The terms “white hat” and “black hat” are what many search engine marketing firms use to describe the methods used to improve a website’s ranking in search engines.

The origin of the terms translates from computer hackers, the ‘black hat’ hackers being those who abuse the internet for malicious acts, and the ‘white hat’ hackers who use ethics and practical guidelines for hacking, if only to improve the security of certain sites; the darker the hat, the shadier the hacker.

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Success in natural search engine rankings depends heavily on where you start and where you want to go. There are a variety of factors that can affect a website’s ranking. Before quoting a prospective customer on recommended services,  a good SEM firm will conduct a website assessment. This assessment analyzes the three most important factors to natural search success: search engine friendly design, link popularity and depth of content.

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