{"id":2201,"date":"2023-05-23T01:55:47","date_gmt":"2023-05-23T01:55:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/how-to-play-by-the-rules\/"},"modified":"2023-05-23T01:55:47","modified_gmt":"2023-05-23T01:55:47","slug":"how-to-play-by-the-rules","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/how-to-play-by-the-rules\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Play by the Rules"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"\">\n<p>Do you want to rank for competitive terms without worrying about potential Google penalties? Then go white\u00a0hat.<\/p>\n<p>In this post, you\u2019ll learn what white hat SEO is, how it compares to black hat SEO, and how to implement a few white hat SEO tactics.<\/p>\n<p>White hat SEO refers to the use of SEO strategies, techniques, and tactics that are within <a href=\"https:\/\/developers.google.com\/search\/docs\/essentials\/spam-policies?hl=en\">Google\u2019s guidelines<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The focus is the user. White hat SEOs prioritize users by providing relevant, high-quality content rather than content designed to \u201ctrick\u201d search engines.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" style=\"\"><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\"\/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style=\"\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n<p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">White hat vs. black hat\u00a0SEO<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>The flip side of white hat SEO is black hat\u00a0SEO.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Black hat SEO refers to the use of strategies, techniques, and tactics that do not necessarily follow Google\u2019s guidelines. Its focus is on finding and exploiting algorithmic loopholes.<\/p>\n<p>Sometimes, these black hat tactics can be plain unethical\u2014we\u2019re talking about SEOs spamming competitors with malicious links, injecting other websites with malicious code, and\u00a0more.<\/p>\n<div class=\"sidenote\">\n<p>Sidenote.<\/p>\n<p> The terms \u201cwhite hat\u201d and \u201cblack hat\u201d came about because old films in the Western genre used those hats to symbolize the contrast between good vs. evil. (White hats were worn by heroes and black hats by villains.) This then gave rise to the terms in computer hacking, which followed into SEO. They\u2019re not necessary the best terms. But we\u2019re using it here for now because there is no alternative in popular use.<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" style=\"\"><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\"\/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style=\"\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n<p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why is white hat SEO important?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Here are three reasons:<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Black hat SEO is\u00a0risky<\/h3>\n<p>Following the law confers no reward. But there are downsides in <strong>not <\/strong>following them, such as fines and imprisonment.<\/p>\n<p>The same goes for white hat SEO. Just because you\u2019re following Google\u2019s guidelines doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019re automatically guaranteed higher rankings. And unfortunately, in some niches (for example, payday loans), black hat SEO is the name of the\u00a0game.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>But just like in the real world, not following the \u201crules\u201d always runs the risk of getting caught. In this case, it\u2019s not law enforcement, but Google.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>If Google discovers you\u2019re using black hat tactics, it could penalize you. When that happens, you\u2019ll see traffic like\u00a0this:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1770\" height=\"1450\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image3-8.png\" alt=\"Drastic traffic drop after a likely Google penalty, via Ahrefs' Site Explorer\" class=\"wp-image-159814\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image3-8.png 1770w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image3-8-519x425.png 519w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image3-8-768x629.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image3-8-1536x1258.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1770px) 100vw, 1770px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1770\" height=\"1450\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image3-8.png\" alt=\"Drastic traffic drop after a likely Google penalty, via Ahrefs' Site Explorer\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-159814\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image3-8.png 1770w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image3-8-519x425.png 519w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image3-8-768x629.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image3-8-1536x1258.png 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1770px) 100vw, 1770px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>So if your goal is to build a brand for the long term and generate consistent traffic, you\u2019ll have to use white hat SEO tactics.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Black hat SEO is difficult to implement<\/h3>\n<p>With frequent <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/google-algorithm-updates\">Google algorithm updates<\/a>, low-cost spammy tactics, like <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\/glossary\/keyword-stuffing\">keyword stuffing<\/a>, no longer work.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>So if you want to go ahead with black hat SEO, you might opt for tactics like building a <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\/glossary\/private-blog-network\">private blog network (PBN)<\/a>. But building a PBN correctly is expensive (i.e., buying expired domains, dedicated hosting, private Whois, etc.), is technical, has no guarantees of working, and can even cause you to be penalized.<\/p>\n<p>In that case, you may as well invest that money, time, and effort into white hat SEO, which can <em>actually<\/em> bring long-term traffic and brand value, like our company:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1900\" height=\"700\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image2-10.png\" alt=\"Traffic coming to Ahrefs, via Ahrefs' Site Explorer\" class=\"wp-image-159816\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image2-10.png 1900w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image2-10-680x251.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image2-10-768x283.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image2-10-1536x566.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1900px) 100vw, 1900px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1900\" height=\"700\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image2-10.png\" alt=\"Traffic coming to Ahrefs, via Ahrefs' Site Explorer\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-159816\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image2-10.png 1900w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image2-10-680x251.