(SEO) Technology

Site 'A' is well written, content-rich, and exceptionally relevant for search keyword 'W'. Site 'B' is not as well written, not as content-rich, and is considered not as relevant. Site 'B' implements Search Engine Optimization (SEO) technology and a few borderline spam tricks and suddenly site 'B' outranks site 'A' for search 'W'. What this does is to lower the surfer satisfaction with the relevancy of the results from that search engine, certainly hurts the "user experience", and slaps the face of those working at the search engine company responsible for seeing that surfers actually see relevant content and are happy.

Is it any wonder that the search engines are tightening down on the "spam" rules? It is one matter to improve the quality, presentation, and general use of keyword phrases on a web page, and an entirely different matter to trick the engines into higher rankings without editing the site content.

It is clearly the position of the search engines that the role of the SEO practitioner is to improve the quality, quantity, clarity, and value of readily accessed content so that the search engines can select worthy sites based upon their proprietary relevancy factors. The SEO practitioner should help the search engines by making the sites more relevant and making relevant information clear and easy to access, and not by using spam techniques to artificially inflate the perceived relevancy of inferior sites. Don't disguise an inferior site - fix it. Don't make site 'B' appear to be more relevant than site 'A', actually make it more relevant.

While some search engines allow and reward off-page SEO technologies, such action is going to be short lived and of diminishing and exceptionally marginal benefit. Pages that are informative and contribute to the content, usability, and even the spiderability of any site will be increasingly rewarded and are the future of SEO.

For too long many SEO practitioners were involved in an "arms race", inventing more and more devious technology to trick the search engines and beat our competitors. With the aggressive anti-spam programs now emerging, the news is out -- if you want to get rankings for your clients you have to play well within the rules. And those rules are absolutely "no tricks allowed".

Simply put, work on honest relevancy and win. All others will fade away.

Another email from my friend Jerry!

Jerry if you happen to be passing through, you have a great day mate!