Head of Google’s Web spam team, Matt Cutts has recently clarified that Google does not consider SEO (Search Engine Optimization) to be spam.

As ZDNet reports, "Of course, those of us in the industry have known this for as long as we’ve been interested in SEO, but the overwhelming perception of SEO by the everyman is that it is directly proportional to spam."

Matt Cutts answers the question: "Does Google consider SEO to be spam? in this video below:-

This is a welcome clarification from Google. Matt acknowledges that there are some "black hat SEOs" who use inappropriate tricks to try to con Google, such as hacking sites or employing "sneaky redirects". But, for the most part, SEO is to be welcomed. In that respect, the Google Webmaster help team also makes available a beginner's guide to SEO and also provides a guide to choosing an SEO team.

Looking through Google's guide to choosing an SEO team, some interesting points are made, which professional services firms should look out for. For instance:-

- "Be wary of SEO firms and web consultants or agencies that send you email out of the blue." Amazingly Google gets such spam emails too e.g. "Dear google.com, I visited your website and noticed that you are not listed in most of the major search engines and directories..."

- "You should never have to link to an SEO. Avoid SEOs that talk about the power of "free-for-all" links, link popularity schemes, or submitting your site to thousands of search engines. These are typically useless exercises that don't affect your ranking in the results of the major search engines". Google is spot on here. Reciprocal links are, in our experience, becoming much less useful than they were previously. One of the best approaches is to provide useful, relevant content that will attract links and shares from around the web in an organic manner.

If you would like to discuss SEO for your business further, please do not hesitate to contact us on 0845 620 5664.