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image2-10-768x283.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image2-10-1536x566.png 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1900px) 100vw, 1900px\"\/><\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Black hat SEO makes everyone\u2019s life\u00a0worse<\/h3>\n<p>Though you\u2019re an SEO, you\u2019re first and foremost a search engine user. You\u2019re probably Googling for things on a daily\u00a0basis.<\/p>\n<p>So you may win as a black hat SEO if you successfully spammed Google SERPs, but you\u2019ll lose as a user if everything you search for only contains poor and irrelevant results.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" style=\"\"><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\"\/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style=\"\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n<p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Six white hat SEO techniques<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>So how do you get started with white hat SEO? Here are a few tactics you can\u00a0use.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Do keyword research<\/h3>\n<p>One of the key best practices in <a href=\"https:\/\/developers.google.com\/search\/docs\/essentials\">Google\u2019s Search Essentials<\/a> is to \u201cuse words that people would use to look for your content.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>You can find out what these words are by doing keyword research.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s how to get started:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Go to Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/keywords-explorer\">Keywords Explorer<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Enter one or a few relevant words or phrases<\/li>\n<li>Go to the <strong>Matching terms<\/strong> report<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1320\" height=\"1370\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image6-5.png\" alt=\"Matching terms report, via Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer\" class=\"wp-image-159817\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image6-5.png 1320w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image6-5-409x425.png 409w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image6-5-768x797.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1320px) 100vw, 1320px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1320\" height=\"1370\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image6-5.png\" alt=\"Matching terms report, via Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-159817\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image6-5.png 1320w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image6-5-409x425.png 409w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image6-5-768x797.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1320px) 100vw, 1320px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>Here, you can see over 4 million potential keywords you could target. If they\u2019re relevant, you want to rank for all of them. But you also likely have limited resources, so you should prioritize.<\/p>\n<p>We can narrow the list down by focusing on two metrics:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Traffic Potential (TP)<\/strong> \u2013 Pages no longer just rank for one keyword. It can rank for many and get traffic from all of them. TP is the sum of organic traffic that the #1 ranking page for your target keyword receives from all the keywords that it ranks for. You\u2019d want this to be <strong>high.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/keyword-difficulty\/\"><strong>Keyword Difficulty (KD)<\/strong><\/a> \u2013 There are only so many spaces you can rank for on the first page of Google. As a result, SERPs can be <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/keyword-competitive-analysis\/\">competitive<\/a>. KD gives an estimation of how hard it is to rank in the top 10 organic search results for a keyword on a 100-point scale. You\u2019d want this to be <strong>low.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>How high TP and how low KD should be depends on your website. But for this example, let\u2019s set them like\u00a0so:<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019ll also want to set the <strong>Target <\/strong>filter to check if your website is already ranking for any of these keywords.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1082\" height=\"1094\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image9-8.png\" alt=\"Matching terms report, with filters, via Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer\" class=\"wp-image-159819\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image9-8.png 1082w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image9-8-420x425.png 420w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image9-8-768x777.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image9-8-120x120.png 120w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1082px) 100vw, 1082px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1082\" height=\"1094\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image9-8.png\" alt=\"Matching terms report, with filters, via Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-159819\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image9-8.png 1082w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image9-8-420x425.png 420w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image9-8-768x777.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image9-8-120x120.png 120w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1082px) 100vw, 1082px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>Look through the list and pick out relevant keywords.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Create helpful, reliable, people-first content<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/developers.google.com\/search\/docs\/essentials\">Google\u2019s Search Essentials<\/a> states that we should create helpful, reliable, and people-first content.<\/p>\n<p>But what does that mean in reality? Here are the steps you should take:<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Align your content with search intent<\/h4>\n<p>Google wants to serve <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/relevant-content\/\">relevant content<\/a> to its users. And a key aspect of relevance is whether searchers find the search results useful.<\/p>\n<p>In order for search results to be useful, Google needs to figure out <strong>why<\/strong> searchers are looking for that query, so it can serve the right results.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This is known as search intent.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>If you want to rank high on Google, you need to figure out search intent. We can do this by <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/serp-analysis\/\">analyzing the SERPs<\/a> for the three\u00a0Cs:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Content type<\/strong> \u2013 Are they blog posts, product pages, landing pages, or something else?