Fused Nation - UK SEO Blog

Having a look around a few sites, I come across a SEO agency called Touch Search.  Their SEO page says:

“Note: Touch Search Marketing promotes ethical search engine optimisation. We strongly object to black-hat SEO techniques that spam the web and could result in a permanent ban from search engines.”

Indeed very noble (highlighting added be me).  However a closer look at some of their techniques leads us to a much more grey area…

A link on their directory takes us to a “Premium Suppliers” page (http://www.touchlocal.com/advert/premium/suppliers) - a big ol’ list of keyword links to other pages.  A bit of research shows that these are click-to-call advertisers.

Click on the “Audi” link - you get taken to a click-to-call page for Yes Car Credit.  Click on the “BMW” link - you get taken to a click-to-call page for Yes Car Credit.  Click on the “BMW cars” link - yes, you guessed it - click-to-call page for YCC.

Here’s an ethical dilemma - is a doorway page still a doorway page if it takes your phone number rather than have a link on the page?

Nice Meta btw guys…

<*meta content=”Bmw Cars. Bmw Cars” name=”description”>
<*meta content=”Bmw Cars. Bmw Cars. Bmw Cars” name=”keywords”>

Yeh gotta love “ethical” SEO!

Looking down the list of “premium advertisers” the same deal is repeated - multiple keywords linking to unique pages optimised for those terms - each advertiser has a collection of pages for their 1 advert.  The list is clearly made for search engines - there’s no definable order to it (there are several “sections containing mortgage links for example) - real people won’t use that list.

OK so it may not be pretty, but their network of inter-linked sites is ranking pretty well.  For example a Google search for “Aberdeen Business Directory” returns this page in 4th place.  Nice list of keywords there.  All linking out to a different domain.

Relevant results Google?  A list of links that all point to different pages on a different domain?  Don’t think so.

While I’m happy to contend that the layout of the network is clever and is clearly working not too badly, I wouldn’t label it as “Ethical” or “White Hat” SEO by any means.  It may not be autogenerated garbage content (well it’s not far off), but its hardly designed for users is it (regardless of the gloss poured over it)?

Funny quote #3 from their affiliate page:

•  
  • Automatic Search Engine Optimisation so Search engines like Google and Lycos can find your business (new)

Niiice.  Ethical SEO and Automatic SEO go hand in hand. ;)  Flick that switch!

So let’s recap what Touch Search Marketing apply as “Ethical” SEO techniques:

1. Big ol’ list of keyword links that point to doorway pages targeting relevant keywords and other company brand names.  Resulting pages hold no (useful)content for users.

2. Keyword stuffed Meta.

3. An unnecessary interlinked network of sites (content could and should be held on one domain - other domains serve no purpose other than to boost keyword rankings for deep content).

4. Top level business directory pages ranking well but only contain a list of links (all of which lead to different pages on different domains).

I thought we were passed the days of networks of sites with minimal content dominating the SERPs?  Do search engines really have so much trouble finding this stuff?

Does it really matter?

I know lots of people are in the “if it works, then do it” camp and that’s fair play - been there a few times myself.  This isn’t really a rant about the techniques as such - more that people ALWAYS claim to be “Ethical” SEOs and few rarely are.

MG