Often in the world of SEO, the difference between what is allowed and what breaks the rules is intent. The ‘grey hat’ idea came out of this – a list of techniques that can be used for good or bad purposes.

There are a number of techniques that come under this heading:

Paid linking – Search engines have become more strict over the years about the techniques allowed to develop links. Their suspicions are understandable, considering how low-value things like link farm pages and dodgy directories are to the average internet user. Paid linking, the practice of buying a link on a website, is a prime example of the ‘good or bad intent’ concept. When paid links are purchased for advertising, they are considered legitimate. When they are bought to increase link popularity, they fall outside of the rules and can result in a penalty from the search engines.

Cloaking – This is the technique of presenting one form of content to the viewer and another to the search engines. Even the term itself hints at why search engines aren’t keen on this technique. Anything that hides one message under a cloak is bound to be suspected of underhanded dealings. However, there are times when any website needs to set something out in code for search engine spiders but present it in a more appealing form to viewers. You should talk to your SEO consultant about the appropriate way to approach potential cloaking issues.

A sub-clause of cloaking really should be the practice of showing search engine spiders content that is available to subscribers only. If you have subscriber content that you really want to show the world, provide a sample for non-subscribers and let search engine spiders view that.

Link buying – Google strictly prohibits link schemes, but sometimes money can change hands for links without it being a scheme. It is possible to ‘buy’ a link on someone else’s site in a legitimate manner, such as offering sponsorship, but it is in your site’s best interest to ensure the search engines will be able to differentiate.

Duplicate content – Although duplicate content is in general avoided by most websites, it can be used both legitimately and illegitimately. On the ‘dark’ side, there are companies that post optimised content all over the net to provide a temporary boost to their client, thus making it appear that they are achieving swift results. On the side of the light, there is article syndication and the posting of content to both a home site and resource sites. Posting your articles to resource sites is a great way of building your reputation as an authority in your subject, but can cause problems if you post to the wrong sites.

The world of search engine optimisation can be confusing, even for experienced webmasters. The constant changes that shape what is and is not allowed mean that only those who closely watch the industry can keep out of trouble. When considering optimising your site, ask our experts at SEO Consult for advice.

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