<\/li>\n<li><strong>Content format<\/strong> \u2013 Are they tutorials, listicles, how-to guides, recipes, free tools, or something else?<\/li>\n<li><strong>Content angle<\/strong> \u2013 Is there a dominant selling point, like low prices or how easy it\u00a0is?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>For example, let\u2019s say we\u2019re targeting the keyword \u201chow to save\u00a0money.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1248\" height=\"1082\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image8-7.png\" alt=\"SERP overview for &quot;how to save money,&quot; via Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer\" class=\"wp-image-159821\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image8-7.png 1248w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image8-7-490x425.png 490w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image8-7-768x666.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1248px) 100vw, 1248px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1248\" height=\"1082\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image8-7.png\" alt=\"SERP overview for &quot;how to save money,&quot; via Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-159821\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image8-7.png 1248w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image8-7-490x425.png 490w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image8-7-768x666.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1248px) 100vw, 1248px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>If we analyze the SERPs for the three Cs, here\u2019s what we\u00a0see:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Content type<\/strong> \u2013 They\u2019re all blog\u00a0posts.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Content format<\/strong> \u2013 Despite the \u201chow to\u201d modifier, people are actually looking for a list of ways to save\u00a0money.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Content angle<\/strong> \u2013 There are a few angles here: \u201cproven,\u201d \u201csimple,\u201d \u201ceasy,\u201d and\u00a0more.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If we want to rank for this keyword, we likely have to create a <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/listicle\/\">listicle<\/a> of money-saving tips.<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Cover the topic in\u00a0full<\/h4>\n<p>The best result for a query covers everything searchers want to know. So if there are subtopics that the top-ranking pages cover, you\u2019ll want to include them in your content too.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s how to find these subtopics:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Enter your keyword into Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/keywords-explorer\">Keywords Explorer<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Scroll down to the <strong>SERP overview<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Select three to five top-ranking articles (make sure they\u2019re similar)<\/li>\n<li>Click <strong>Open in<\/strong> and choose <strong>Content gap<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1328\" height=\"984\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image5-7.png\" alt=\"Using the feature &quot;Open in Content gap&quot; to find relevant subtopics, via Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer&#10;\" class=\"wp-image-159823\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image5-7.png 1328w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image5-7-574x425.png 574w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image5-7-768x569.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1328px) 100vw, 1328px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1328\" height=\"984\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image5-7.png\" alt=\"Using the feature &quot;Open in Content gap&quot; to find relevant subtopics, via Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer&#10;\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-159823\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image5-7.png 1328w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image5-7-574x425.png 574w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image5-7-768x569.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1328px) 100vw, 1328px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>In the <strong>Content gap<\/strong> report, click the <strong>Intersection<\/strong> dropdown and choose \u201c4, 5\u201d to see only the most relevant subtopics:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1096\" height=\"1260\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image14-7.png\" alt=\"Content gap report results\" class=\"wp-image-159825\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image14-7.png 1096w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image14-7-370x425.png 370w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image14-7-768x883.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1096px) 100vw, 1096px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1096\" height=\"1260\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image14-7.png\" alt=\"Content gap report results\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-159825\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image14-7.png 1096w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image14-7-370x425.png 370w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image14-7-768x883.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1096px) 100vw, 1096px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>If we\u2019re targeting the keyword \u201cinbound marketing,\u201d these subtopics can make great <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\/glossary\/header-tags\">H2s<\/a>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>What is inbound marketing<\/li>\n<li>Inbound marketing strategies<\/li>\n<li>Inbound marketing examples<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Create something unique and original<\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/developers.google.com\/search\/docs\/fundamentals\/creating-helpful-content\">Google\u2019s guide<\/a> on creating helpful content suggests asking these questions:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1122\" height=\"1240\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image11-6.png\" alt=\"&quot;Content and quality&quot; questions from Google's Search Essentials\" class=\"wp-image-159826\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image11-6.png 1122w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image11-6-385x425.png 385w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image11-6-768x849.