The rise of ‘like hat’ SEO: When attention replaces outcomes

For decades, the SEO world has been divided into two camps: black hat and white hat practitioners.

These opposing forces have waged countless battles across digital forums and social media.

But now, a new breed of SEO has emerged.

One that’s mastered the art of attention-grabbing and self-promotion.

Enter the “like hat.”

SEO practitioners who trade in social currency rather than business outcomes.

They’re not optimizing for search engines or users – they’re optimizing for likes.

And it’s becoming one of the industry’s most pressing problems.

The social media mirage

Nowhere is the like hat trend more visible than on LinkedIn, which has become the digital equivalent of a free marketing information bazaar.

Every day, self-proclaimed SEO experts flood the platform with: 

• “Revolutionary” frameworks. 
• “Guaranteed” strategies.
• “Proven” approaches that supposedly generate astronomical revenue, links, or rankings.

All available for the low price of a like and comment.

The formula is simple: 

• Create attention-grabbing posts.
• Promise exclusive insights.
• Gate them behind social engagement.

These like hat practitioners have mastered the art of building peer approval and social followings, which they later monetise through courses, consultancy, or products.

The most troubling aspect of this trend is the stark contrast between claims and evidence.

Scroll through any social media platform, and you’ll find these like hat practitioners boasting impressive metrics and revolutionary results.

Yet dig deeper, and you’ll find an absence of verifiable success stories.

No detailed case studies, no transparent metrics, and no credible proof that their approaches actually work.

And here’s the scary part.

Nobody cares that the evidence of results is absent because it’s all free.

Dig deeper: The great SEO heist: The untold story

The real business model of the like hat

When I see these so-called “free” intellectual giveaways, I can’t help but ask:

If these SEO practitioners are truly successful, why are they giving away their “winning formulas” at no cost – especially when there’s no proof those formulas ever worked, even for themselves?

The answer lies in understanding the real business model behind like hat SEO.

The currency of like hat SEO isn’t results, it’s attention.

The like hat business model operates on a simple principle: 

Flood social media platforms – X, TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube – with promises of the fast track to success.

But it’s never just moderate success.

It’s always extraordinary.

World-shattering SEO results, beyond imagination, delivered with suspicious ease.

This creates an illusion of expertise that serves as a funnel for selling:

• AI content generation tools.
• SEO services.
• Link building packages.
• Courses.
• Books.

And I get it.

Everyone has to make a living, and no one is forcing a gun to the heads of clients to buy stuff.

You could even argue that these people are doing “effective marketing.”

My gripe is that many of these posts are simply working back from the grand result.

We’re expected to believe that, as an SEO, your approach made millions for the client, but not once did you ever mention that result?

That in this game of attention, you forgot to mention the rankings you gained, the client success?

That image doesn’t fit the rhetoric.

Being born old

This is the core of the like hat mindset:

Skip the learning. Skip the grind. Skip the actual work.

Why bother mastering your craft?

Why spend years at agencies or in-house, navigating the real ups and downs of SEO life?

Why bother sharing your success and advice daily?

No, just start at the end result with a big, outlandish claim.

This is the era of SEO propaganda.

You start at the end. That’s the show –  a big, flashy end result easily achieved. 

Dig deeper: How to become exceptional at SEO

The SEO propaganda playbook

Propaganda of any kind targets the lonely.

The ones wanting success out there are looking for those who have built it for themselves.

If you’re an SEO or business owner desperate for results, you’ll be drawn to something that gives you more agency in a world you don’t control.

And you don’t control how people search or buy online.

SEO propaganda used by like hats appeals to the desires of other SEOs and business owners.

It lifts them out of the daily grind.

It gives people a sense of community.

The counterargument is, “How do I know they aren’t telling the truth?”

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The realities of working with brands and in 7-figure agencies

I’ve run an agency.

I’ve worked at multiple 7-figure agencies.

I’ve been the head of a huge SEO department.

I’ve built teams and worked with some of the biggest brands in business.

And there is rarely a blog that drives millions in revenue.

There isn’t a blog post framework that generates millions.

And there isn’t a fast track to anything.

Every client and every industry is unique.

And behind the most successful clients will be huge PR teams and budgets.

Teams of writers, social media marketers, and more.

Sometimes, you’ll have several agencies, each deployed in a different site category.

Success is never one thing.

And success is never easy.

So, how do you spot the like hat from the white hat?

The breadcrumbs of business outcomes

The rise of fabricated case studies and manipulated graphics only underscores how far the industry has strayed from its purpose.

So, how can you distinguish between like hat practitioners and legitimate SEO experts?

Look for:

• Verifiable results: Real experts have documented case studies with specific, measurable outcomes.
• Consistent methodology: Their approach doesn’t change with every new trend.
• Business focus: They discuss client success, not just tactics and tools.
• Transparent operations: Their business presence and claims can be verified.
• Bottom-line impact: They measure success in revenue and growth, not likes and shares.

Much more than this, there is always a digital footprint behind success.

From company revenue records, to client results, speaking gigs, case studies, and more.

But above all else, these SEOs tend to share their work openly but with realism.

They know that SEO is: 

• Not the only marketing channel.
• Rarely the single source of success.

And when they share their success, they provide context.

Sadly, this will lead to fewer likes and reach.

But it’s vastly more realistic.

However, I think there is good news ahead.

Dig deeper: So you’ve ‘won’ SEO – now what?

What should we do about the like hat SEO propaganda problem?

Online tools exist to allow users to find the most viral and liked posts and copy them.

It’s this that fuels the issue.

And we’ve seen more AI-created posts flood social with each passing week.

So, what should we do?

Nothing.

I believe that this situation will resolve itself in time.

You can smell the desperation with this approach.

Like a piranha stripping its prey to the bone, the prospect of “free” will always drive the SEO community into a frenzy.

But over time, we will adapt to a tiered view of content.

Those tiers will be:

• Short form to build an audience.
• Long form to build credibility.

The short form will exist, much like a stallholder at a busy marketplace. People will shout for the attention of passing prospects.

And yes, sometimes they’ll draw a crowd with their singing.

However, as many stallholders rely on the same approach, customers seeking true knowledge and experience will seek out those who do the opposite.

Those who rely on long-form content to offer more considered views and expertise will attract those who avoid the cheap parlour content tricks.

For this reason, I genuinely believe the era of the newsletter is the new entry fee to marketing like this.

While anecdotal reports have shown that newsletter sponsorship rates are declining, I believe this is because the newsletter will become the new normal.

Be on LinkedIn, Substack, Medium, privately hosted, or any other platform.

Long-form content is becoming the new gold standard.

It’s harder to produce, demands real expertise, and comes with a higher barrier to entry.

That’s exactly why like hats can’t compete.

True thought leadership takes time, depth, and substance – none of which come easy.

And that’s why they avoid it.

Dig deeper: Why SEO experts rarely share actual success stories