Reposted Article from Gazette Issue #205

One of the most misunderstood industries on The Internet is that of Search Engine Optimization (SEO). It's complete voodoo to most webmasters, and even to the self proclaimed experts. SEOs spend their days and nights trying to figure out strategies to achieve high results in the search engines ... by learning how the search engines work, and then designing and coding pages that are "Search Engine Friendly", to increase the likelihood that on the next "big crawl", the Web site will be well represented near the top of the search results for specifically targeted keywords.

There's been lots and lots of talk, about the adoption of an agreed upon Standard of Ethics for SEOs to follow. With the search engines themselves changing their algorithm and techniques daily, it's nearly impossible to define a rigid set of standards. What is allowed today may not be tomorrow, and similarly, a technique that will get you banned today, might be perfectly "legal" the next. In such an environment, can there actually be a hard and fast rule set laid out, that "ethical" SEO's can follow?

First, I think we have to define what is an "Ethical SEO", and secondly, what, if any standards can be legitimately asked of an SEO Firm or Individual to follow. In my opinion, ethics in SEO take on 2 different tracks. First, as an SEO, you have an ethical obligation to be honest and above board with your clients. If you're going to promise something, deliver. If you're getting paid, deliver on what you've been paid to do. If you fail, ethically you should be required to refund monies earned under any "guarantee". If you're going to use "tactics" that might possibly achieve your goal or guarantee that may have the undesired result of your client becoming banned from the search engines, you must ethically disclose that possibility to your client, and allow them to opt-out of your service, with no financial obligation. The second ethical track that an SEO must travel is that of what is "ethical practice" to achieve results. Again, since there are no etched in stone regulations, or consistency between the search engines, this is next to impossible. What we can do, perhaps, is begin with a set of basics ... things that we know the search engines will not allow or tolerate, and build and modify that list as FACTS become evident. An SEO whose business is driven by their desire to "achieve results ethically" and therefore "do right" by their clients should agree, voluntarily to follow these guidelines. Ultimately, it's up to the clients to decide which SEO firm and tactics are right for them.

Thus far, there's been no formally adopted model for ethical SEO. There have been various articles and discussions about the topic, and even a few organizations that have been formed to (perhaps) try and do this (SEMPO, for one). Is it time that we get together and put up a basic set of guidelines, and have SEOs that are "on board" with the concept agree to them ... or is this the type of industry that's simply not able to be regulated, even by a self-governing system?

Bruce Clay's SEO Code of Web Ethics Proposal: http://www.bruceclay.com/web_ethics.htm

Good link John. Nice to see Bruce building more content there - an example to us all...

Review our own seo Code of Ethics thread here

Some threads in other forums currently pertaining to our topic could be:
spider food -engine-spam.com &
ihelpyou-Bruce Clay LLC - ???

There is some excellent food for thought in these threads and I suggest we look at that and any other resources that members might suggest and come back to help nut out what we think as a community would be acceptable as a code that we could wear, labled & backed by a community that has always been forthcoming in coming forward

[ Message was edited by: excell 09/30/2003 09:56 am ]

Ethics: Guidelines for effective self-interest. "I should always do what is in my best long-term self-interest. Sometimes, though, that's not always easy to rationally determine because of the many unknowns I face. Ethics provides a framework upon which to base my decisions. When I don't know what to do, I can fall back on a set of 'rules' that have proven to work far more often than not."

Quote - Ron C

It's a good idea, good to see the discussion.