Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Search Engine Marketing (SEM) are two important strategies that can help businesses improve their visibility. (See my SEO/SEM blog for more information) Unfortunately, there are some unethical practices that businesses may use to try and circumvent the system. These tactics can be harmful to both users and search engines, and they can ultimately lead to a business being penalized or even removed from search results.
Why should I avoid unethical tactics?
Unethical, or “black hat”, tactics are against the terms of most search engines. If you’re caught, your website can be penalized or banned from search results.
Here are some of the most common unethical tactics:
Hidden text – adding text to a web page that is hidden from users but visible to the search engines. This is usually text that is the same color as the background or hidden behind images. Often filled with keywords, it can be used to manipulate a web page’s ranking.
Keyword stuffing – overloading a web page with keywords is an attempt to improve your ranking with search engines. It can make the page very difficult for users to understand. If multiple users click off a page quickly, the search engine knows it is low quality and not worth ranking.
Negative SEO – creating fake reviews that put competitors in a negative light or building spam backlinks to their websites.
Buying links – paying other websites to link back to your own website. Considered spam, it can lead to your website being penalized by search engines.
Doorway pages – these are pages, poorly designed, that exist solely to redirect users to other website pages. They create fake traffic, which can improve your ranking in search engines.
Search engines are constantly improving and getting better at detecting these tactics. It can also damage your reputation. Users, and prospective clients, are less likely to trust your site or do business with you. Although these tactics may bring short-term success, they are not effective in the long run.
How JC Penney and BMW were caught
Buying links is what led to JCPenney being buried in Google’s search results back in 2011. The New York Times found that JCPenney had over 2,015 pages with phrases of items they sold, along with links, that bounced directly to JCPenney’s main web page. Most of these pages had nothing to do with JCPenney products, and some were even on abandoned sites (Segal, 2011). Another example of unethical SEO comes from BMW in 2006. They admitted to setting up thousands of doorway pages, which redirected users to their site. This unethical action resulted in Google removing them from search results altogether (Segal, 2011).
What is the difference between ethical and unethical SEO/SEM tactics?
Ethical and unethical practices differ in their approach. Ethical tactics may take longer to see results, but they focus on creating a positive experience for the user, along with valuable content. They are transparent to the user and follow the accepted code of conduct among marketers. Unethical tactics rely on deception and manipulation of both the system and the user. They are used solely to achieve quick results and users can recognize them by the increased number of low-quality links within a site (Optimus, n.d.)
Why should I use ethical tactics…and what are they?
My first reason is simple – to have a clear conscience. We have a code of ethics for everything we do, and SEO/SEM is no exception. The ability to uphold your reputation, play by the rules, and still get results for your business, is more fulfilling than instant gratification. Great Learning sums it up “Ethical SEOs ensure that clients’ and organizational needs are well-taken care of” (Medium, 2019). So what are some ethical ways to experience long-term success?
Adhere to guidelines from search engines. Google, Yahoo, Bing, and others all have a detailed set of rules. These include spam policies and key best practices. Follow them and you won’t end up like JCPenney or BMW did.
Constantly updating websites, blogs, and articles with relevant, unique information provides additional opportunities for search engines to crawl your entire website. A stagnant site or inactive domain will never see an increase in ranking.
Keep your keywords up to date. Understanding what keywords your audience is searching for, and adding them to your content, helps build a credible site that caters to your audience and keeps them coming back.
Add a site map. This addition helps search engine spiders find and index your entire site.
Have an open, honest conversation about expectations. Overpromising often leads to underperformance and a ruined reputation.
Build and/or update links. Relevant, high-quality internal and external links tell search engines there is something of value on that page. Broken links not only upset users, it can affect your search engine ranking.
Provide users with a great experience. Word of mouth travels faster than any other advertising method.
There is a stark contrast between ethical and unethical practices. Unethical SEO and SEM practices are not worth the risk. By embracing ethical strategies, you not only abide by the rules but also cultivate reputations built on trust, integrity, and long-term success in the world of SEO and SEM. Remember, the goal of SEO and SEM is to help users find the information they need. If you focus on that, you will be on the right track.
Reference:
Great Learning. (2019). Ethical SEO. Medium. https://medium.com/my-great-learning/ethical-seo-vs-unethical-seo-44087306e2f0
Optimus. (n.d.). Ethical SEO vs. Unethical SEO. https://optimus01.co.za/ethical-seo-vs-unethical-seo/
Search Engine Land. (n.d.). Chapter 8: Toxins & Search Engine Spam Penalties. https://searchengineland.com/guide/seo/violations-search-engine-spam-penalties
Segal, D. (2011). The dirty little secrets of search. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/13/business/13search.html
Wood, M. (2020). 7 Google SEO rules every marketer should know. Semrush. https://en.semrush.com/blog/7-seo-rules-every-marketer-should-know
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