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Google states its position on website search engine optimisation

We take a look at Google's guidelines on search engine optimisation (SEO) and their warnings about practices that could actually damage your site's search engine results.
Getting traffic to your website can be done in many ways. Paper-based options such as advertising and direct mail shouldn't be ignored. But many organisations find that search engine optimisation is one of the most cost-effective ways to increase traffic.
As a provider of SEO - the techniques that increase the position in which websites appear on search engine results pages - Titman Firth naturally take a keen interest in what the search engines themselves say on the subject. We were therefore interested to see that Google, the search engine used by more people than any other, has produced some useful information on what SEO practices should be avoided.

SEO companies might offer a number of services, including writing copy that includes the 'key words' that people type into search engines, configuring sites to earn good search engine rankings and so on. But Google - and other search engines - are concerned about those companies who deliberately try to use unfair methods to influence search results.

 

Google have even gone as far as presenting a few tips to help companies distinguish between SEO companies that will improve your site and ones that, in Google's words, 'will only improve your chances of being dropped from search engine results altogether'.

Google's tips include:

Be wary of SEO firms that send you email out of the blue

Google report that even they received a spam email telling them that their website 'is not listed in most of the major search engines and directories'! Google suggest that everyone should be skeptical of unsolicited emails like these.

No one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google

As Google point out, SEO companies claiming to guarantee rankings cannot be believed. Nor do any such companies have a 'special relationship' with Google. And no SEO company can 'priority submit' sites to Google. In fact, anyone can submit a site directly to Google's index and use the new facility in which Google assesses your site to see if they are having any problems accessing it. These facilities are both freely available through the webmaster area of Google's public site

Be wary of SEO firms that send you email out of the blue

If you receive a letter claiming to offer the continuation of your domain name registration, you should contact whoever currently deals with your domain name. In most cases this will be whoever created and maintains your website. They will be able to confirm whether the letter you have received is genuinely connected to your current registration.

Be careful if a company won't clearly explain what they intend to do

Google point out that some SEO companies are unclear about what they do. They also warn that if an SEO company creates deceptive or misleading content on your behalf your site could be removed entirely from Google's index.

Never link to an SEO company

As Google suggest, you should steer clear of SEO companies that mention link popularity schemes, or submitting your site to thousands of search engines. Google say: 'These are typically useless exercises that don't affect your ranking in the results of the major search engines - at least, not in a way you would likely consider to be positive.'

Understand where the money goes

Although Google never sells better ranking in its search results, some other search engines do offer this along with their pay-per-click or pay-for-inclusion results. The trouble is that some SEO companies promise to rank you highly in search engines, but place you in the advertising section rather than in the search results. Google suggest: 'Be sure to ask any SEO company you're considering which fees go toward permanent inclusion and which apply toward temporary advertising.'

Avoid 'doorway' pages

These are pages loaded with keywords that are placed on your site, with the promise that this will make the page more relevant for more queries. This is in fact false, but even worse these pages might also contain hidden links to the SEO company's other clients.
Unfortunately, as is so often the case in business today, buyers need to be wary of any supplier making amazing claims about their service. And with something as important as attracting visitors to your website it's especially vital that any SEO activity on your site is done in a technically proficient and ethical way.

SEO from Titman Firth

Naturally you'd expect us to say that Titman Firth's SEO service steers clear of the practices that Google warns of. But we stand by our track record of working with our website customers to achieve good search engine rankings through the use of fair methods. Using only ethical methods we have achieved startling results enabling many of our clients to achieve a greater return on investment, with increased turnover and profitability. This same service is now also available as a standalone service to people for whom we have not built a site. Please get in touch if you would like to discuss SEO options for your site.
© Titman Firth 2006