The GreenBUILT Code of Ethics and Best Practices
for Search Optimization Professionals
A primary interest of the SALIENT journal was the active promotion of ethical standards and best practices guidelines within the seo and sem industry. The GreenBUILT Code of Ethics and Best Practices for Search Optimization Professionals was drafted as a comprehensive, logical, industry enhancing code of ethics designed to ensure accountability, professionalism, industry integrity and client best interest.
The Twofold Mission of the Search Engine Marketer:
- To actively expand, enhance and refine the search engine visibility and internet presence of clients through the use of effective internet marketing techniques.
- To practice the art with the intention of presenting searchers with the highest possible quality of information in terms of relevancy, accuracy and usability.
General Responsibilities of the Search Optimization Professional
- The SEO will refrain from making unrealistic or unfounded guarantees to secure clients.
- The SEO will refrain from using inappropriate or unprofessional methods of advertising their services. ie. Unsolicited email spam.
- The SEO will disclose and clearly explain all aspects and procedures of an SEO campaign to the client.
- The SEO will not intentionally violate any laws, including violation of copyright and trademark laws. As well as compliance with all applicable state, federal, or international laws governing internet marketing and promotion methodologies and techniques.
- The SEO will endeavor to provide services based upon continually up to date information related to all possible aspects of search marketing. ie. Search engine news and developments, applicable laws, cutting edge techniques, etc.
- The SEO will actively practice, support and promote the SEO code of ethics.
- The SEO will establish profitable yet equitable fee schedules based upon the value of services rendered.
Standards of Conduct for the Application of SEO Techniques
The SEO, working on behalf of a client will not engage in the practice of techniques that could potentially harm the reputation, profitability or long-term success of the client. Techniques that carry the possibility of or have been known to incur search engine penalties resulting from a violation of the search engine's terms of use policies will not be employed on behalf of clients. For example:
- Needless regular re-submission of a client website to search engines and directories. This common technique is no longer beneficial to campaign progress and may actually result in the activation of spam penalty.
- Optimization, propagation or inter-linking of content that is mirrored or duplicated from a separate domain.
- Attempting to induce domain indexing or enhance domain saturation by employing machine generated webpages or code from specialized "optimization" software applications. Often such programs are for generating doorway pages or pages that are supposedly highly optimized for specific search engines.
- The use of cloaking or IP delivery techniques for the purpose of providing differing content to different users/user agents.
- The use of any on page code element to embed repetitive keyword instances. ie. keyword stuffing.
- The concealment of hyper-links, text or other information within the code or content of a webpage. Commonly this involves using invisibility techniques such as background-foreground color matching to hide content.
- The use of invalid or non-compliant HTML in an effort to enhance relevancy for targeted search phrases. For example multiple instances of TITLE or META tags, or using TITLE tag that incorrectly describes the document content.
- The use of cascading style sheets in an effort to manipulate search engine interpretation. For example hiding keyword stuffed elements using LAYER or SPAN elements.
- The creation and/or use of doorway or bridge pages. Generally doorway pages are employed to enhance saturation by duplicating content or hyper-links.
- The creation of, participation in or interaction with link farms or pages featuring user added link systems.
- The use of external re-directed domains to enhance traffic. ie. shadow domains.
- The inter-linking of differing client pages to enhance link popularity.
- The creation of or participation in multi-level-marketing ("pyramid") schemes. As it applies to Internet promotion, this generally takes the form of clients being leveraged against each other to mutual detriment for the benefit of the program creator.
- Employing false or misleading advertising regarding a clients products or services. Sometimes this is used as an attempt to increase market reach.
Client Responsibilities
- The SEO will disclose any and all financial risks or possible loss of ROI that may apply to the client as a result of contracting the SEO's services.
- The SEO will avoid conflicts of interest related to providing SEO services for multiple competing clients. Each client will have unique targeted search phrases which form the focus of their campaign.
- The SEO will provide every client with an equally exceptional quality of service and campaign effort.
- The SEO will protect the privacy of all client information, past, present and future and will furnish all clients with a privacy policy that clearly explains every possible application of the clients information.
- The SEO will not make guarantees related to rankings for targeted search phrases, increases in visitor traffic or otherwise promise results that rely upon resources outside of the SEO's immediate control.
- The SEO will clearly state that search engine optimization services offered are related to enhancement of a client's website and not the performance of the enhanced website.
- The SEO will provide the client with regular reports detailing the progress and activity of all aspects of the campaign as well as any projected performance information based upon historical data.
- The SEO will disclose any and all costs associated with the totality of the campaign and provide detailed information for every service cost that will be incurred. This includes but is not limited to initial (retainer) fees, monthly charges, cost per click charges, directory submission fees, etc.
- The SEO will not leverage client resources for personal gain. For example forcing the client to provide a hyper-link from their website to the SEO's website.
- No SEO will ever intentionally cause harm or risk of harm to a client or their interests.
- The SEO will offer both in-house and third-party dispute resolution procedures and will ensure that access and ability to use those procedures is always available.
Internet Community and Search Property Responsibilities
- The SEO will practice the art in such a manner that respects and adheres to the guidelines, policies and terms of use of major search properties and directories.
- SEO work will not intentionally violate the published guidelines of the major search properties and directories.
- The SEO will remain compliant with all current and updated or revised search engine guidelines and ensure that all active clients are compliant.
- The SEO will not falsely represent the content of a client website, products or services. ie. user agent cloaking, IP cloaking, etc. As a rule all document server requests from any requesting agent should return the exact same document which can be verified as having one unique source code regardless of the source of request.
- The SEO will use search engine resources in a manner that is respectful to the search property. This includes avoiding excessive search requests, employing automated search request software in a fashion that will put undue strain on the search engine's resources or forcefully controlling some aspect of the search property resources.
SEO Industry Responsibilities
- The SEO will not engage in the false representation of others work as their own.
- The SEO will take care to cite any resources consulted during the creation of any original work.
- The SEO will not misrepresent any aspect of their own knowledge, education, abilities, performance history, affiliations, intellectual property, or technologies.
- The SEO will not make unsubstantiated guarantees to gain credibility over competitors
- The SEO will not leverage resources or employ techniques with the intention of causing harm or loss to a competitor. ie. bid jamming, "GoogleBowling", spam submissions,etc.
- The SEO will reference testimonials only from competent witnesses who wish to express an honest experience or opinion.
Ethical Research Responsibilities
- The practice of selling or fund raising conducted under the guise of research is not to be engaged in.
- Relevant research will be conducted with the diligent application of sound research practices and records management.
The GreenBUILT Code of Ethics and Best Practices for Search Optimization Professionals was drafted and compiled based upon related work and information from the following sources:
SEMPO
Google Information for Webmasters
SEO Pro's Best Practices
Business Ethics Ferrell,Fradrich,Ferrell
U.S. Dept. of Commerce: Business Ethics
AAF: Advertising Ethics and Principles
AMA: Code of Ethics for Marketing on the Internet
