Grey hat SEO is a term given to SEO techniques that are neither seen as white hat SEO (search engine optimisation techniques that adhere to the general guidelines of search engine guidelines) nor black hat SEO techniques (which are techniques used to purposely manipulate search engine results). Grey hat SEO techniques are somewhere in the middle and often rely on some slightly risky techniques to help websites move up in search engine rankings.
When it comes to grey hat SEO, the best approach is to understand rankings very well and then to use techniques that are seen as slightly risky but ultimately should not trigger any flags with search engines. As with any SEO related endeavor, the goal should always be to achieve a positive result without risking a manual penalty or banning from the search engine. SEO experts should also be careful when using any techniques that could be seen as ‘gaming’ the system.
To summarise, grey hat SEO is a set of techniques that are used to slightly boost a website ranking. These techniques fall somewhere between those seen as white hat SEO and black hat SEO (which are seen as more intense or trickier techniques that are likely to attract a penalty from search engines).
Grey hat SEO techniques should be used with a lot of caution as they can be seen as gaming the system by search engines, meaning they could trigger a penalty or banning. For this reason, it's important to have a clear understanding of the guidelines set forth by search engines before embarking on any grey hat SEO techniques.
Become a Sales & Marketing Rainmaker
Learn valuable skills to win more customers, grow your business, and increase your profits.
When researching and applying grey hat SEO techniques, it's important to understand the implications for any potential penalty or ban related to that particular technique. It's also important to be mindful of any other actions such as commenting on forums, link building and any other online activities that could potentially be seen as grey hat SEO tactics.
When it comes to implementing grey hat SEO techniques, it's important to remember the golden rule of SEO, which is to always add value to the user experience. This means making sure all content is informative, relevant and up-to-date and all links lead to high quality sources. It's also important to consider other aspects of SEO such as page loading speed, page content, page titles and meta descriptions, as well as any 'social proof' signals such as ratings and reviews.
As with anything in SEO, the best approach to implementing grey hat SEO is to do the research and understand clearly what is and isn't allowed. It's also important to consider the wider implications of any grey hat SEO techniques, such as potential risk of getting a manual penalty or being banned from the search engines.