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1122px) 100vw, 1122px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1122\" height=\"1240\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image11-6.png\" alt=\"&quot;Content and quality&quot; questions from Google's Search Essentials\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-159826\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image11-6.png 1122w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image11-6-385x425.png 385w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image11-6-768x849.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1122px) 100vw, 1122px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>Simply put: Google wants you to create content that\u2019s unique and original.<\/p>\n<p>How do you do that? Here are a few ways you can stand out from the\u00a0rest:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Provide original research <\/strong>\u2013<strong> <\/strong>Consider running studies, surveys, polls, experiments, or crowdsource\/interview experts.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Give a unique perspective or opinion<\/strong> \u2013 This can be from you, industry experts, or someone in your organization.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Build on what\u2019s already out there<\/strong> \u2013 Imagine you\u2019re a scientist contributing to a corpus of knowledge. Help investigate claims, expand on key ideas, or challenge existing consensus.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Ensure content is created or reviewed by someone with expertise and experience<\/h4>\n<p>Google also aims to reward content that demonstrates E-E-A-T:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Experience<\/strong> \u2013 Firsthand or life experience in the\u00a0topic.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Expertise<\/strong> \u2013 High level of knowledge or skill in a particular field.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Authoritativeness<\/strong> \u2013 Reputation, particularly among other experts and influencers in the industry.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Trustworthiness<\/strong> \u2013 Legitimacy, transparency, and accuracy of the website and its content.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>It sounds complex, but it\u2019s what you expect good content to be. If you\u2019re reading something, you\u2019ll likely want it to come from someone with firsthand experience or expert knowledge. You don\u2019t want it to be from a writer who has regurgitated what\u2019s ranking.<\/p>\n<p>Demonstrating this can be as simple as actually using a product you\u2019re reviewing. Or having been to Milan if you\u2019re recommending the best places to\u00a0visit.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>For example, most of our content is created by our marketing team, which consists of people with years of experience in the SEO industry. Like my colleague, <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/author\/chris-haines\/\">Chris Haines<\/a>, who has worked in SEO agencies for 10\u00a0years.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>If you do not have the required experience or expertise, hire someone who has to create or review your content.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Make sure content is easy to\u00a0read<\/h4>\n<p>Nobody wants to read a chunk of text. Your content should be readable for your\u00a0users.<\/p>\n<p>I recommend following the ASMR formula:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Annotations<\/strong> \u2013 Use elements like sidenotes and blockquotes to break up the\u00a0post.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Short sentences and paragraphs<\/strong> \u2013 Split long sentences into shorter ones.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Multimedia<\/strong> \u2013 Include videos, images, and GIFs to eliminate extra\u00a0words.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Read your copy out loud<\/strong> \u2013 Highlight areas where the content doesn\u2019t flow smoothly.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Pay attention to on-page SEO<\/h3>\n<p>In Google\u2019s own\u00a0words:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p>Use words that people would use to look for your content, and <strong>place those words in prominent locations on the page, such as the title and main heading of a page, and other descriptive locations such as alt text and link\u00a0text.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>You\u2019ve done the first part via keyword research. Now, it\u2019s time to make doubly sure that Google can understand your content. To do this, you should:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Include your target keyword in the <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/title-tag-seo\/\">title<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/h1-tag\/\">H1 tag<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Add concise and accurate <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/alt-text\/\">alt text<\/a> to your images.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Provide a good user experience<\/h3>\n<p>Google wants to reward pages with a good user experience. It explicitly states this in its <a href=\"https:\/\/developers.google.com\/search\/docs\/fundamentals\/creating-helpful-content\">guide on creating helpful content<\/a>:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"906\" height=\"488\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image13-7.png\" alt=\"Google says to provide a great page experience for your visitors\" class=\"wp-image-159828\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image13-7.png 906w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image13-7-680x366.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image13-7-768x414.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 906px) 100vw, 906px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"906\" height=\"488\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image13-7.png\" alt=\"Google says to provide a great page experience for your visitors\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-159828\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image13-7.png 906w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image13-7-680x366.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image13-7-768x414.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 906px) 100vw, 906px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>To provide a good user experience, you\u2019ll want\u00a0to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Use HTTPS<\/strong> \u2013 Encrypt your site with <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/what-is-https\/\">SSL\/TLS<\/a> and protect your readers\u2019 data.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Make sure your website is <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\/glossary\/mobile-first-indexing\" data-ahr=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/glossary-mobile-first-indexing\/\"><strong>mobile-friendly<\/strong><\/a> \u2013 Most people search on mobile these days. Your website should work on all devices.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Ensure your pages load fast<\/strong> \u2013 Slow pages are a pain. Use a tool like <a href=\"https:\/\/pagespeed.web.dev\/\">PageSpeed Insights<\/a> to check your pages\u2019 performance.