Types of SEO Techniques
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is not just one activity, it includes different techniques that help your website show up higher in Google. All SEO techniques fall into three major categories:
- White Hat SEO – The correct, safe, Google-approved way
- Black Hat SEO – The risky, unethical method
- Grey Hat SEO – A mix of both (not fully safe, not fully risky)
Here’s a simple, reader-friendly breakdown.
1. White Hat SEO (Safe & Google-Approved Techniques)
White Hat SEO means using ethical methods that follow Google’s rules. It gives slow but stable and long-lasting results.
What’s included in White Hat SEO?
- High-quality content writing
- Keyword research & mapping
- On-page optimization (titles, meta tags, headings)
- Fast-loading mobile-friendly website
- Quality backlinks
- Internal linking
- Helpful, user-first content
Example of How White Hat SEO Works:
A website writes a detailed blog on “Best Laptops for Students in 2025” with real comparisons, images, helpful info, and original research.
People like it → share it → stay longer → Google trusts it → it ranks higher.
Why it’s safe:
It aligns with Google’s guidelines and grows your site naturally.
2. Black Hat SEO (Unethical & Risky Techniques)
Black Hat SEO uses shortcuts to rank quickly — but can cause penalties or even deindexing.
What’s included in Black Hat SEO?
- Keyword stuffing (repeating keywords many times)
- Buying backlinks
- Cloaking (showing one page to Google, another to users)
- Spam comments
- Duplicate content
- Hidden text
- Private Blog Networks (PBNs)
Example of How Black Hat SEO Works:
A website buys 500 backlinks from unrelated blogs to boost rankings quickly.
It may rank for a few days or weeks but once Google detects the pattern → the site drops from search results.
Why it’s dangerous:
Google’s latest updates (especially 2023–2025) are made to catch and punish these tactics.
3. Grey Hat SEO (Borderline Techniques – Not Recommended)
Grey Hat SEO sits between White Hat and Black Hat.These methods are not directly illegal according to Google… but they still carry risk.
What’s included in Grey Hat SEO?
- Excessive link exchanges
- Creating slightly modified duplicate content
- Using aged expired domains to rank content
- Buying social signals (fake likes/shares)
- Aggressive guest posting
- Slightly manipulating CTR (click-through rate)
Example of How Grey Hat SEO Works:
A website creates 20 guest posts in one month on medium-quality sites just to build backlinks.
Google may or may not see it as manipulative , it depends on the pattern.
Why it’s risky:
If Google updates its algorithm, these techniques can become Black Hat.