Search engine optimization is one of the best forms of Online Marketing if done perfectly. In this article we will discuss what search engine optimization businesses should not do to raise your Search Engine Placement, as doing so could damage your complete Online Marketing strategy.

Be aware of search engine optimization businesses that promise to put you on the top of the first page of search engine results, as they have a contract with the search engines. Google is the biggest and most commonly used of all search engines, and it openly declares that it does not make contracts with any Search Engine Optimization Company, with regards to Search Engine Placement.

You should be aware of any search engine optimization businesses that are only searching for a short-term agreement or a one off payment to optimise your site. The only way a Search Engine Optimization Company could provide any highly likely that they will use one of the following methods to optimise your site, which will work in the short-term. But when the search engines find out that these methods have been used to improve your Search Engine Placement, then you will most likely be dropped to the last part of the list.

“Meta tag stuffing” is a method where keywords are repeated over and over again in the Meta tag description and keyword list, you can quickly check for this by looking at the header of the HTML code. To see the HTML code use the view code function on your web browser.

“Hidden text” can be done in a few ways; the two most popular ways are to make the writing the same colour as the back ground or by using the “hide” function on the HTML code. The text is normally a list of keywords repeated continuously, and as it is hidden from the surfer it does not look out of place. If the text has been made the same colour as the back ground you can make it visible by highlighting the page as if you were going to copy it. It is a little tougher to look for text that has been camouflaged using the “hide” function, but by spending a little time studying the HTML code you can see it.

Another way is to use a “doorway” page; this is a front webpage to a site that is just implemented to obtain a high Search Engine Placement, normally you are redirected to the actual first page of the site before you see it. This can be optimised in the right way but more usually it will be done using “Meta tag stuffing” and/or “Hidden text”. It does not matter which way it is optimised as search engines do not like this practice and will punish anyone they find employing it. You can normally spot this by paying close attention to the web address bar, as you will end up at a different page to the one you clicked on, as you will have been re-directed by the doorway page.

With a trustworthy Search Engine Optimization Company it is possible to get your Search Engine Placement on the first page of a frequently used relevant search, by optimising relevant keywords and then promoting them with the use of proper back links. This can be a crucial part of any Online Marketing campaign.