A Search engine optimization company can choose to use ethical or unethical SEO methods, also known as white-hat and black-hat techniques. The phrases white-hat and black-hat come from old cowboy films where the decent chaps wore white hats and the bad guys wore black hats. There are also the less well know grey-hat ways of working which, while not absolutely unethical, do cross a few boundaries.

For companies whose main purpose is Search Engine Placement, and on top of that abrupt positioning on Page 1 of a search, this can actually be done by use of unethical processes. Exagerated use of keywords and phrases (known as keyword stuffing), or use of key words consealed in the meta tags or overused in the titles, can all help to boost the position of a company’s web site for a time. However, if there is a high bounce rate for a web site, it will lose credibility with the search engines very quickly and end up with the web site being banned. Also, it is highly unlikely that many of these searches will really create business for the web site.

Link farms can also be used to attach credence to a web site, as it allows large numbers of links within your web site, but these often have no relation at all on what your web site is about and end up exasperating the searcher. Use of mirror sites, whereby the equivalent content is used on multiple sites, the only difference being the URL are again used just to manipulate search engines. As search engine spiders become more sophisticated, it is difficult for companies to cheat search engines for long, and when they are found out, they may be black-listed and find it virtually impossible to get back onto a search engine index again. You are then going to lose an opportunity for easy Online Marketing and could end up losing your organisation.

White-hat, ethical processes can be used by a Search Engine Optimisation Company to ensure of a long lasting service, useful to the search engine and the user, and which are not in place to deceive or manipulate the search engine placement for the customer. Initially, optimising the use of quality key words that are apparent, means that the web site has a good foundation. A good title on each web page, and a site map to help the user and search engine spider to navigate around the site are also good ethical processes to employ.

Once the web site has been optimised, search engine placement can be bettered by such methods as link building, producing press releases, writing articles and blog marketing. Over time search engines will see that the web site has positive results and will improve its credence, leading to good online marketing for the web site.

From this you can agree that it’s much better for everyone involved if you keep to the rules (written and unwritten) and treat all the stakeholders in the Internet Searching Process with respect and empathy, and make sure that nothing you do is harmful to any of the stake-holders. In short, treat them as you would want to be treated. “Do unto others” etc.

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This entry was posted on Saturday, November 14th, 2009 at 5:01 am and is filed under Online Business, Promotion and Marketing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.