So, you've finished your site, and are ready to promote it. Having a look around the web, and of course sites like this will give you stacks of ideas of what you can do to improve your search engine rankings - its time to do SEO (Search Engine Optimisation). The SEO strategies that you'll come across will describe ways to collect links from high rankings sites, through link exchanges or persuading others to link to you because of your content. There are many strategies and tactics to perform well in google's eyes, and a whole sub industry of SEO experts has developed, but not all tactics are equal. Some strategies are called 'White Hat' and some are called 'Black Hat'. In short, White Hat strategies are those that the search engines approve of, while Black Hat strategies are those that might end up with your site being black listed by Google.

SEO activities are therefore safer when kept within the White Hat realm, and so normally start by optimising the content of the site, with careful keyword and keyphrase placement and frequencies. Once internal issues are resolved, its time to look outside, to gather links from related authority sites, to produce interesting content that will attract visitors and may persuade bloggers to link to you. These are approved and recommended techniques - White Hat techniques.

Then there is the Dark Side, where you may be tempted to do something a little sneaky and dabble in Black Hat SEO. Linkfarming is widely touted as a quick way of getting on the wrong side of Google, but there are plenty of other Black Hat techniques - which are NOT to be recommended! Need a higher keyword density? - Try putting some white text on a white background, or how about font with pixel size 1. Surely the spiders won't work that out! Moving into the modern era of web 2.0, where society decides democratically whether your site is good - why rely on society? They've screwed up before, why not just stack the ballot box in your favour by buying a few hundred diggs? (More on this another time!). Black Hat is whenever you have to ask, "should I be doing this?". I'm not saying 'never do black hat stuff', as sometimes, just sometimes, its that sneaky bit of cleverness that can give you a headstart - but just remember Google may be watching you!