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Avoid intrusive interstitials<\/strong> \u2013 Interstitials are full-screen ads that appear before a webpage\u2019s content is loaded. Nobody, including Google, likes\u00a0them.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Improve your <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/core-web-vitals\/\"><strong>Core Web Vitals (CWV)<\/strong><\/a> \u2013 These are speed metrics that are part of Google\u2019s Page Experience signals used to measure user experience. They\u2019re not make-or-break for SEO, but improving them can help with better user experience.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. Utilize structured data<\/h3>\n<p>A major part of SEO is <em>really <\/em>about helping Google understand the content of your pages. You can provide explicit clues about the meaning of a page for Google by using structured data.<\/p>\n<p>Structured data is a standardized way to provide information about a webpage. It conforms to a particular format, and the universally recognized format is <a href=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/\">schema markup<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>For example, if I wanted to tell search engines my given name is \u201cSi Quan,\u201d I would have to use the <strong>givenName property<\/strong> and use it in its exact form in our\u00a0code.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"662\" height=\"466\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image7-6.png\" alt=\"Givenname schema.org property\" class=\"wp-image-159829\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image7-6.png 662w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image7-6-604x425.png 604w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 662px) 100vw, 662px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"662\" height=\"466\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image7-6.png\" alt=\"Givenname schema.org property\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-159829\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image7-6.png 662w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image7-6-604x425.png 604w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 662px) 100vw, 662px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>Learn more about how to implement schema markup in our guides below.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">6. Build high-quality links<\/h3>\n<p>Links are an important <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/google-ranking-factors\/\">Google ranking factor<\/a>. But <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/buy-backlinks\/\">buying backlinks<\/a> is against Google\u2019s guidelines:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"926\" height=\"836\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image1-10.png\" alt=\"Google's guidelines for buying or selling links\" class=\"wp-image-159831\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image1-10.png 926w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image1-10-471x425.png 471w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image1-10-768x693.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 926px) 100vw, 926px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"926\" height=\"836\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image1-10.png\" alt=\"Google's guidelines for buying or selling links\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-159831\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image1-10.png 926w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image1-10-471x425.png 471w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image1-10-768x693.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 926px) 100vw, 926px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>What should you do instead? Here are some ideas on how you can acquire backlinks the white hat\u00a0way:<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Guest blogging<\/h4>\n<p>Guest blogging is when you create content for other websites. In the process, you\u2019ll usually be allowed to link back to your website.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s how you can find potential guest blogging opportunities:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Go to Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/content-explorer\">Content Explorer<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Set the dropdown to \u201cIn\u00a0title\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Enter a relevant keyword<\/li>\n<li>Set these filters:\u00a0\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Language<\/strong> filter to English (or your target language)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Live\/broken<\/strong> filter to Only\u00a0live<\/li>\n<li><strong>Filter explicit results<\/strong> to\u00a0On<\/li>\n<li><strong>Domain Rating<\/strong> filter to 30\u201390<\/li>\n<li><strong>Website traffic <\/strong>filter to &gt;500<\/li>\n<li>Check <strong>One page per domain<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Check <strong>Exclude homepages<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Check <strong>Exclude subdomains<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1340\" height=\"1098\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image15-6.png\" alt=\"Using Ahrefs' Content Explorer to find guest blogging opportunities\" class=\"wp-image-159833\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image15-6.png 1340w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image15-6-519x425.png 519w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image15-6-768x629.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1340px) 100vw, 1340px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1340\" height=\"1098\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image15-6.png\" alt=\"Using Ahrefs' Content Explorer to find guest blogging opportunities\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-159833\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image15-6.png 1340w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image15-6-519x425.png 519w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image15-6-768x629.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1340px) 100vw, 1340px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>Look through the results and pick out relevant sites you could guest write for. Find the right person\u2019s email and pitch\u00a0them.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Create link\u00a0bait<\/h4>\n<p>There are many pages you\u2019d like links to. These are likely your \u201cmoney pages,\u201d e.g., product pages and landing pages. But nobody wants to link to them because they barely provide any value (unless they\u2019re recommending your product).