Whilst we established that using black hat SEO techniques is likely to result in a site becoming penalized, we didn’t look at what’s known as gray hat SEO. However, it’s important to bear in mind that whilst gray hat techniques can be used for genuine reasons and considered to be a good practice, it’s the abuse of the techniques which has led to suspicion when it comes to using gray hat. To begin with, whilst grey hat techniques can give a site a slight edge over those that utilize white hat only, there’s risk involved. Getting down to the nitty gritty Gray hat SEO techniques include: Three-way link exchange: reciprocal links and link exchange have until recently been one of the most commonly used SEO practices for many years. Whilst gray hat may be considered unethical by some, they remain widely used and of course it’s the ‘gray area’ as to the ‘morality’ of these methods that gives it its name. If done properly, and responsibly, gray hat methods can manipulate search engine rules without actually breaking them. If gray hat methods are used on a site, communication between the site owner, the webmaster and the SEO practitioner is vital to ensure that everyone understands and accepts the techniques. Whilst many sites start out with the best of intentions, using white hat methods only, the temptation to revert to less pure practices usually comes about if a site isn’t performing well. Using certain techniques may not only have the site plummeting down the ranks, but it could impact on a business as a whole if their reputation becomes damaged. Social media and gray/black hat There’s a fine line between ‘good’ gray hat practices and bad and as such, it’s always going to be a risk using it. When it comes to the crunch, whether gray hat methods are used is up to the individual. Have you ever used gray hat techniques?