Evidence-Based Search Engine Optimization

Over the last several years, our industry has produced myriad theories of how firms or consultants should go about SEO, each with their own set of shortcomings. Through these flawed systems, a new overarching theory of how our industry should behave has budded. First, let’s identify some of those flawed systems. Ethical SEO: A do no harm type of solution that strictly adheres to the guidelines of major search engines. Greatly inhibits the ability of a site to perform in the most competitive industries Follows a subjective set of ideals (whose ethics is right? mine is) Forces SEO’s to react drastically to position changes (such as Google coming out against reciprocal links or paid links) Performance-Based SEO: An elusive goal which attempts to create a...