tail Keywords:

  • Short-Tail Keywords refer to very general search phrases in general consisting of 1-2 words.
  • Tend to be highly generic. Examples: “shoes” or “SEO service.”
  • High Search Volume Since these keywords are such broad terms, thousands or even millions of searches occur per month.
  • This competition is very stiff because so many people are targeting the same keywords as well.

How To Apply Short-Tail Keywords In Your SEO Strategy:

Short-tail keywords that create brand awareness can be a little gift. Unless you have some supermassive budget for SEO, this often is not worth fighting for. It’s extremely competitive in terms, and also a fight to rank for these terms takes years of effort.

 

This is where most people get it wrong: They create a campaign for their SEO based on short-tail keywords, all expecting that traffic will start quickly. In most cases, however, they rank on Google’s 10th page with almost no clicks.

 

Examples of Short-Tail Keywords:

    • Digital marketing
    • SEO tools
    • Shoes
    • Smartphones

What Are Long-Tail Keywords?

Now, let’s be a little more specific by talking about long-tail keywords. As I’ve told you already, these usually are 3-5 word phrases and, therefore are much more specific.

Definition and Characteristics of Long-Tail Keywords:

Long-Tail Keywords are more specific; they often contain 3+ words. They are targeted at a smaller audience, but the one you will target is way more relevant. For example, “best SEO tools for small businesses” is a long-tail keyword.

These have fewer people targeting them; thus, they are easy to rank.

 

  • High Conversion Possibility: Targeted keywords attract only a specific audience, thereby increasing the possibility of converting that visitor into an action on your website.

 

Application of long-tail keywords in an SEO strategy: Long tail keywords are always gold for any business focused on lead generation and conversion. They attract visitors who are further down in the buyer’s journey. They have done some research; they know what they want; and they are willing to act.

Examples of Long-Tail Keywords:

  • Affordable SEO services for local businesses
  • Best running shoes for flat feet
  • How to choose an SEO expert in Sydney

Why You Should Care About Long-Tail Keywords

Now that you have an idea of what long-tail keywords are, let’s discuss why this is specifically important for small businesses and SEO newbies.

Let's Discuss Your Project

Get a free one-week consultation and share your vision for digital marketing with us.

Book an Appointment Now!

1. Low Competition Easy Rank-ability

This means that long tail keywords are much less competitive than short tail keywords, as I have said above. That, therefore, makes you rank for them much faster. If you are trying to pick up steam with your SEO, long tail keywords are your way to the top.

 

My Experience:

I have run many small businesses in my SEO career. Those rank for long-tail keywords in a matter of a few months. That will not happen with short-tail keywords unless you have a big budget. The opportunity for someone trying to gain faster results lies in long-tail keywords.

Low Competition + High Search Volume The Ultimate Keyword Strategy!

2. Higher Conversion

A person looking for a long-tail keyword is going to convert much easier if your page shows up and exactly delivers what they’re looking for.

 

Using the above words, you can see a search for “best SEO expert in Sydney for small businesses” next to an even more possible person who may still be learning with a search for “SEO.”

How I Can Help You Succeed with SEO

3. More Focused Content

With long-tail keywords, you can really zero in on creating the content with matching needs for your audience. This means it is more valuable to the people who are coming across it, and their behavior-increased engagement, improved backlinks, and better all-around SEO performance-will show for that.

keyword research for website

Key Concepts and Terms to Understand

Let’s just take a minute or two to review a few of the important concepts we’ve covered thus far so that everything just clicks:

 

  • Short-tail keywords: General search terms These are usually 1-2 words long. Highly have high volume, but very competitive.
  • Long-tail keywords: More specific search phrases. These are typically 3 words or longer. They produce much lower volume with higher conversion rates and less competition.
  • Search Volume: The number of searches for a keyword in a given period of time typically monthly.
  • Competition: Ease or difficulty of ranking for specific keywords.
  • Conversion rate: The percentage of visitors to your website who act towards the goal desired for example: buy or contact you.
keyword research services

Keyword Targeting in Practice

Here are a few practical steps you can take to put short-tail and long-tail keywords in your SEO strategy:

1. More Focused Content

This includes tools, like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, and SEMrush, which will help you figure out which short-tail and long-tail keywords will work best for your business. Utilize these tools to do your keyword research for each keyword and know your search volume, competition, and potential traffic.

2. Optimize Your Website Structure

Design a page structure for your website, which includes uses of short-tail keyword on home page to attract broad volumes of traffic and targeted long-tail keywords to drive high-converting traffic.

3. Long-Tail Content

Write blog posts, perhaps even a landing page around long-tail keywords. And in doing so, you are giving your target audience a really long piece of valuable content ensuring you’ll rank higher in those searches.

Example: Instead of “SEO Tips,” perhaps writing “SEO Tips for Small Business Owners in Sydney.” The more specific the better.

4. Competitor Keyword Analysis

Use tools to determine what short-tail and long-tail keywords your competition is targeting, so you will see the opportunities that you probably passed by.

Conclusion

Putting all of this together, short tail keywords might be suitable for brand awareness purposes, but are highly competitive and have very low conversion rates. Long-tail keywords are relatively less competitive, may show much better conversion rates and a better targeted traffic according to your search keywords.

An expert SEO consultant would advise striking both kinds of keywords. This means use short-tail keywords with the view of catching the wide audience, but be sure to target long-tail keywords in the interest of ensuring you drive relevant traffic and conversion. In this respect, you strike a better foundation for long-term success with regard to SEO.

Feeling that keyword strategy is just too overwhelming? Let’s discuss! As an expert SEO, I can really help develop something that meets your business goals. Do you need an advance keyword research, content development, or good old technical SEO? Rest assured, I’ve got you covered!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Which kind of keywords is better for SEO: short-tail or long-tail?

Both types are good for an SEO strategy. Short-tail keywords help in building awareness, while long-tail keywords bring targeted traffic and lead to conversions.

The concept is that long-tail keywords are the specific phrases with fewer audience options. Therefore, there will be fewer enterprises targeting these specific keywords and thus fewer chances of competition, and easier ranking occurs.

Use a tool like the Google Keyword Planner or Ahrefs. Pick keywords with decent search volume and low competition.

YES. This in turn, means that a proper SEO strategy involves both short-tail as well as long-tail keywords. The former brings more visibility to the brand, but the later leads and sales are generated.

That depends on how long that piece of content is, but try to have 2-3 naturally occurring long-tail keywords per blog post or landing page

Hire SEO Expert

About the Author

Deepak Sharma is the founder of Digital Deep Tech and a renowned SEO and digital marketing expert with over a decade of experience. Passionate about helping businesses enhance their online presence, Deepak specializes in creating SEO strategies that drive traffic and generate leads.

Follow me on LinkedIn —>

Get Free Consultation Now!

Short-Tail vs. Long-Tail Keywords: Which Should You Target? Read More »

©2025 DIGITAL DEEP TECH - All Rights Reserved.

HOME
INDUSTRIES
PACKAGES