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SEO Is Unethical

Discussion in 'Search Engine Optimization' started by karan.labra, Jan 12, 2010.

  1. Revelations-Decoder

    Revelations-Decoder Well-Known Member

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    #41
    I am just posting this post so I can reread this tomorrow as I want to take another look and analyse CDarklock and Jim4767's anologies so I don't make a total tit out of myself (Though I am good at doing that to!).

    Back on this when I can!
     
    Revelations-Decoder, Jan 13, 2010 IP
  2. w3bmaster

    w3bmaster Notable Member

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    #42
    Well some crappy sites get inn top but mostly ionly the good sites get in top and its not UNETHICAL ...
     
    w3bmaster, Jan 13, 2010 IP
  3. Jim4767

    Jim4767 Prominent Member

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    #43
    Here it is, from their own mouth: "Not all paid links violate our guidelines. Buying and selling links is a normal part of the economy of the web when done for advertising purposes, and not for manipulation of search results." http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=66736

    If you are securing links "for advertising purposes" — in other words, for traffic, not to game the rankings — that is just fine with Google.
     
    Jim4767, Jan 13, 2010 IP
  4. CDarklock

    CDarklock Peon

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    #44
    In other words, if you're not buying links for SEO... like it says in the title... ;)

    It's the SEO part that gets in the way and impacts the ethics.
     
    CDarklock, Jan 13, 2010 IP
  5. wormy

    wormy Active Member

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    #45
    People also build backlinks in order to get traffic. If a site had no backlinks it wouldn't get clicks either so should all sites stop fishing for traffic just because of this being a dubious practice in the SEO world? :eek:
     
    wormy, Jan 13, 2010 IP
  6. dpmaster72

    dpmaster72 Peon

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    #46
    My thinking is all SEO techniques, ON page or off page are unethical.
     
    dpmaster72, Jan 13, 2010 IP
  7. CDarklock

    CDarklock Peon

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    #47
    It's all about how you do it.

    You are SUPPOSED to get links from OTHER PEOPLE who simply LIKE YOUR CONTENT, and decide to VOLUNTARILY place your link on THEIR SITE.

    It is at best impolite, and at worst illegal, to put up links to your own site.

    Of course, that's a little outmoded. We all self-promote a lot more than was common even just five or ten years ago, and we're kind of okay with that. So what used to be improper is simply accepted... but there's still a line.
     
    CDarklock, Jan 13, 2010 IP
  8. Revelations-Decoder

    Revelations-Decoder Well-Known Member

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    #48
    You are obviously living in Cloud Cuckoo Land then my friend - I would suggest you might have many things to learn and might try going back to the drawing board if you believe "all SEO techniques on or off page are unethical" as your best friend is likely to be big ears last hearing aid supplier who has been kicked out of noddy land!
     
    Revelations-Decoder, Jan 13, 2010 IP
  9. Traffic-Bug

    Traffic-Bug Active Member

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    #49
    even without the search engines disclosing how they calculate rankings, people will surmise about it and come up with an algorithm of their own - like seomoz did.
     
    Traffic-Bug, Jan 13, 2010 IP
  10. rubeina

    rubeina Invisible Staff Affiliate Manager

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    #50
    Ok, next time you post don't forget to mention that you are an expert spammer! :)
     
    rubeina, Jan 13, 2010 IP
    karan.labra likes this.
  11. ms.g

    ms.g Peon

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    #51
    I think people know here the difference between a vandalism and an advertisement. A comment in your blog like "Buy now cialis, viagra, tadalafil, safe, affordable. http://www.stupidlinkhere.com/?" is obviously a work of a vandal and therefore, an unethical way of advertising your products. If you would like your products be posted in that blog, you may anytime ask the blog owner for an advertising spot and pay a fee. There's permission, there's agreement and meeting of the minds; oftentimes, this is lacking in SEO.
     
    ms.g, Jan 13, 2010 IP
  12. lightless

    lightless Notable Member

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    #52
    Everything is unethical or not, depending on who makes the ethics.
     
