Search engine optimization or SEO are practices that help boost the
rankings of your site on search engines. SEO techniques are used by
sites of all sizes and platforms to increase visibility and thereby,
profit from the high number of visitors.
But there are several kinds of SEO that can be carried out for your
site. These SEO best practices are classified as White hat SEO, Black
hat SEO and Grey hat SEO. Let us look at each of them in detail.
White hat SEO
White hat search engine optimization involves methods and techniques
that are in line with search engine guidelines and aim to improve site
ranking. White hat SEO techniques include providing high quality
content, engaging in link acquisition campaigns, site coding
optimization and improving the outreach program.
While the growth in rankings using White hat SEO may be gradual, it is
steady and secure.
Black hat SEO
Black hat search engine optimization involves methods and techniques
that take advantage of the flaws in the algorithms of search engines
to rank a website higher. This type of SEO optimization is against the
guidelines and rules set by search engines, with a special focus on
Google.
The sites that use Black hat SEO techniques are filled with content
that search engines don’t like (for example, thin content, doorway
pages or plagiarized content), use keyword stuffing, link spam and
cloaking as well as hidden text and links.
The growth in rankings thanks to Black hat SEO techniques can be
highly erratic, quick at best but not lasting. Also, using these
techniques can get your site banned by search engines.
Grey hat SEO
As the name suggests, this type of SEO is neither black nor white.
Grey hat SEO does not outright make use of Black hat SEO techniques
but uses a combination of both. These borderline techniques are used
by companies to get quick results, and many SEO firms knowingly use
these techniques to some extent. Even if they don’t fully use Black
hat SEO, Grey hat SEO can consist of methods that are just waiting to
be blacklisted.
