Ethical SEO: Definition & Strategies

Skilled SEOs can help practically any website rank well. But where do the ethical limits of search engine optimization lie? And what is the framework of ethical SEO (if there is one, that is)?

In this article, we take a brief look at some ethical SEO considerations and outline black, grey, and white hat SEO practices.

Starting up with the basics:

What Is Ethical SEO?

Ethical SEO is the practice of optimizing your website using strategies that align with search engine guidelines, moral values, and current legislation. Ethical search engine optimization applies ‘white hat’ SEO techniques and aims for sustainable, long-term results.

For many, ethical SEO is limited to white hat tactics. For others, it also encompasses social equity, transparency, and fairness. And contributes to “making the internet a better place.”

On the flip side, some industry professionals declare that ethical SEO is not feasible.

They declare that the fundamental problem lies in the search algorithms themselves.

And because, like it or not, Google dominates the search world, there’s long been the question: Is Google Algorithm Biased? And, in this context, how ethical and fair can search results be?

Are Google Algorithms Unbiased?

Part of the challenge in understanding whether Google algorithms are biased or not is to realize that the mathematical formulations that drive automated decisions are made by human beings.

While we often think of terms such as “big data” and “algorithms” as being benign, neutral, or objective, they are anything but. The people who make these decisions hold all types of values...
S.U. Noble, (2018) Algorithms of oppression: How search engines reinforce racism, NYU Press

Often perceived as impartial, Google algorithms are not free from human influence. They are created by people, and so they are susceptible to the biases, perspectives, and limitations of their designers.

When it first started out in 1998, Google aimed to use the revolutionary system of ‘link references’ (AKA backlinks) to help users and businesses effectively navigate through www searches in an exploding ocean of online information.

2+ decades of updates later, today, Google emphasizes E-E-A-T more than ever and has rolled out clear guidelines that bolster user-centric rankings. They also typically update and improve their algorithm when users report seeing biased or low-quality results.

Some updates, however, may result in a drop in position even for quality websites. For many, this raises concerns about Google’s neutrality; for others, it is a matter of stronger SEO and better foresight.

Can There Be An Unbiased Search Engine?

Well, that’s been a long discussion between programmers and developers, who, along with SEOs, “long for an unbiased search engine.”

Nevertheless, the consensus appears to be that complete impartiality is challenging (if not impossible) due to the complexities of algorithm design and the influence of human biases.

In reality, no algorithm can be entirely objective because it must make decisions. It must choose which information to prioritize and how to rank results.

A recent study showed that even well-intentioned algorithms can produce biased outcomes if the underlying data reflects societal inequalities or other biases.

As SEOs, we have to keep reporting and pushing towards unbiased results and ethical rankings.

We also need to follow white-hat SEO tactics.

As users, we need to assess the accuracy and impartiality of the top-ranking results, cross-reference information, report biased rankings (especially in featured snippets) and share our thoughts with our network.

On the content side, digital marketers should try to understand and adapt to algorithmic biases to help their clients navigate the digital landscape.

While on the ranking side, SEOs should follow white-hat techniques that create strong foundations for high visibility now and in the future.

Ethical SEO vs. Unethical SEO Tactics

Regarding SEO technicalities, 3 levels of SEO tactics that make it ethical or unethical.

White Hat SEO = Ethical

White Hat SEO uses acceptable search engine optimization practices that enforce quality, fair play, and business ethics and abide by current Google guidelines and legal frameworks.

White Hatters utilize the 4 pillars of SEO to excel in Google rankings. Namely:

• On-page optimization
• Technical SEO
• Keyword optimized content
• Off-page SEO

Depending on the nature of the website and business niche, SEOs may also work on:

• Local SEO
• YouTube SEO
• App SEO

Grey Hat SEO = Kind Of Ethical, But A Bit Unethical Too

Grey Hat SEO lingers on the verge of acceptable and shady practices.

Grey Hatters apply SEO tactics that don’t actually go against Google’s guidelines but deviate quite a long way from what we’d call ‘best practices.’

For example, they may be:

• Buying backlinks
• Building backlinks in low-quality websites
• Publishing auto-generated or spun content
• Participating in Q&A platforms just for the sake of adding links
• Publishing low-quality or nearly identical content merely for keyword targeting
• Cunningly applying cloaking on various parts of a website
• Squatting (i.e., buying) an expired domain only to avoid building authority from scratch

Some of the tactics above are widespread and generally accepted. Purchasing backlinks, for instance, or replicating article titles and subheadings in your own blog posts, are adopted by virtually every SEO professional.

