Today I have decided to rant about something that has been bugging me for quite sometime — SEO companies/consultants that have drifted to the dark side.

The idea behind SEO is to gain a high ranking in search engines for desired keywords. SEO sidesteps paid advertisements (PPC, banner ads, etc.) by organically, naturally placing a site at the top of Search Engine Result Pages (SERPS) which will gain exposure, boost website traffic and ultimately increase revenue. But the question is: How “organic” are most SEO campaigns in reality? This, my friends, is where I have a problem.

A large number of SEO firms engage in practices that are, unfortunately, in direct conflict with core SEO principles. Backlinks are built via paid sources, and are purchased for one’s benefit. As a true practioner of SEO, this goes against my beliefs. What happened to the cool factor? Having people *want* to link back to your site. In essence, I look at purchasing links and engaging in sketchy link exchanges as “false SEO.” Or, paid advertisements that are hiding behind a long black SEO veil. Yes, of course, a paid listing such as a distributed press release, Yahoo directory inclusion, etc. are okay, but above and beyond those types of engagements I give slaps on the wrist.

Moral of the story: Focus on building unique, helpful, catchy content that relates to one’s business and utilize social media marketing mediums. If you are searching for an SEO company be sure to quiz prospects on their SEO practices and ensure they are looking out for your best interests.

Aaron Schoenberger
The Brainchild Group