White, Grey & Black Hat SEO: Which Type Are You Using?

Published: 20 Aug 2025

SEO is a crucial aspect of online presence and visibility. The full form of SEO is “Search Engine Optimisation”; it plays a pivotal role in enhancing a website’s performance on search engines like Google.

In the online world, SEO is optimizing web content to ensure that it appears prominently in search engine results when users search for relevant information. SEO is the secret sauce that helps your website stand out in a crowded restaurant (the search engine results page).

But standing out from the crowd is not as easy—there are three main types of SEO that you guys need to know!

Table of Content

So, don’t worry; the whole article is designed only for your help.

Confusion: Parts of SEO

Let me clarify: we often make the mistake of referring to ‘On-page, Off-page, or Technical SEO’ as types of SEO, but they are not types; they are parts.

Explanation of each part of SEO:

1. On-Page SEO

Involves optimizing individual web pages to enhance their visibility and relevance to search engines. Key components include:

Content optimization with relevant keywords.
Proper HTML tags and meta descriptions.
Optimal website structure and URL formatting.
Image optimization for faster loading times.
User-friendly navigation and mobile responsiveness.

2. Off-Page SEO

Focuses on activities outside the website to improve its authority and credibility. Components include:

Building high-quality backlinks from reputable websites.
Social media marketing to increase brand awareness.
Online reputation management to foster a positive image.
Influencer collaborations for broader reach.
Guest blogging and participation in relevant online communities.

3. Technical SEO

Concerned with the backend aspects of website optimization for search engines. Key elements include:

Site speed optimization for improved user experience.
Mobile-friendliness and responsive design.
Proper use of HTML tags, structured data, and schema markup.
XML sitemap creation and submission.
Ensuring secure and crawlable website architecture.

Types of SEO

Alright, folks, buckle up!

We’re about to explore the world of SEO tactics, where three distinct “hats” rule the game: white, grey, and black. Picking the right hat for your website is like picking the right medicine in a magical mission. Each hat represents a different way to move up the Google search rankings. So the main types of SEO are:

White Hat SEO
Grey Hat SEO
Black Hat SEO

So, what do these three SEO hats mean, what are these techniques used in the world of SEO, and how do you use them helpfully?

Let’s cover this all in detail.

1. White Hat SEO

White Hat SEO, which is also sometimes called ethical SEO or White Hat Search Engine Optimization, is the use of honest and long-lasting methods to boost a website’s ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs) while following search engine rules. Think of it as the “good guy” in the battle for online visibility.

White Hat SEO Tactics and Techniques (Recommended for Implementation)

Create high-quality, relevant content for the target audience.
Conduct thorough keyword research and incorporate keywords naturally.
Optimize on-page elements, such as titles, headers, and meta tags.
Prioritize a positive user experience with mobile-friendly designs.
Build a strong backlink profile through reputable and relevant websites.
Engage in social media marketing to increase visibility and engagement.
Implement local SEO strategies for location-based searches.
Focus on technical SEO, ensuring proper indexing and resolving crawl errors.
Regularly monitor website performance using analytics tools.
Maintain a secure website with HTTPS protocols.

Pros of White Hat SEO

Consistent growth without risking penalties from search engines.
Attracts visitors through valuable content and positive user experience.
Builds credibility and authority through genuine practices.
Adapts to search engine algorithm updates without significant setbacks.

Cons of White Hat SEO

Takes time and consistent effort to see significant ranking improvements.
Continuous content creation and website maintenance are needed.
May require professional expertise or dedicated manpower.

2. Grey Hat SEO

Grey Hat SEO is somewhere in the middle of White Hat and Black Hat techniques. It uses methods that might be considered unethical. The goal of this method is to get results faster than White Hat methods while still following search engine rules.