But, other grey hat processes can be truly offensive. Thankfully, they are quickly penalized by Google and scorned by knowledgeable internet users. These include:

• PBN (Private Blog Network) - created solely to link out and manipulate search rankings.
• Keyword stuffing
• Negative SEO - sabotages competitors by sending them huge numbers of spammy links.
• Domain grabbing - buys expired, high-authority domains just to build backlinks from them.

Black Hat SEO = Unethical

Black Hat SEO uses suspicious practices that go against Google’s guidelines. It aims to gain quick and easy results in SERPs or increase visibility for unsafe or inappropriate websites (adult, gambling, malware software, etc.)

Black Hatters live at the borders of the SEO community, still making a good living, though, by promoting their clients organically. Common techniques they use include:

• Cloaking - deceivingly showing different content versions to humans than bots.
• Hidden text - includes on-page links or keyword-stuffed text that’s invisible to the human eye.
• Link farms - these are groups of websites that only link to each other. They are used for link-building purposes on strictly regulated sites and by cunning backlinkers.
• Doorway pages - solely created to rank for a certain keyword while sending users to another page. They add no value whatsoever.
• Sneaky redirects - that send visitors to a different URL than the one they initially requested. They deceive both humans and bots.

Some Ethical SEO Practices For Awesome SEOs

On top of the White Hat SEO practices above, top-tier SEOs strive to increase their clients’ rankings by following ethical practices throughout.

So, in my view, ethical search engine optimization should prioritize practices like these:

Make Your Website A Great Experience For ALL Users

Ethical SEO always prioritizes the user - any user, in fact. From a technical point of view, this means offering the best possible experience to anyone who honors your business by visiting your website.

My advice? Make your website superb! Work on:

• Fast loading times
• Immaculate responsiveness
• Easy navigation
• 100% accessibility
• Customer data transparency
• Localization

Publish Truly Valuable Content

Today, the internet is full of indifferent blog posts by unqualified writers who are hired to give all kinds of information on health issues, latest tech trends, the moon and star formations… you name it.

All for the sake of targeting competitor keywords.

So, do your best to be ethical here and have people write about subjects they truly own. There are many freelance experts out there who are well qualified to write about their expertise.

You could also try to rank intelligently above your competitors by offering a distinct view on a very popular query.

For instance, take the target keyword of this post: Ethical SEO.

Go ahead now and google it. (As in October 2024 searches) your SERP shows various articles with a typical post-style structure (like this very post, in fact).

But, among the three first results, one article stands out:

Its writer, Jamie Indigo, offers an insightful view on: What Is Ethical SEO? She eloquently elaborates on her personal human-centric approach to ethical SEO. No keyword-stuffed H2s, no lists, no FAQs.

The result? She still ranks at the top 3 - even five years after the article was published in Search Engine Journal. (And yes, I even added a link to my competing content because it’s worth it!)

My point here is that we should all try to respect our audiences by providing quality content as much as possible. There are many respectable ways to outrank your neighbors for a keyword.

Elicit Backlinks Naturally

We’ve all bought backlinks to speed up domain ratings. But, in reality, what keeps a website’s status high, is connecting with real people who actually find value in what you offer and link back to you for meaningful reference.

Some cordial emails, a few friendly conversions in trade shows, a dozen quality articles written by your staff - these are just some of the ‘old-fashioned techniques’ to gain your backlinks naturally.

They may need more time and resources, but they have longer-lasting results.

There are so many SMEs out there who can benefit from linking back and forth with you! And so many industry publications that will welcome an insider article on a trending topic.

Plus, you can offer valuable suggestions in online discussions referencing your website, blog, or LinkedIn articles - when it really makes sense.

Keep Your Website Fresh, Fast & Fantastic

You don’t have to re-design your entire website to keep it fresh and inviting. This could actually undermine your current SEO status.

But keep auditing your pages and refreshing your content with new information and material. Make small improvements that’ll make your users happier (and your ROI bigger!) Run some A/B testing to investigate all the reasons behind a potential drop in traffic instead of creating tons of hasty articles.

Always stay relevant and have users coming back for more. That is great SEO.

So, Let’s Do Some Great SEO Together

That’s what we strive for at Atropos Digital SEO Agency. Our guiding principles are competence, trust, and efficiency. And our SEO projects reflect these subtle qualities that offer our clients sustainable results and a steady ROI over time. Give us a call today.