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Search Engine Optimization and Google Ethics
A recent thread at Webmasterworld takes a look at the issue of SEO, Ethics, and Google. The premise of the original post in the thread states that many webmasters are now defining 'acceptable behaviour' and 'ethical SEO' in terms of the party lines thrown out by Google via their 'official outlets' such as the various Google Groups, Matt Cutts' blog, etc.
To a certain extent, the original poster has recognized a valid and growing trend in webmasters - there is no doubt that many are now speaking the Google party line. After all, why shouldn't they? As the largest search engine, Google has virtual life-or-death control over what sites are popular and which are not. A penalty imposed by Google for not meeting their guidelines is a death knell for a site, often condemning it to a state of limbo.
We are in a situation where Google has become the unofficial regulatory body for the Internet. As a webmaster and a professional Search Engine Optimization consultant, it is certainly within my best interests and that of my clients to do what Google says, just sit down and obey. And of course I will - we all have to. But how can this situation be made right?
Google, as a private company, has an unmatched control over the Internet, certainly greater than any other corporation or government. There is no one to hold them accountable for their actions, and they are free to now make rules arbitrarily in their best corporate interests. To some extent, they are free to use the Internet as they wish to maximize their growth and profits while at the same time making conditions as untenable as possible for their competitors.
Nobody can question that some of the recent, Google-imposed rules are arbitrary. For example, Google wants all paid links, or links created by users to bear the rel="nofollow" tag. At the same time, they feel quite cavalier over using regular, full strength links on their own properties. See this post for some examples.
With Google's unprecedented control over the Internet, is it perhaps time that we see some sort of public control over the company? While I am unsure that increased government regulation is the way to handle this, some methods must be found to make Google more accountable to those who must work within their rules. After all, what's to stop them from doing something really crazy?
Comments
Google Says, Everyone Obeys
Is Google unstoppable? Many would say the answer to that question is "yes." However, Google is subject to local laws and they must be careful not to overstep a hard-to-define boundary, namely becoming a monopoly.
Should Google end up controlling the entire internet (which is possible), anti-trust regulators could step in.
In the meantime, we need to follow what Google says. *Sigh*
Google's monopoly
For all practical purposes, Google has a monopoly on information. Everyone uses Google to find information on the Internet; if your website isn't on the first or second page of Google, then you might as well not even exist. It's very scary, but it's the truth.
It's difficult have a
It's difficult have a discussion about this aspect because rules and ethics change fast with Google. What's ethical today can be unethical tomorrow. Yes, Google has the power to make the rules, the better we comply to those rules the more positive results our optimization efforts will have.
Google is what we've made it
Google is what we've made it in a sense. If people stop relying on Google so much they won't have the clout that they do. Its just that there really isn't anyone that competes with Google for good SERPs. I do use other search engines on occasion, but more often than not, I use google. I don't agree with all of the guidelines they make, and I strongly disagree with some of them, but the bottom line is that they have the most relevant search results.
They also have a lot of really great tools, like maps and Google earth. For me it's kind of a love-hate relationship, but google would have to do something super evil for me to stop using it, or there would have to be a really worthy second choice.
Nobody can question that
Nobody can question that some of the recent, Google-imposed rules are arbitrary. For example, Google wants all paid links, or links created by users to bear the rel="nofollow" tag. At the same time, they feel quite cavalier over using regular, full strength links on their own properties. See this post for some examples.
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