{"id":3775,"date":"2025-06-24T15:09:25","date_gmt":"2025-06-24T15:09:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/getleadster.com\/blog\/?p=3775"},"modified":"2025-06-24T15:09:25","modified_gmt":"2025-06-24T15:09:25","slug":"black-hat-in-digital-marketing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/getleadster.com\/blog\/black-hat-in-digital-marketing\/","title":{"rendered":"Black Hat in Digital Marketing: What It Is and Its Consequences"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Black hat<\/strong> is a catch-all term, widely used but not always well understood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In its early usage, the term black hat referred to criminal hackers and illegal practices in that world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s where the term comes from \u2014 it\u2019s a reference to old spy movies, where villainous spies wore black hats and dark suits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The counterpart to black hat is white hat \u2014 hackers (and hacking practices) focused on measuring and improving system security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Bringing this into the realm of digital marketing, black hat is closely associated with the corporations that define how internet navigation should work.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is a somewhat controversial way to frame the topic, so it\u2019s worth starting the article here: with a solid definition of what black hat means in digital marketing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s dive in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Black Hat in Digital Marketing \u2014 What Is It?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"750\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/getleadster.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/O-que-faz-o-profissional-de-Growth-Marketing.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2524\" srcset=\"https:\/\/getleadster.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/O-que-faz-o-profissional-de-Growth-Marketing.webp 750w, https:\/\/getleadster.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/O-que-faz-o-profissional-de-Growth-Marketing-300x160.webp 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The way we browse the internet and use its features is mediated by corporations and the tools they provide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This isn&#8217;t a political statement \u2014 the internet has always functioned this way. Most people online have similar interactions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>When they have questions, they turn to Google or ChatGPT;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>To access the web, they use browsers like Chrome;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>For email, they use a provider (likely Gmail);<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>To talk with friends, they use <a href=\"https:\/\/getleadster.com\/blog\/engagement-on-instagram\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">social media<\/a>;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>To watch videos, they go to YouTube;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>And so on.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The internet isn\u2019t so much a place you go to, but a vast collection of corporations that collectively create a shared environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>As a result, black hat refers to practices that violate the terms of service of these platforms.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Typically, black hat tactics exploit loopholes or blind spots in these platforms \u2014 or even inherent features \u2014 to gain unfair advantages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Email spam, for example, is a black hat technique. Spammers aren&#8217;t exploiting a &#8220;bug&#8221; in email providers. Instead, they\u2019re pushing the platform\u2019s basic service to its limits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So<strong> black hat happens in this case because someone is sending too many emails at once. But that doesn\u2019t mean sending many emails is always spam.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Exploiting vulnerabilities is also common, and in some cases, it can get extreme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, many people run Instagram ads that are actually scams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I say this as someone who has fallen for one. It was a common product, displayed with Mercado Livre branding, but the profile wasn\u2019t the real Mercado Livre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So we now understand what black hat is, right? To really understand how it works, we need to analyze it channel by channel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Is Considered Black Hat in Different Digital Marketing Channels?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"720\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/getleadster.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Livros-de-Marketing-Os-30-Melhores-para-Ler-em-2022.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3337\" srcset=\"https:\/\/getleadster.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Livros-de-Marketing-Os-30-Melhores-para-Ler-em-2022.webp 720w, https:\/\/getleadster.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Livros-de-Marketing-Os-30-Melhores-para-Ler-em-2022-300x200.webp 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Most people have a good sense of what qualifies as black hat, even if they haven\u2019t read the platforms\u2019 terms of service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Few people have read Google\u2019s terms, for example. But most <a href=\"https:\/\/getleadster.com\/blog\/sem-google-seo\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SEM professionals<\/a> know that creating dozens of pages targeting a specific keyword \u2014 without delivering good content \u2014 is a black hat tactic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Back in the early days of SEO, hiding keywords in white text on a white background was common. It tricked Google, not readers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We don\u2019t even need to read Google&#8217;s terms of service to know that\u2019s black hat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>In this section, we\u2019ll go over some of the more obvious examples that directly violate platform rules.