<\/p>\n<p>So one way to build links to such pages is to use the <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/seo-strategy\/\">Middleman Method<\/a>:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Build links to a page that attracts backlinks, i.e., link\u00a0bait<\/li>\n<li>Add internal links from the link bait to your important pages<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1902\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/white-hat-seo.png\" alt=\"Illustration of the Middleman Method\" class=\"wp-image-159812\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/white-hat-seo.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/white-hat-seo-358x425.png 358w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/white-hat-seo-768x913.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/white-hat-seo-1292x1536.png 1292w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1902\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/white-hat-seo.png\" alt=\"Illustration of the Middleman Method\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-159812\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/white-hat-seo.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/white-hat-seo-358x425.png 358w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/white-hat-seo-768x913.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/white-hat-seo-1292x1536.png 1292w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>How do you find good link bait ideas? The best way is to piggyback off what\u2019s working for your competitors:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Go to Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/site-explorer\">Site Explorer<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Enter your competitor\u2019s domain<\/li>\n<li>Go to the <strong>Best by links<\/strong> report<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1704\" height=\"1592\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image4-8.png\" alt=\"Using Best by links report to find link bait opportunities, via Ahrefs' Site Explorer\" class=\"wp-image-159835\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image4-8.png 1704w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image4-8-455x425.png 455w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image4-8-768x718.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image4-8-1536x1435.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1704px) 100vw, 1704px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1704\" height=\"1592\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image4-8.png\" alt=\"Using Best by links report to find link bait opportunities, via Ahrefs' Site Explorer\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-159835\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image4-8.png 1704w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image4-8-455x425.png 455w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image4-8-768x718.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image4-8-1536x1435.png 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1704px) 100vw, 1704px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>Look through the list to see what kinds of formats and topics resonate with people in your niche. For example, we can clearly see that studies and statistics are popular in the SEO\u00a0space:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1336\" height=\"1394\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image10-7.png\" alt=\"Data studies are popular in the SEO space\" class=\"wp-image-159836\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image10-7.png 1336w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image10-7-407x425.png 407w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image10-7-768x801.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1336px) 100vw, 1336px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1336\" height=\"1394\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image10-7.png\" alt=\"Data studies are popular in the SEO space\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-159836\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image10-7.png 1336w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image10-7-407x425.png 407w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image10-7-768x801.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1336px) 100vw, 1336px\"\/><\/figure>\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Use HARO<\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.helpareporter.com\/\">Help a Reporter Out (HARO)<\/a> is a free service connecting journalists to sources and sources to journalists. Once you sign up, you\u2019ll receive daily emails with queries from journalists of different publications.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"715\" height=\"603\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image12-5.png\" alt=\"Example of a HARO email\" class=\"wp-image-159837\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image12-5.png 715w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image12-5-504x425.png 504w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 715px) 100vw, 715px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"715\" height=\"603\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image12-5.png\" alt=\"Example of a HARO email\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-159837\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image12-5.png 715w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image12-5-504x425.png 504w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 715px) 100vw, 715px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>If your response is selected, the publication might link to\u00a0you.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Learn how to build links using HARO in the guide\u00a0below.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Final thoughts<\/h2>\n<p>White hat SEO is about the right mindset: putting users first, creating useful content, and not spamming people.<\/p>\n<p>Some black hat SEOs may be able to get results in the short term, but white hat SEO is essential for long-term success.<\/p>\n<p>Remember, white hat SEO is a marathon, not a sprint.<\/p>\n<p>Any questions or comments? Let me know <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/siquanong\">on Twitter<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/white-hat-seo\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Do you want to rank for competitive terms without worrying about potential Google penalties? Then go white\u00a0hat. In this post, you\u2019ll learn what white hat SEO is, how it compares to black hat SEO, and how to implement a few white hat SEO tactics. White hat SEO refers to the use of SEO strategies, techniques, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2202,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2201","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-seo"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2201","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2201"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2201\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2202"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2201"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2201"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2201"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}