Description Of Ethical And Unethical S E O Methods And Practices Used By Modern Companies

Posted by Online Reputation Handbook

November 13, 2009

Search Engine Optimization or SEO relates to how a target audience searches for information, goods and services online. Every search is broken down into keywords. Sufficiently used keywords increase rankings. If a website uses keywords and phrases that match an online user’s search, a firm has an increased chance of better targeting their audience.

There are different methods of Online Marketing to accomplish this, they are ‘honest’ (ethical) or ‘dishonest’ (unethical). The chief difference between the two is quite straightforward: one follows usually accepted methods and the other does not.

Ethical SEO is often referred to as ‘white hat’ and is generally used to explain the use of trusted search engine optimisation techniques or code of conduct. Ethical SEO techniques are generally classed as those that can be clearly visible to a website visitor. Any consealed tricks are usually indicative of a unseen or unethical approach.

In contrast, unethical SEO is mainly referred to as ‘black hat’ or ‘spam’. Unethical SEO is not necessarily an illegal activity, but is seen as trying to cheat the searches and the search engines. These techniques and practices are viewed as calculating and devious. Unethical SEO is about cutting corners and cheating the accepted code of conduct for webmasters. Unethical SEO has one fundamental goal, to achieve instant or short-term Search Engine Placement or high page listing. A good way for an online user to almost immediately recognise unethical SEO practices is to determine the number of links a website uses, as well as their quality.

Unethical SEO practices and online marketing are not typically noticeable to a visitor. A SEO Company who uses unethical techniques in order to achieve high search engine placement by ‘tricking’ the market can be banned or black listed from all major search engines.

The following SEO practices and techniques are considered ethical:

• Alternative links for separate website pages can be created
• Keywords and content that are used is information that is relevant to the website visitor
• Inbound links (links within a website) can be incorporated. These can be useful if Online Marketing is used through a social media website.
• Websites can be updated regularly with relevant information. These can take the form of press releases, articles and blogs.
• Keeping up to date with the kinds of keywords a target audience is always using. This way, keywords within content are built to cater for a customer or client, getting better rankings, as well as giving a website more credibility. Using keywords properly and sufficiently encourages a target audience to regard and remember a website as being reliable for the information that they seek, and using an established Search Engine Optimization Company ensures these keywords are up to date.
• Links are not exchanged with other website of a low quality or containing information that is not pertinent to a targeted audience.
• Adding a sitemap to a website that can be straightforwardly found by search engine spiders and helps to better index the whole site.

The following SEO methods and techniques are considered unethical:

• Text is unseen – eg. white text is ‘hidden’ on a white background, text can be ‘hidden’ behind images or a size zero font can be used.
• Links are unseen or made to appear less obvious to a website visitor – eg. links can be made into the same font colour as the main content.
• Making use of automated queries without the permission from search engines.
• Too many keywords and hidden text are used on a website. This is known as keyword stuffing. Online users are typically not appreciative of this.
• Javascript re-directs can be used whereby search engines are lead to a web page that is different from the one that is expected.
• Using duplicated content.
• Trading links - many websites have a practice of trading links. This can be very misleading and troublesome to an online user.
• Creating false doorway passages to direct users to other websites that may contain unrelated content or a collection of more links.

Online Business, Promotion and Marketing