Grey Hat SEO Tactics and Techniques (Only For Educational Purpose)

Expanding and improving existing content on your website to make it more valuable and relevant.
Submitting your website to social bookmarking platforms to boost visibility and potential traffic.
Carefully placing links to your website on other relevant sites, but avoiding obvious manipulation.
Buying expired domains with good authority and redirecting them to your website for a potential SEO boost.
Creating content on platforms like Medium or Blogger to build backlinks to your main website.
Contributing high-quality articles to other websites with links back to your own.
Finding and reporting broken links on relevant websites, then offering your own content as a replacement.
Using tools to schedule social media posts, but still maintaining genuine engagement.
Building small, focused websites related to your main site to attract more targeted traffic.
Using relevant keywords throughout your website content, but avoiding excessive stuffing.

Pros of Grey Hat SEO

May achieve quicker results than white hat methods.
Allows for a degree of flexibility in strategy.
Lower risk of penalties compared to black hat.

Cons of Grey Hat SEO

Outcomes can be unpredictable and volatile.
Still carries the risk of search engine penalties.
May compromise on ethical standards.

3. Black Hat SEO

Black Hat SEO is like the shadow fighter of the internet; it uses clever and damaging methods to change search engine rankings. Aiming for immediate gains while risking serious effects, this dark art doesn’t care about principles.

Black Hat SEO Tactics and Techniques (Only For Educational Purpose)

Engage in keyword stuffing to manipulate search engine rankings.
Use cloaking to show different content to search engines and users.
Participate in link farming, creating networks solely for backlink building.
Employ content automation to generate low-quality content at scale.
Create doorway pages with low-quality, keyword-stuffed content.
Hide text or links on a page to deceive search engines.
Practice negative SEO to harm competitors through spammy link building.
Spam comments and forums with irrelevant or promotional content for backlinks.
Establish mirror websites with duplicate content to manipulate results.
Use invisible or tiny text to hide content from users.
Purchase backlinks from untrustworthy sources to artificially boost authority.

Pros of Black Hat SEO

Achieves rapid improvements in visibility.
Offers an initial advantage in rankings.

Cons of Black Hat SEO

High risk of severe penalties or banning.
Can lead to a stained online reputation.
Results in short-term gains with long-term consequences.

Our Recommendation

As an SEO expert, I would like to emphasize that Google is an intelligent search engine. If you try to deceive it, your site can be out of the search results within seconds, and you might end up outsmarted. It’s better to play the game using White Hat SEO techniques. You can experiment a bit with Grey Hat SEO, but it’s advisable to avoid Black Hat practices.

The intention of this article was solely for educational purposes, and I strongly discourage any engagement in unethical tactics.

Conclusion

So, my dear readers, this concludes our journey through the various types of SEO. I hope you now have a comprehensive understanding of the three different approaches, from the ethical White Hat to the gray area of Grey Hat and the risky strategies of Black Hat SEO.

I’ve provided recommendations throughout the article, but if you have any questions or need further clarification, feel free to ask in the comments.

FAQs

Here are some of the most commonly asked questions related to SEO types:

What is the difference between white-hat and black-hat SEO?

White Hat SEO uses safe, rule-following methods to rank websites. It focuses on good content, clean practices, and long-term success. Black Hat SEO uses unfair tricks to get fast results. While it may work quickly, it is risky and can cause penalties.

How many types of hats are there in SEO?

There are three main “hat” approaches in SEO. They are called White Hat, Grey Hat, and Black Hat. White Hat is ethical and safe, Black Hat is risky and against rules, and Grey Hat sits in the middle. These names are just ways to describe SEO styles.

Is SEO entirely dependent on hats?

No, SEO is not only about hats. The “hat” terms are just categories to explain different methods.
Real SEO also depends on SEO parts like content quality, website design, backlinks, and user experience. So, hats are only one way to describe approaches, not the whole picture.

What is the major difference between white, grey, and black hat SEO?

White Hat SEO is good, safe, and follows search engine rules. Grey Hat SEO mixes both safe and slightly risky methods. Black Hat SEO uses bad tricks, breaks rules, and can harm websites. So the difference is mainly in how safe or risky the methods are.

Why is black hat SEO considered too harmful?

Black Hat SEO breaks the rules of search engines. Websites using it can be punished, banned, or lose their ranking. It may bring quick results but is not safe for long-term growth. That’s why it is seen as harmful for any website’s online image.