I’m breathing a big sigh… Could there be such an organization?

SEMPO has lead discussions & sessions on certification, etc. Progress? None. I attended a SEMPO meeting 4 years ago and got really excited about the prospects of joining and adding that pretty little badge in the footer of my site. (I even designed for it in my template.) I then asked myself, “What’s the point?” Does that mean I’m trustworthy or any good?

Okay, we’re full circle regarding an SEO Code of Ethics… Bottom line and to repeat your earlier comment, “Ethics is a personal thing.”

Another great example of my point is that there is a group called SEMPO. Firms can buy their way in and stick up a pretty seal saying they are a proud member. Well, people new to SEO or site owners who just don’t understand, may think that just because that firm happens to be a member, they are some kind of good at what they do. SEMPO even allows owners to submit an RFP that only members can view and respond to. It’s basically saying “we only trust members”. It’s very misleading.

Code of ethics pages out there even right now are very misleading.

I would subscribe and do what I could with a “best practices” organization that truly VETTED it’s members in every way. Snake oil, blackhats, and those just too new to SEO could NOT be included. No way. That’s the type of group with some teeth. Too bad it would be too damn hard to implement……..

unless I totally quit what I am doing right now……..

hmmm, that’s a thought.

Personally, I don’t think standards are possible. Standards infer regulation. Oh, Mr. SEO Trademark (Jason Gambert) said he was trying to implement needed regulation – what a joke! His effort was snake oil on steroids! But, without regulation, there are no teeth. (I don’t care about court – have paid good legal $ for contracts already.) So, as you asked, what’s the point?

And some SEO practitioners might simply hide behind a Code of Ethics and use it as a marketing ploy. Agreed. Again, what’s the point? Big sigh…

I’m starting to see there may not be a buy-in by the majority of the industry. How sad! We spend too much time complaining about the snake-oil SEOs – blog post after blog post, ad nauseum.

Many of us agree there is a need for real best practice standards. Our hope was that a grassroots effort would light a flame to open discussion and come to an agreement on best practices for an SEO Code of Ethics, a template that each individual could then modify for their personal use (IMO). So, why not just do it on our own? Started.

I’ve been in the industry for years, out of the lime light, watching. I left consulting (other opportunities) and at one point didn’t even want to be associated with the SEO label. Purposefully, I took down my site pages except for the index, did no 301 redirects, let a PR of 5 drop. Well… I absolutely love adding value and helping others and spent most of my spare time providing SEO advice to friends and former clients. Lately, I’ve been surrounded by snake oil SEOs who are giving the industry a bad name. Since we “are who we are associated with,” I’ve had 3 people ask me if I provide such services! UGH

So, will this effort go anywhere? A few of us may simply use Bruce Clay and others as a template to personally implement standards, which can be used to educate those who are “unknowing” about best practices for SEO.

Thanks, Doug, for taking the time to comment! To repeat, I wish I didn’t agree.

P.S. We setup our Google Group, had some interest and then got hit with porn by Russian Hackers!

Ethics is a personal thing. One firm’s good ethics, or the way they implement them is not my ethics. Anyone can write something on an ethics page……….so what? This does not move the SEO industry forward at all. Sorry.

You can state you have good ethics even though some of the tactics/techniques you may use are not ethical. Not YOU, but you know what I mean.

Unless or until the industry gets some kind of spine and has some real best practice standards that not everyone will be able to get into, you can forget about the majority of the industry buying into anything.