The Value in Search Engines

From the perspective of a search engine user, the value in the search engine is that it assists them with finding relevant information.  It helps them find what they are looking for out on the Internet.  It is like a keyword-searchable card catalog in the library, except that it encompasses many millions of web pages.  What a beautiful tool!

Many web site owners believe that the value of search engines, for them, is in the free advertising they could receive by capturing the attention of search engine users, primarily by having a top ranking --- or coming out first in the search engine results.  At Call Centers 24x7, we maintain that it is reasonable to expect a certain amount of such "free advertising" but that to subvert the intention of the search engines by employing techniques which are intended to give your site an unfair advantage is theft and is both unethical and myopic.  Anything which works to reduce or decrease the relevance of a search engine user's findings could be an "unfair advantage".  It is unethical to employ these techniques because it countermands the functional beauty of the Internet, and because it is contrary to the wishes of search engine users and the search engines themselves.  It is myopic because it is potentially self-defeating.  It makes the entire search engine system less useful; without relevant results, there's no use in visiting a search engine.  It can also result in your site being banned.  When you (or somebody you hire) registers your site with a search engine, you are usually tacitly agreeing to the search engine's submission policy, and if you or your representative uses unacceptable techniques you are violating the terms of the agreement.  So, many web site owners who place search engine results as their number one goal and who hire companies to help them accomlish these goals may in fact be unwittingly violiating the search engine submission agreements.  This can lead to having your web site permanently banned from the search engine, if the trickery is found out.

What should you do?

Unless you actually want your site to be hidden, absolutely, it is great to have good rankings in the search engines!  There are many basic techniques which the search engines encourage, which are designed to make your site more accurately-indexed by the engines and more usable to people in general.  Amazingly few web site owners use these simple, basic techniques!  Surprisingly, sometimes it seems more people put energy into breaking the rules than into simply following the rules effectively.

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