Search Engine Optimization

Does SEO Fool the Search Engines?

John Bradley "JJ" Jackson

06 Oct 2008 • 1 min read

Google, Yahoo!, MSN, ASK, and AOL are getting smarter. Trying to fool the major search engines is getting harder to do as the major search engines continue to upgrade and refine the search algorithms to determine rank on web searches.

Most website owners rely upon the expertise of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) consultants to help them maximize their rank. This makes good sense because keeping up with the changes of the different algorithms is a full time job. Yet, many of the SEO firms try to trick the search engines with workarounds and gimmicks.

Sooner than later these tricks get caught by the search engines and the algorithms get changed and your rank drops. It is my argument that these SEO efforts represent wasted money and effort of everyone.

Here are a few of the tricks and gimmicks being used by SEO firms and website owners to temporarily fool the search engines:

– This is when website pages use white text on a white background. This messages are visible to the search engines but not to people.

These special website pages are not a part of your main website. They are made solely for search engines and are not valuable to the reader.
As is sounds, cloaking provides web content to web spiders that is not seen or needed by the reader.
Content is duplicated on the site but may have different file names. This is visible to the reader.
Excessive use of linking to other sites that are not relevant or of any value. This is also referred to as link farming.
This is the excessive use of keywords on website pages. This is also referred to as keyword stuffing.

While these techniques may work for a while, the algorithms get changed. Then you and/or your SEO firm have to go back to the drawing board. This will require more money and time.

Wouldn’t it be better to create a website with real value in the first place?