TLDR: Grey Hat SEO sits awkwardly between the “approved” world of White Hat SEO and the more dangerous, manipulative tactics of Black Hat. It includes methods that aren’ttechnically banned by search engines but aren’t encouraged either. Businesses often use Grey Hat SEO to get quicker results, but the risks include penalties, ranking drops and long-term brand damage. Overall, it may offer short-term wins, but sustainable SEO still relies on best practices and well thought-out strategies.
Table of Contents
What is Grey Hat SEO?
If you’ve heard of White Hat and Black Hat SEO, imagine Grey Hat as the messy middle. As Rina, our Head of SEO, explains, Grey Hat refers to “optimisation tactics somewhere between fully approved and prohibited” methods that might not appear as explicit violations in search engine guidelines, but definitely aren’t encouraged. These tactics usually sit in that grey area where SEO professionals take advantage of loose or interpretive wording in Google’s policies.
How it differs from White and Black Hat
Grey Hat SEO differs from White Hat because it doesn’t strictly follow best practices. But it also differs from Black Hat because, at least on the surface, it doesn’t blatantly break the rules. Rina says, these tactics “aren’t breaking rules entirely, but they’re not fully aligned with best practice either.”
Why it’s considered a ‘middle ground’
The “grey” part stems from ambiguity. Search guidelines can be open to interpretation, and some SEOs use those gaps to squeeze out faster gains. These tactics might not get you instantly penalised… but they very well could if overused or misused.
Common Grey Hat SEO techniques
Link schemes (buying, exchanges, PBNs)
Links still hold major authority value, which is why link schemes are such a common temptation. According to the transcript, people may:
- pump money into irrelevant publications to buy backlinks
- exchange links between unrelated websites
- buy links from private blog networks (PBNs)
- build lots of low-quality links in a short period
These are designed to artificially push authority, but are far from natural.
Expired domains & redirects
Another tactic mentioned is purchasing expired domains with existing backlink profiles, then redirecting them to your website to “consolidate authority.” Rina mentions some people actively advertising domains for this purpose. It may appear clever, but it’s risky and can easily cause problems if the domains are irrelevant or spammy. Short-term gain, long-term pain.
Over-optimised anchors or AI-generated content
This is particularly relevant today with LLMs helping businesses streamline processes. Many sites publish “loads and loads” of AI-generated content without considering relevance, user needs, or quality. Rina notes that Google will inevitably crack down with major spam or core updates to clean up low-quality AI content. She also mentions that huge volumes published in a short time can be a clear red flag.
Why businesses use Grey Hat SEO
Faster results
Grey Hat SEO is attractive because it can deliver visible movement quickly. Businesses under pressure, say, gearing up for Black Friday without enough prep, might push out links or content purely to get short-term visibility before a deadline.
Competitive pressure
Some SEO professionals feel compelled to keep up with their brand’s competitors who may be using questionable tactics. When expectations are high and time is short, it’s easy for businesses to justify “trying something quick”, even if the long-term risks outweigh the benefits.
The risks of Grey Hat SEO
Penalties and ranking instability
Grey Hat can easily tip into Black Hat if overused, if found on your website Google might issue:
- ranking drops
- manual actions
- complete visibility wipe-outs
Once you’re penalised, proving innocence can be problematic, especially if there’s clear evidence of manipulative tactics.
Long-term brand impact
This is often overlooked but incredibly damaging. Recently, a major brand overused AI content and saw its rankings visibility climb, only to plunge off a cliff after the recent Google updates. The aftermath included widespread news coverage tarnishing their reputation. Once that trust is lost, recovery and rebuilding your brand’s reputation can take years.
Should you use Grey Hat SEO?
When it may offer short-term gains
There may be rare cases where a business doesn’t care about long-term brand value (e.g., temporary websites or throwaway campaigns). But for any serious brand, Grey Hat SEO is almost always a gamble.
Safer alternatives for sustainable growth
Our Head of SEO’s advice is clear: Stick to best practice. Invest in proper SEO. If you need short-term visibility, “replace it with PPC” rather than compromising your long-term authority. Grey Hat SEO offers quick wins but can cost you much more later.
Conclusion
Grey Hat SEO is tempting because it promises quick movement without feeling as overtly risky as Black Hat tactics. But as Rina highlights, it’s still unstable, unpredictable and potentially damaging. With search engines increasingly cracking down on manipulation, especially AI-driven spam, long-term SEO success still comes from high-quality content, technical optimisation and natural link building.
If you care about long-term rankings, credibility and brand reputation, Grey Hat SEO should be handled with extreme caution…if used at all. Want clarity on what’s safe and what actually drives results? Speak to our SEO experts today and start building a sustainable strategy that works harder for your business.