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then we\u2019ll explore other types of exploits and take a broader look at black hat tactics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s go:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Black Hat on Google \u2014 SEO<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Black hat SEO on Google takes both traditional forms we expect, and some that often go unnoticed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s start with the full list, and then focus on one <strong>lesser-known example:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Keyword stuffing<\/strong> \u2014 excessive, forced use of keywords in page content, metadata, or other elements to manipulate rankings;<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Hidden text and invisible links<\/strong> \u2014 using the same color as the background or CSS tricks to hide them from users but not from crawlers;<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Cloaking<\/strong> \u2014 showing different content to Googlebot than to users, e.g., an optimized version for ranking that redirects users elsewhere;<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Buying backlinks<\/strong> \u2014 acquiring links from other websites solely to boost PageRank, especially via paid link networks or link exchanges;<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>PBNs (Private Blog Networks)<\/strong> \u2014 creating or using networks of sites that link to each other to artificially boost authority;<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Duplicate or autogenerated content<\/strong> \u2014 copying articles or using AI tools to churn out low-quality content to rank;<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Doorway pages<\/strong> \u2014 multiple near-identical pages optimized for specific keywords that redirect users to another destination.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The point I\u2019d like to highlight here is <strong>backlink purchasing.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Among all these practices, buying backlinks is the least obvious. In fact, some websites still sell backlinks \u2014 even using Google Ads. Here\u2019s a screenshot:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Backlinks were a major ranking factor for years. Not as much today, but businesses promising \u201cquality links\u201d still appear overnight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>These links are rarely quality, and even if they were, the practice can lead to penalties.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Something no link vendor tells you is that <em>they<\/em> rarely get penalized. You might buy links through a Google ad, get penalized, and still find that same ad live afterward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Penalties aren&#8217;t common in these cases, but they do happen \u2014 sometimes without warning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>More on that later in the article. Now let\u2019s talk about black hat in SEM:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Black Hat on Google \u2014 Ads<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Google Ads makes it a bit easier to spot black hat practices, thanks to clearer policies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s the list:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Use of prohibited or misleading keywords<\/strong> \u2014 targeting sensitive or policy-violating terms (illegal products, false claims, etc.);<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Cloaked destinations<\/strong> \u2014 showing a clean URL while redirecting users to harmful or misleading pages;<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>False claims<\/strong> \u2014 promises like \u201cmake R$10,000 a day from home\u201d that violate trust policies;<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Click fraud<\/strong> \u2014 manually or programmatically clicking competitors&#8217; ads to drain their budgets;<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Ad review manipulation<\/strong> \u2014 masking banned content in images or using special characters to trick review bots;<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Account farming<\/strong> \u2014 creating multiple accounts to evade suspensions and keep running ads.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Interestingly, many of these practices are blocked within Google Ads itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When selecting keywords, you\u2019re blocked from choosing ones that clearly violate policies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But as we\u2019ve seen, some problematic keywords slip through \u2014 like \u201clink building\u201d (often tied to link sales), or \u201cbuy backlinks.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These are still unblocked in Google Ads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These lists are long because we\u2019re talking about Google. The next ones are shorter, but still crucial to understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s continue:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/getleadster.com\/lead-generation-strategies-with-chatbots\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\" noreferrer noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"353\" src=\"https:\/\/getleadster.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/arte-blog-1024x353.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2674\" srcset=\"https:\/\/getleadster.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/arte-blog-1024x353.webp 1024w, https:\/\/getleadster.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/arte-blog-300x103.webp 300w, https:\/\/getleadster.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/arte-blog-768x265.webp 768w, https:\/\/getleadster.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/arte-blog.webp 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Black Hat on Instagram (Organic)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Here, we\u2019ll focus only on Instagram, among all social media platforms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But before we wrap up the article, we\u2019ll briefly touch on others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Instagram has some well-known black hat practices. Focusing on the organic side for now:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Buying followers<\/strong> \u2014 inflating follower counts with fake accounts to appear more popular;<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Engagement bots<\/strong> \u2014 automating likes, follows, comments, or mass unfollows;<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Keyword stuffing in captions<\/strong> \u2014 overloading captions with keywords to game the discovery algorithm (usually ineffective);<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Hashtag abuse<\/strong> \u2014 using popular but irrelevant hashtags to increase reach;<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Plagiarized or duplicate content<\/strong> \u2014 reposting others\u2019 content without credit or permission to gain easy engagement;<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Engagement pods<\/strong> \u2014 joining groups that agree to like\/comment on each other&#8217;s content to artificially inflate performance;<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Automated generic comments<\/strong> \u2014 scripts that post irrelevant comments on other users\u2019 posts.