SEO Company Ethics

Conducting oneself in an ethical manner while doing SEO business, or any business or personal matter really, is a simple topic that does not warrant much discussion; or so I thought.  Now this discussion will focus on SEO ethics so let me provide a few over simplified definitions before I start.

You may or may not have heard of Black Hat, White Hat and Grey Hat SEO tactics/strategies.  Those categories are really based on rules; breaking or upholding them.  There are search engine rules and expectations applicable to the use of the search engines (Google, Yahoo, Bing…) for ranking or even advertising websites.  Follow the rules and you’re golden!  Break the rules, get caught and you will suffer some sort of consequence; your site being penalized for example.  Well here are the definitions of which I spoke:

1. Black Hat SEO: Breaking the rules to have your website ranked higher on the search engine results page.  Extremely quick results and high risk.  Black hatters are usually not concerned about longevity and will do things such as keyword stuffing;
   
   
2. White Hat SEO: Following the rules to rank your website.  Slower results typically, but less risk.  White hatters want lasting results and are more concerned about proper use of keywords, relevant content and natural link building; and
   
   
3. Grey Hat SEO: Not breaking all rules and obviously not following all rules either.  It’s somewhat of a middle ground where everything – risk and reward – is in the middle somewhere.
   
   

Which Type of SEO to Employ

I came across an article where the author stated that whichever “hat” you wear is dependent on what your customer is willing to do and the competitiveness of the keywords.  NO!!  I say again NO!!  Which “hat” you wear is totally dependent on you and what defines you as a person.  It is a factor of what you think is ethically right or wrong and what YOU are willing to do to either make a buck or stand firm in your beliefs.

You always have the option of not working with those clients who you consider to be “shady”.  A client cannot force you to do unscrupulous things.  So, choose your clients.  That is essentially why I don’t understand why the discussions are so protracted.  What it boils down to is that most people will do whatever it takes to ensure their benefit; regardless of the consequences to others.  They will say the right things but when things get tough they cave and do what’s best for them.

Ideally, everyone should play by the rules and keep the playing field level.  However, many can’t do that and many others still, will discard their ethics to keep up with the cheaters and only a few will stand firm and stick to their beliefs and morals.

Which Type are you?

Be truthful with yourself.  If you are a Black Hatter then you should be proud of that and tell everyone because you are working within your belief system; but that will not happen will it?  They do not want to get caught and suffer the consequences. 

As I mentioned before, there are rules to follow or not.  Follow the rules and reap the rewards.  I consider myself a White Hatter.  I follow the rules and do not intentionally break them.  If there are loopholes I will exploit them because I am still working within the rules.  If the search engine masters decide to close the loop holes then I adjust.  In the city of Ottawa SEO company mission category my view on company missions and ethics stand out.

Every System is not Perfect

As I mentioned before some rules will have loopholes or just evolve over time and one will need to adjust.  Even still, there will still be violators who will break the rules and not get caught.  You may even know some of them.  That does not mean that you too need to break the rules to stay in the game.  Do not let the actions of others dictate your ethics!  That is a hard thing to do!  Stay true to yourself and your client.  Work within the system.  Yeah I know, easier said than done when you’re not winning and the guy on steroids is cleaning up on the podium.  It’s a personal choice.

Basic Ethical things to Consider

Here are some basic ethical thoughts to consider when doing business:

1. Work within the rules:  Getting repetitious here but, follow the rules and you are no longer focussed on not getting caught and the what-ifs when your/client’s site gets penalized and dropped, and the client-conflicts and loss revenue that follows.  You will have to work harder or differently to achieve your goal;
   
   
2. Do not misrepresent yourself or your work: Don’t claim to be someone that you’re not.  Don’t claim credit for work you didn’t do.  Don’t misrepresent client products/services.
   
   
3. Always provide value to your clients: Ensure the services you provide are of value to your clients and the SEO cost derived is fair.
   
   
4. Maintain client confidentiality:  Keep whatever transpires between you and your client in strict confidence.
   
   
5. Do not put yourself in a conflict of interest situation:  Don’t represent a client and his/her competitor at the same time.  Reasons are obvious.
   
   
6. Do no harm to your client:  Everything you do should be for the benefit of the client to increase his/her website ranking, customer base, revenue and return on investment.
   
   

That’s my view.  Everyone will not behave ethically especially when things start to go wrong.  It’s easy to do the right thing or talk about doing the right thing when you don’t really have to make the choice.  When things change and you have to make a decision on whether or not you, your ethics or your client survives, then you’ll find out who you are and just how strong your moral and ethical foundations are.

To paraphrase a quote, the true measure of a man is not found in times of comfort and convenience but in times of controversy and conflict.