April 17th, 2010 by Nick

The discourse of best practice has been in circulation for some time. It is applicable to several fields of activity. It generally refers to established ways of working which have a positive track record, but can sometimes be used to describe more code-like standards which should be maintained. The concept of best practice can be criticised by pedants, because there is always scope for improvement. Regardless of this quibble, it is perhaps worth investigating whether or not the notion is really suitable for using in relation to SEO.

It could be argued that there is a persuasive case for using the concept of best practice in relation to search engine optimization. Advocates of this approach could maintain that this is because the SEO industry would do well to improve its image by always adhering to high standards of ethical behaviour. Implementing best practice, for these individuals, would mean the shunning of activities which threaten the reputation of the sector. The real difficulties in separating the ‘bad’ from the ‘good,’ the genuine problems associated with the lack of rule clarity from the major search engines, would be swept aside. The practicalities of enforcing or encouraging the universal adoption of unambiguous white hat behaviour would require significant elaboration.

Arguably the major problem with understanding best practice in this way is that there could well be powerful incentives for an SEO company to depart from best practice in regard to a site. Another issue is that of definition and establishing consensus. Among the SEO community, there are individuals who would be unlikely to conform to a best practice code. They are always looking for ways to steal a march on the competition. Therefore the idea of rolling out best practice of this type across national boundaries to most, if not all, SEO professionals appears to be wrongheaded idealism.

Best practice in SEO terms could, however, be understood differently. Best practice could be interpreted as meaning what is best for a site which is not likely to incur a search engine penalty. This interpretation basically adds considerable (and much needed) flexibility to the concept. It corresponds to a realistic perspective of human nature. Human nature may be malleable, but the history of the practices in SEO services helps underline how naive assumptions are normally misguided. It condemns some black hat techniques on the basis of their lack of sustained effectiveness. Pragmatism replaces moralising. The existence of grey hat areas of uncertainty is tacitly acknowledged.

It is not only in its philosophical realism that the second interpretation scores highly. It is much more workable in practical terms. Not only does it not demand a revolution in the way SEO professionals perform their trade, but it also seems to work with the market forces involved. Market forces, in conjunction with activity from the major search engines, should mean that the darkest black hat techniques only enjoy temporary success. When a firm regularly engages in the darker arts of SEO, it is likely to forfeit its position in the market as its sites suffer in the search engine ranking pages.

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