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The practices Instagram penalizes the most, however, are those that use scripts or third-party apps alongside Instagram.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But many of these actions actually go completely unnoticed by Meta&#8217;s moderation system, which is becoming increasingly automated \u2014 and therefore easier to circumvent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now let\u2019s take a look at Instagram ads:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Black Hat on Instagram (Ads)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to the black hat practices on the organic side, there are also some interesting tactics to analyze when it comes to Instagram ads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Check them out:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Creation of misleading ads<\/strong> \u2014 promoting products or services with false or exaggerated claims to attract clicks;<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Masking destination URLs<\/strong> \u2014 directing users to different pages than advertised, often with suspicious or malicious content;<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Using fake accounts for ads<\/strong> \u2014 creating fictitious profiles to run ads while avoiding restrictions or penalties on real accounts;<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Promotion of prohibited products<\/strong> \u2014 advertising items that violate Instagram\u2019s policies, such as weapons, drugs, or counterfeit goods;<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Manipulating ad metrics<\/strong> \u2014 using techniques to artificially inflate performance metrics such as clicks or conversions;<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Deceptive targeting<\/strong> \u2014 setting up ads to reach unauthorized or vulnerable audiences, in violation of platform guidelines.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Black Hat on Gmail<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Lastly, we need to analyze black hat practices in email.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s use Gmail as the main reference here, but most of these behaviors are considered black hat by nearly all providers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Take a look:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>High spam complaint rate<\/strong> \u2014 maintaining a spam complaint rate above 0.3% can lead Gmail to block your domain;<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Lack of email authentication<\/strong> \u2014 failing to implement protocols like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, which are essential to validate message authenticity;<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>No unsubscribe option<\/strong> \u2014 not providing recipients with a clear and easy way to opt out of communications;<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Mixing different content types in a single message<\/strong> \u2014 combining promotional messages with receipts or transactional notifications, which can confuse recipients;<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Sending to non-opt-in users<\/strong> \u2014 contacting people who haven\u2019t consented to receive emails, which increases the chances of being flagged as spam.<br><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Gmail is by far the least tolerant platform when it comes to black hat tactics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While Meta allows even fake or criminal ads to slip through, Gmail won\u2019t even tolerate cold emailing strategies repeated two or three times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Of all the tools we&#8217;ve reviewed so far, Gmail is by far the strictest. It\u2019s not worth attempting black hat tactics there, as bans often target not just the account, but the entire domain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>All clear so far? Great! Now let\u2019s talk about the penalties for using black hat tactics on each of these platforms.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This next section will be quicker \u2014 I promise:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Are the Penalties for Black Hat Tactics?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Penalties for black hat tactics vary widely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Each platform, of course, has its own, but most start off mild and escalate over time.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Google, for example, lists extremely harsh penalties in its terms of service, though they\u2019re rarely enforced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Still, even Google\u2019s milder penalties can be very difficult for brands to deal with \u2014 especially those that rely heavily on SEO and <a href=\"https:\/\/getleadster.com\/blog\/inbound-marketing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Inbound Marketing<\/a> as their main sources of <a href=\"https:\/\/getleadster.com\/blog\/sales-leads\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">leads and sales<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Here\u2019s a quick breakdown of the penalties. We\u2019ll discuss them in more detail afterward:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Google:<\/strong> ranking drops, page deindexation (very common), loss of domain authority, ad rejections, suspension or ban of the Google Ads account, full domain block;<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Instagram:<\/strong> shadowban (reduced reach), content removal, feature suspension (e.g., following, commenting, posting), ad rejections, account suspension or deletion;<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Gmail:<\/strong> direct delivery to spam folder, sending IP or domain block, sending volume limits, automatic message rejection, account suspension or termination.<br><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>All of these are real and they do happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Google enforces by far the harshest penalty you can receive. Your entire domain can be blocked from all Google products \u2014 meaning no rankings and no approved ads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But this is rare and usually reserved for obviously fake or fraudulent websites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Deindexation, however, is absolutely real. In fact, in 2024, Google released the Helpful Content Update, which mass-deindexed a huge number of websites using copied or low-quality content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Instagram also regularly applies shadowbans \u2014 and they\u2019re tricky, because there\u2019s no clear indication of what you\u2019re doing wrong. It just happens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>But it\u2019s email marketers who really need to be careful.