Although most search engines post spam policies, there are many gray areas and ambiguities that can trip-up inexperienced site owners making their first attempts at search engine optimization. What’s more, even the search engines themselves acknowledge that certain categories, such as online pharmaceuticals, are dominated by cunning optimizers who can blow away their unsophisticated competitors, often without being detected.
How do you know if you’re over-stepping the boundary into the shadows of spamming? It’s not so much a matter of the techniques you use, as your intent, according to a recent Search Engine Strategies panel. In today’s SearchDay article, What, Exactly, is Search Engine Spam?, guest writer Bill Hunt continues our coverage of sessions devoted to better understanding this most vexing issue for site owners and searchers alike.