SEO Tycoon

**zilch2k** · 05-28-2006, 09:41 AM

I would like to hear what you think is ethically/morally right and wrong when it comes to SEO?
And are there any ethical principles you think should be followed when someone do SEO?

**chrishirst** · 05-28-2006, 12:11 PM

Quote:

And are there any ethical principles you think should be followed when someone do SEO

Just your own.

Quote:

I would like to hear what you think is ethically/morally right and wrong when it comes to SEO

Personally, To avoid intentionally doing anything that could potentially cause problems for a clients site.

**vangogh** · 11:36 PM

I agree with Chris. I'll expand on what Chris said a little by saying that as long as you let a client clearly know what the risks are with any tactic then it's ethical.

I'm rather conservative when it comes to what I'll do on my own site since I see all those tactics that cross into the blackhat side of seo as an endless game of trying to trick the search engines only to eventually get caught and have to find a new way to trick them.

I think those tactics can lead to quick though temporary results. I think in the end playing it safe will lead to the same if not more traffic without the worry of seeing all your work disappear overnight after any algorithm change.

**rehash** · 06-03-2006, 09:15 AM

I think anything which raise your traffic without getting you banned could be good for you

**ADAM Web Design** · 06-03-2006, 02:17 PM

I tend to agree with vangogh. Search engines are staffed by tens of thousands of people. I'm one guy. If I go blackhat and try to cheat, I'm outnumbered by 5 digits in terms of manpower. So even if I do win in the short run, I'm screwed in the long run.

Basically, I have one prevailing rule that breaks off into a series of smaller rules:

SEO should be an extension of good web design, not a replacement for it.

In other words, if an SEO tactic is used that interferes with the overall user experience in any way, shape, or form, that's a bad tactic.

Good copywriting, good coding, good layout, building a site people will want to visit...that's what good SEO is about to me.

**vangogh** · 06-03-2006, 04:00 PM

I agree. I see seo, and web design, and web development, and business goals, etc all tied together. I' not going to try something just to get more traffic if it doesn't fit in with everything else. I think the goal is to get all the different parts working together so the whole becomes something greater than simply the sum of all parts.

**Harvey** · 06-03-2006, 04:54 PM

Well, I wouldn't say it as ethically right to pretend to be a millionaire and ask people to click the ads, pretending they're articles.

As for SEO, just don't do anything the search engines wouldn't "want" you to do and you won't get penalised.

**vangogh** · 06-03-2006, 08:35 PM

That site reads just like an infomercial.