SEO and Website Themes the big companies are doing now.

[Jack_mcs]

Yes, it's possible. Google changes the rules now and then and that can change how a site is optimized. For example, it used to be acceptable to get as many backlinks as one could get. Google will (may) now punish if that is done.  

[MrPhil]

Search engines (especially Google, the 800 pound gorilla) are interested in providing useful information to users of their search functions. There used to be a whole bunch of things that could be done to boost your search rankings (be presented before other sites), but these techniques don't really improve the user experience or provide useful information to the searcher, so they are now condemned as black hat. On the other hand, white hat SEO techniques are "natural" things that improve the user experience and/or provide useful information, so they are encouraged.

Black Hat SEO will always be around, so long as there is money to be made in getting your website to the top of the list. Their techniques will change over time, as more and more problematic methods become detectable, and the search engines can penalize them. Some things which are now White Hat may in the future become Black Hat, but I would be surprised if the reverse happened.

[flora7]

On 15.9.2017 at 3:52 PM, Jack_mcs said:

Yes, it's possible. Google changes the rules now and then and that can change how a site is optimized. For example, it used to be acceptable to get as many backlinks as one could get. Google will (may) now punish if that is done.  

Thank you! How often does Google change its algorithm?

[Jack_mcs]

There's no schedule. Major revisions seem to occur every year or two but I'm sure they are tweaking things regularly. They won't announce all of their changes since they don't want to provide help to the black-hatters. If you optimize following the general rule that any change made to the shop can be seen by visitors to it, you should be OK.