Certain commonly held beliefs about search engine optimization (SEO) are not just erroneous, according to Search Engine Watch’s Eric Enge, they could do serious harm to a company’s SEO projects.
The first two major problems that Enge writes about are different aspects of a single problem: Both a belief in a one-size-fits-all model of search engine optimization (SEO) or a willingness to simply copy what large, successful websites have done indicate a lack of originality and care that can cost an SEO campaign dearly.
The third – and most critical – SEO pitfall that Enge discusses centers on dishonest practice. While, he admits, "nearly every web publisher knows of competitive web sites that buy links, implement link spam schemes, use doorway pages, or use other spammy techniques without getting penalized," responsible search engine optimization (SEO) scrupulously avoids such tactics. The reason for this, Enge says, is that the search engines almost always find out about this type of behavior and harshly penalize offenders.
Such techniques are similar to those used by malicious hackers, who frequently use black hat SEO to assist them in spreading malware.