    lightless, Jan 14, 2010 IP
    karan.labra and johneva like this.
  13. drahmedgalal

    drahmedgalal Peon

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    #53
    what you offer in your website is the most important factor. how you promote it it is governed by search engine rules and what the others do. i can say that the first one who used link building is guilty but all the followers have no chance without doing link building.(i really wish if google change the importance of link building as this making me creating contents and publish it on other websites to get links instead of publishing it to my website)
     
    drahmedgalal, Jan 14, 2010 IP
  14. Canonical

    Canonical Well-Known Member

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    #54
    There is a HUGE difference in comment spamming and SEO. No self respecting SEO would even bother with comment spamming as a link building technique and 99% of the links you get are nofollowed and therefore worthless from an SEO perspective. It's rookies that use crappy link building techniques like this and "claim" to be SEO experts that give the business a bad name.

    There is nothing unethical about white hat or even gray hat SEO. As long as you play by the TOS of the various search engines, there is nothing unethical about SEO. And good SEO doesn't just think about always doing what is going to help them rank... They balance SEO and usability... And when a choice comes down to doing what's best for the user and what is best for rankings, a good SEO will always take the side of usability.

    But most of the time, you can do both... you can find a solution that is both good for the user AND good for your rankings. Being cognizant of SEO when designing usable web pages is NOT unethical. These types of choices are faced by EVERY industry, not just the online community.

    There are likely LOTS of ugly car designs that could save gas, put out less pollution, etc. but if you produce something that no one wants to buy then did you really save gas, reduce pollution, etc? NO!

    Similarly, if you're dumb enough to NOT consider SEO when you are developing a web site to increase revenue for your business via natural search then it won't matter even if you build the GREATEST site ever built. If no one can find your pages in the SERPs then you have failed in your mission to increase revenue for your business via the natural search.

    When a tree falls deep in the woods and no one hears it, did it really fall? No one noticed...
     
    Canonical, Jan 14, 2010 IP
  15. Fayder

    Fayder Peon

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    #55
    I don't think it is unethical in the slightest. I do agree that if your website to derserves to be enar the top then it will, but your appearance ranking in a search engine search will be very low to begin with, and nobody would ever know your site existed. Surely helping the situation along a little wouldn't harm anyone, anybody with a bit of savvy and who has spent months optimizing their site should be rewarded also.
     
    Fayder, Jan 14, 2010 IP
  16. trafford

    trafford Peon

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    #56
    Brother SEO is just about making your site easy crawlable and better listing on SERPS. If someone do spamming then it is their fault. Even Google provide information for SEOs because they also want a better crawlable site. If you haven't read Google Engineer Matt Cutt blog then read it which is all about SEO. There are many issues that we have to consider for better SERPS such as duplicate content, a good title etc which is not spamming. There is always a Good side and Bad side for every thing. Just look for a good side. Hope you will understand my point of view.
     
    trafford, Jan 14, 2010 IP
  17. cheburashka

    cheburashka Peon

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    #57
    I don't think SEO is unethical, if it's done right. There are a lot of shady characters out there who game the system and ruin it for others that are in it to play by the rules.
     
    cheburashka, Jan 14, 2010 IP
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  18. pandorasbox

    pandorasbox Active Member

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    #58
    SEO = Unethical
    Competitive Advantage = Unethical
    Doing Business at all = Unethical

    This has got to become the new slogan for 2010.
     
    pandorasbox, Jan 14, 2010 IP
  19. simpseo

    simpseo Active Member

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    #59
    I actually don't care whether SEO is ethical or not, although I choose not to use methods which cause a nuisance or upset to other people.

    All I really care about when doing SEO is whether what I am doing is effective, whether it is worth the time and effort, and if it is grey hat I consider whether the risks are worth taking.
     
    simpseo, Jan 14, 2010 IP
    karan.labra likes this.
  20. myp

    myp Well-Known Member

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    #60
    Well put- I just disagree about one part. The spamming being used only be rookies. Ever heard of xrumer- the forum spam software? A lot of big blackhat people use it and they are far from rookies- they just do whatever they want though. Unfortunately it is forum owners such as myself who then have to fight off such spam, but it is certainly not done by rookies.
     
    myp, Jan 14, 2010 IP