Ethical Search Engine Optimisation - An Analysis of Deductive Reasoning

The topic of Ethical Search Engine Optimisation is as old as the design of Search Engine Spiders themselves. This results from FIVE key reasons.

1/ The need for Computer Users to find exactly what they need, when they need it.

2/ The need for Search Engines to index appropriate, relevant information without missing out critical yet difficult to classify topics.

3/ The competitive struggle for market share in all Open Economies.

4/ The inevitable propaganda rendering impartial market analysis extremely complicated and biased.

5/ The rapid advances in both computer processing power and the amount of data available to be indexed due to mass use of the P.C. (or Mac!)

In order to get these points across, I will present each one in a succinct paragraph, using as few words as possible:

One:

Time-Sensitive lifestyles oblige Internautes to carefully schedule daily activities. As a result, corporate web-surfers need the certitude that any S.E.O. consultant they use will adhere to ethical values in line with those recommended, for instance, by Google's Terms and Conditions.

Two:

Using a search engine today is very similar to using a library 50 years ago. One expects a certain title to be on a certain shelf. In the past, librarians and bookshops were one of the few trusted sources for retrieving stored information. Nowadays, search engines must be able to provide a similar service, with the added difficulty of filtering - and destroying - irrelevant or 'discarded' materials. Careful indexing is therefore critical to satisfy a computer users information needs, so search engine spiders can provide a near-instantaneous service. This can only be achieved by ever evolving algorithms which are kept out of the public eye by necessity. And upon which speculation is a source of much pointless propaganda.

Three:

The basic laws of operational economics in capitalist markets dictate that that competitive rivalry will exist and the strongest will survive only for as long as they are fed by the weakest. Fortunately, the weak are usually the humble and sinister predators rarely survive for longer than a decade.

Four:

Due to the general nature of the internet and the 'niche' search engine market in particular, it is obvious that a spammy consultant from Malaysia trying to prise away Italian blue-chip accounts from Milanese SEO consultants will have limited success. Simply put, proximity is the key - even when online! Like most businesses, Multinationals do what they do best, like providing secure bank accounts or making mass-produced cars. If you live in Malaysia, the best person you could find will most likely be in your own back yard. Of course, if you actually live in Milan, your best choice for an S.E.O. consultant will have his own slice of the local pie - and will more likely drive an Alfa Romeo, not the Ferrari of his Bank Managing Uncle from Palermo!

Five:

Given that Personal Computer operating systems are built upon the knowledge gained from every single error previously made on another, internet-linked computer (within reason, of course) - it is not unreasonable to suppose that the four "Multinational Search Engines" - which shall remain nameless for obvious reasons - are smart enough to weed out the roots and even the seeds of black hat scripts, whether they are forum spam, duplicate RSS content, automated perl scripts, dubious database retrieval indexing systems or worse?

Moral of the Story:

Carefully crafted content and professionally written websites that are optimised to duly reflect your corporate mission statement, company values and market niche; as well as to present an attractive e-commerce window as an image to those seeking further information on your services take time. For such a site to rise in the rankings quickly, technical expertise is essential. And speed is of course, relative.

Steven Thom is an S.E.O. Consultant based in Scotland. His website is at www.steventhom.info