September 6th, 2010 by Susie

Some people would have you believe that search engine optimization companies come in just two categories. They contend that there are black hat firms and white hat firms, with only the latter implementing responsible strategies. This argument neglects to mention grey hat techniques which are those that are operating in areas of unethical uncertainty. However, those who make the simplistic categorisation sometimes have an agenda of their own. They may be pushing their own SEO services. In their urge to big up their brand, they do not always provide detailed information which is of use to those looking to distinguish between companies.

At Searchengineoptimization.co.uk we do maintain that the division between black hat and white hat techniques matters, but we are well aware of the complexity of the reality of the ‘search world.’ The reason that an ethical approach is pursued on behalf of our clients is a pragmatic results-focused one.

Any blog which is featured on a SEO company site may be accused of not being utterly free from bias, but it is only right to strive for impartiality. A site owner will usually benefit from using the services of an outfit which does not contravene the guidelines of Google and the other major search engines. The adoption of black hat methods can yield positive results in the short term, but they can easily incur search engine penalties. In addition, users who get on to a site which has had its prominence raised by unethical means are typically unimpressed by it and often leave it quickly. Thus most online firms do best if the campaigns which are conducted on their behalf are of an ethical nature.

However, selecting an appropriate SEO firm should involve looking at criteria which are not based on the black hat white hat dichotomy, important though that may be. For example, it is vital to obtain the services of a firm which has a large amount of experience and expertise. Scrutiny of their site should help inform you whether or not this is the case. Furthermore, it is vital to check whether or not a firm treats every site the same. For the provision of high quality optimization, it is always necessary to assess a site and apply improvements based on regarding the site in terms of its unique features. Those firms who lazily adopt ‘a one size fits all’ approach often produce disappointing results. What works for an ecommerce site may not work as well for a site which offers specialist services. Equally, some sites require adapting to emergent realities like mobile search, while others do not.

If a firm has dedicated account managers to look after various sites it is likely to be viewing the problem in the correct perspective. Some sites require a campaign at different stages in their development. The specific features of the site and its current position in the search engine results pages should be taken into account when the SEO plan is being devised. It is sometimes a good idea to contact a SEO firm to explore some of the basic issues before signing a contract.

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