I frequent a number of search engine optimization forums on a daily basis and the one thing I see more of
than anything else are optimizers who will quickly tell you that this method is evil, or that method is spam, or this other method is cross- linking. The search engines each have their own policy pertaining to these methods, and most are in the form of 'guidelines'. Note the emphasis on the word guidelines, as I want to make it clear what they really are.
A guideline is not a hard and fast rule, it is there to set a basis only. Some engines say to 'avoid' this method or that one, but they do not come right out and say not to use it at all. This is because that while the method is abused by some, it has it's value by legitimate relevant usage. The key word here is relevancy. The search engine care more about the relevancy of their listings than anything else. They want the surfer to find exactly what it is he or she searched for. That is the bottom line. The rest is semantics.
The search engines are not going to penalize you for using what some search engine optimizers will tell you is an evil method, besides actual pure spam, if you are using it to promote relevant search results.
Some Basic Examples
Some optimizers will tell you that you should not link to a restaurant web site from a retail hardware web site, quoting the phrase of, it is not relevant to your web site. However this is not the type of relevancy the search engines care about. The only relevancy that affects their listings is that the link text (anchor text) is relevant to the web site the link points to. These optimizers neglect to tell you that.
Some optimizers will tell you that cross-linking your web sites is the devil's work at play. Again, the search engines only concern is with relevancy. As long as you maintain relevancy in your links, I have yet to see bans or penalization for those reasons. When it does happen, it is generally due to a competitor being able to write a very good report to the search engine and usually includes other factors that contribute. There are forums that share email templates for reporting competitors to the search engines in a well written, professional sounding manner with it's members. The funny part is these forums preach 'ethical' SEO.
In Summary
It is not the methods that are bad. It is the way some people use those methods that makes them bad. But alas, this is not what too many misguided people preach. Be careful who you listen to. It is very easy to be pushed the wrong way by people whose only wish is to impose their morals and thoughts into your thinking.
About the Author:
William Cross has founded a number of internet marketing and search engine related websites for professionals. One of the forums he frequents is the #1 ranked http://www.webworkshop.net/seoforum for 'seo forum' on google.
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