Thus, interests of Internet users are ignored. The quality of search results is not a concern anymore. Search engines are treated as "adversaries" that should be "fought" for rankings, not anymore as a source of quality results and help for Internet users. Such tactics are, in long run, destructive for Internet in whole - as a medium and a part of our cultural life - but nobody cares. At same time, these very search engine marketers will tell you that they "treat their clients ethically", because they "deliver what they promise" (i.e. rankings) and "warn client honestly about risks involved" (i.e. risk of being banned or penalised by search engines and being forced to register another domain and start anew).

One remarkable point: these people hate it when they act as searchers (use search engines to find what they need) and are forced to struggle through someone else's useless spam. They describe their experience with such indignation! But that's point of being really ethical: "treat others as you want to be treated".

In last years, Internet has become very polluted, all due to spammers' efforts. It becomes dangerous to link to other sites, because risk of running into a bad neighbourhood is as high as it has never been before. In an attempt to avoid bad neighbourhoods, honest people will link less, and best part of Net will die of "linklessness", while spammy part will grow.

Who benefits if Net dies?

The answer is: nobody. The Net, this effective and popular medium created to provide people from every corner of civilised world with free and easy access to information, is now turning into a place used by greedy marketers to earn quick and easy money through deception. This is road to nowhere, since when amount of useless rubbish exceeds some reasonable limit, Internet users will get disappointed and start going offline, one by one. Without users, Internet will come to its end, and suicidal tactics of "black hat" SE marketers will bring them what they deserve. But price we all will have to pay will be huge. That's why we say "no" to spam techniques today. Tomorrow, it may be too late.

No interest opposition

An ethical SEO will improve client's site and ensure that in end, all involved parties will benefit. The client will receive a high quality product and improved business through better visibility and conversions; search engines will be treated in a friendly way, and their task of determining what site is really about will be simplified greatly; visitors will enjoy exploring site and making use of information and services it provides; Internet will receive another great, valuable resource.

It's been noticed that when search engine rankings alone are considered "the client's best interest", and scope of work is determined with this approach in mind, end user (site visitors) often becomes neglected. The copy is written with search engines and only search engines in mind (then it will, probably, be cloaked to "hide" "successful" writings from competitors and prevent stealing by another unethical SEO). What visitor will see is treated as least important part of process. As a result, good rankings may well be achieved (not for long: banning from SE indices will happen sooner or later, anyway), but sales remain on same level (or go down).

Is it in your best interest? Are you sure?

Irina, Ponomareva. I joined Magic Web Solutions ltd. (UK), Dartford, Kent, on March 2003. I've been acting as a web master, a developer, and an SEO specialist ever since.