SEO techniques are typically classified as either Blackhat or Whitehat, but in reality, many activities and grey areas exist in between. In this article, we’ll explore the complex landscape of SEO and delve into the sometimes ambiguous territory of White Hat, Black Hat, and Grey Hat link building techniques.
Shades of White, Grey, and Black Hat Techniques
Over the years, search engine marketing rules have constantly changed, making it challenging for brands to keep up with what’s acceptable and unacceptable in their marketing endeavours. The situation is further complicated because social and content marketing fall under the same umbrella. To tackle this issue, let’s define techniques and strategies that belong to either the ‘Whitehat’ or ‘Blackhat’ categories.
The following techniques are undoubtedly classified as White Hat:
- Content marketing
- Building relationships
- Actively participating in industry-related blogs and forums
- Promoting on social media platforms
Please take a look at our monthly SEO packages for more information.
The following techniques are undoubtedly classified as Black Hat:
- Using private blog networks
- Participating in link exchanges
- Making high-volume, low-quality directory and social bookmarking submissions
- Creating unnatural links
- Posting spam comments
- Employing article spinning
- Using cloaking techniques
- Keyword stuffing
Greyhat SEO Techniques: Balancing Risks and Benefits
Link Purchasing
Explicitly purchasing a backlink to your website can result in a penalty. Nevertheless, some brands find ways to get around this rule by purchasing sponsored articles on third-party websites that include a contextual backlink to their brand. Such a strategy appears natural, making it nearly impossible for Google to detect and impose penalties.
Product Reviews and SEO
Google has made efforts to crack down on product reviews, but at the same time, consumers crave them. When buying a product, one of the first things people do is search for reviews online. As a result, reviews are particularly important for businesses that sell physical products online.
For e-commerce businesses, reaching out to influential bloggers in their niche is a crucial marketing strategy. Doing so enables them to acquire valuable backlinks from authority sites while attracting new customers.
Navigating Native Advertising and Partnerships
Native advertising refers to ads that are seamlessly integrated into the content of a website. But what if you were to promote an infographic on multiple websites? When would this be considered a violation of Google’s terms and conditions? If your infographic is successful and doesn’t violate any other rules, Google won’t penalize you for it.
How Paying for Citations and Listings Impacts
Many companies pay for premium business listings and citations, with insurance companies often paying a significant premium to be featured on aggregator cost comparison sites. This is because, without this exposure, they risk losing business to their competitors. While paying for citations and listings is necessary for many companies, it can be especially beneficial for those in the services industry.
Google encourages listing in quality, official directories. However, online businesses prioritizing quantity over quality can damage their rankings. It’s essential to balance the number and quality of citations and listings and not to sacrifice quality for quantity’s sake.
Affiliate Marketing Tactics
Affiliate marketing programs are common among online businesses. Still, many need to be aware of the sheer number of websites marketing their products to earn a commission on each sale.
Implementing an affiliate program or brand ambassador program can be an effective way to motivate third-party bloggers and influencers to promote your brand. Doing so can expand your reach and increase your sales while building strong relationships with influencers in your industry.
