11 Sep 09 SEO Simplified: What to Do to Rank in Google, Part – IV

In this part, we will talk about the quality guidelines set by Google to control the way webmasters build their websites. The guidelines include all the manipulating behaviors adopted by webmasters to bypass their way to the top in Google’s result page. Do not try to trick or deceive Google, the search engine does not look upon these acts kindly. And I must add here that your website will be blacklisted even if you come up with a deception technique which is entirely unique and never mentioned in the guidelines, so avoiding any such things is suggested.

To help make the Internet a better place to be in, you can assist Google by reporting any website that is indulge in any spammy behavior by reporting the site to Google Spam Department.

Quality guidelines

Make WebPages for users and not for the search engines. Do not use cloaking to show one thing to the users while something entirely different to the search bots.
Run a “Does This Help My Users” test before going live with your design, content or whatever. No short-cut should be taken. Black Hat SEO technique should be avoided at all cost.
Do not become a part of link schemes designed to better the page rank of the website. Avoid link spammers.
Do not use any unauthorized program to submit pages, check ranking or to do anything that will cost Google immense resource. Your site will be blacklisted.
Do not use sneaky redirects or cloaking.
Do not overload your pages with keywords.
Creating multiple domains or sub-domains with same content is a surefire way to get blacklisted in Google.
Doorway pages created for search bots will take your website to the blacklisted list on Google.
Do not send automated queries. This is spamming the system.
Do not use your website as a platform to install malware, viruses, Trojans, badware or for phishing attacks.

As long as you are adding value to your visitors, you are good to go, and the moment you started taking your visitors for a ride, you are doomed, so avoid doing that.

In the next couple of articles, I will try to describe some of the quality guidelines written above.