SEO code of ethics
Our SEO code of ethics: twelve commitments we work by.
Search marketing is unregulated, and that makes it easy to oversell. These are the commitments we make to every client, and the standard we think any SEO agency should be held to.
- No guaranteed rankings
- No fake reviews or invented proof
- No tactics that put your brand at risk
The code
Twelve commitments, in plain English.
Hold us to them.
We work for your results
We will work to improve the visibility, enquiries and return of your website to the best of our ability, and keep our knowledge current as search changes.
We treat every client fairly
When we work with businesses in the same sector or the same town, we do so openly and in good faith, and we tell you if we believe there is a conflict.
We set honest expectations
No guaranteed rankings and no promised dates. We explain what is realistic, what is uncertain and why.
We keep your business confidential
We do not share information about your business, your results or your customers without your permission.
We do nothing that puts your brand at risk
We do not use tactics known to earn penalties or removal from search results, however tempting the short-term gain.
We follow the search engines’ published guidelines
As those guidelines change, we change our methods, and tell you if anything on your site needs to change with them.
We follow the law
Copyright, data protection, consumer protection and advertising rules all apply to marketing. We work within them.
We never publish fake reviews or invented proof
No made-up testimonials, no paid-for praise, no awards we did not win. If we cannot evidence a claim, we do not make it.
We do not pass off other people’s work as our own
Content and designs are original, or used with permission and credited.
We do not mislead users or search engines
No cloaking, no hidden text, no doorway pages. What a visitor sees is what a search engine sees.
We describe ourselves truthfully
Our skills, experience, methods and results are presented as they are, including what we do not know.
We are easy to reach and easy to challenge
Our address and phone number are on every page. If you are unhappy with our work, tell us and we will respond.
Why it matters
A ranking earned badly is a liability.
Shortcuts in SEO are borrowed against the future. Bought links, fake reviews and pages written for robots can lift a site for a while, and when the search engines catch up, the business pays, not the agency.
The law has caught up too. Fake reviews and undisclosed incentivised reviews are now banned in the UK. Ethical practice is no longer only the right thing to do; it is the safe thing to do.
Questions
Ethics in SEO: straight answers.
Something we have not covered? Ask us directly, a person will answer.
Why publish a code of ethics?
Because SEO is unregulated and easy to oversell. Writing our commitments down gives clients something specific to hold us to.
What is “black-hat” SEO?
Tactics that try to trick search engines instead of earning visibility: bought links, hidden text, fake reviews, pages built only to catch searches. They can work briefly and then cost a business its rankings.
How can I tell whether an SEO agency is trustworthy?
Ask who does the work, what they will do first, how they report and what they refuse to do. Be wary of guarantees, secret methods and long contracts sold before anyone has looked at your site.
Are there businesses you will not work with?
Yes. We may decline work we consider harmful or deceptive, or where we do not believe we can help. We would rather say no than take a fee we cannot justify.
Start with the search moment
See what honest SEO looks like for your business.
Share your website. A person will tell you where you stand and what is realistic, without a guarantee in sight.
- 01You send the website and what you want search to do.
- 02Request a reviewed website audit, then discuss the findings with a person.
- 03You get the clearest opportunities, and an honest view on whether we are the right team.
Thank you, that is with us.
A person will read it and reply during office hours. (Mon–Sat · 09:30–18:00)
Need us sooner? Call +44 7435 755127.