Google Bowling For Dollars: An Ethical Problem

Writing by Nick Stamoulis on Saturday, June 30, 2007

I couldn’t agree with this post more. True SEOs don’t need to keep secrets or engage in questionable practices. There are enough legitimate SEO techniques that one doesn’t need to do such things. But this really irks me. The original article appeared on Forbes’ website two days ago. What’s worse, Forbes seems to be endorsing his unethical practices:

If your online business, like thousands of others on the Web, relies on Google searches for traffic, then Brendon Scott is a good person to have on your side.

That’s a problem. When a well-respected news source such as Forbes endorses unethical practices they give such practices power. When unethical practices get enough power then you get an onslaught of high profile people and companies engaging in such practices (remember Enron and WorldCom?). That’s not what we want on the Web.

As someone else pointed out, it’s just a matter of time before we start seeing lawsuits about this. I’d hate to be involved in one of those. That’s why you won’t catch me anywhere near these unethical pretenders, and I highly recommend you get as far away from them as you can as well.

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4 Comments

Comment by Chris McElroy aka NameCritic

Made Sunday, 1 of July , 2007 at 3:03 am

Thanks Nick. Great post and you are right. Maybe Forbes.com is involved in the use of these tactics themselves. Guilt by association, especially when they seem to be endorsing the practice of google bowling, false copyright claims, and other unethical behavior.

Pingback by Search Engine Optimization Journal » Negative SEO To Save One’s Reputation

Made Tuesday, 3 of July , 2007 at 11:57 pm

[...] Negative SEO is back in the news again. I found the following paragraph on the Marketing Pilgrim blog this afternoon: This begs the moral question here too — who is right and who is wrong? What is misinformation and what is not? Is it right to force others down in search engine rankings because you do not agree with their stance or believe they are incorrect? [...]

Comment by Adam Thompson

Made Friday, 6 of July , 2007 at 10:35 am

I’m not sure Forbes is endorsing those practices. I certainly don’t think that Google bowling is an honorable practice. I don’t see anything wrong with saturation techniques, though.

Comment by namecritic

Made Wednesday, 11 of July , 2007 at 12:48 am

I agree. positive saturation is a good thing. keeps others from being able to bowl you as well or at least makes it more difficult.