<\/strong> Black hat penalties are quite common and can completely ruin email strategies \u2014 and frequently do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Other Black Hat Tactics and Their Penalties<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"750\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/getleadster.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Como-elaborar-um-relatorio-com-o-ROI.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2379\" srcset=\"https:\/\/getleadster.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Como-elaborar-um-relatorio-com-o-ROI.webp 750w, https:\/\/getleadster.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Como-elaborar-um-relatorio-com-o-ROI-300x160.webp 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>So far in this article, we\u2019ve focused on the most common black hat practices across the main digital marketing channels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>However, we left out a few social networks and other tools that are rarely mentioned when discussing black hat tactics.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s a complete list:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Facebook:<\/strong> use of fake accounts, spam in groups and pages, buying likes and followers, ad manipulation, clickbait, misleading creatives, automated interactions;<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>TikTok:<\/strong> bots for views, likes, and followers; reposting without credit; misleading hashtags; deceptive content to go viral; algorithm manipulation through artificial engagement;<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>YouTube:<\/strong> buying views and subscribers, clickbait in titles and thumbnails, automated comments to drive traffic, reposting content, generating fake watch time;<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>LinkedIn:<\/strong> automated connections and messages outside Sales Navigator, profile data scraping, fake profiles for prospecting, engagement bots, group spam;<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Twitter\/X:<\/strong> buying followers and likes, spamming with external links, bots for auto-replies, account farming to manipulate trending topics \u2014 X, however, has one of the weakest systems for detecting black hat tactics;<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Pinterest:<\/strong> mass pinning with bots, cloaked redirects, viral image use with misleading links, comment spam on popular pins;<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/getleadster.com\/blog\/how-to-create-a-whatsapp-chatbot\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>WhatsApp<\/strong><\/a><strong>\/<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/getleadster.com\/blog\/telegram-chatbot\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Telegram:<\/strong><\/a> unauthorized mass messaging, using cold contact lists, group spam, bots that bypass API sending limits;<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Marketplaces (Amazon, Mercado Livre, etc.):<\/strong> generating fake reviews, manipulating feedback, fake competitor clicks, misleading product descriptions;<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Google Business \/ Local SEO:<\/strong> creating fake business profiles, keyword stuffing in business names, review manipulation, duplicate listings;<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Unethical Growth Hacking:<\/strong> scraping personal data, fake giveaways to collect leads, misleading content bait, mass behavior to manipulate algorithms.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, what did you think of this list of black hat tactics and the damage they can (and do) cause?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s just not worth engaging in any of these practices. We never know when the penalties will strike \u2014 but trust me, they do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And now, a second invitation:<strong> check out the 2025 Lead Generation Panorama by clicking the banner below!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thanks for reading \u2014 see you in the next article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/getleadster.com\/leadster-ai\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\" noreferrer noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"980\" height=\"365\" src=\"https:\/\/getleadster.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/en-dk-3.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2670\" srcset=\"https:\/\/getleadster.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/en-dk-3.webp 980w, https:\/\/getleadster.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/en-dk-3-300x112.webp 300w, https:\/\/getleadster.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/en-dk-3-768x286.webp 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 980px) 100vw, 980px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What is black hat in digital marketing? And what happens to websites that use techniques and tactics considered black hat?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":3776,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kadence_starter_templates_imported_post":false,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3775","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-digital-marketing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/getleadster.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3775","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/getleadster.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/getleadster.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/getleadster.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/getleadster.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3775"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/getleadster.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3775\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3796,"href":"https:\/\/getleadster.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3775\/revisions\/3796"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/getleadster.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3776"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/getleadster.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3775"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/getleadster.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3775"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/getleadster.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3775"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}