Google: White-hat SEO 'a benefit'

White-hat search engine optimisation (SEO) firms can help companies and should not be considered the same as spammers, it has been claimed.

Matt Cutts, head of Google's Webspam, made the distinction at the recent Web 2.0 Expo conference, C-Net News reports.

It notes that the search engineer made his comments during a discussion about the problems spam presents online, adding that it is no longer confined to email inboxes and now "pollutes" websites.

However, Mr Cutts added: "SEO is not spam. Google does not hate SEO. There are plenty of white-hat SEO [firms] who can help you out."

Google's guidance for webmasters warns that a few SEO agencies use "unethical" practices and damage public perception of the industry.

It urges firms not to use such companies as their attempts to unfairly manipulate search rankings can lead to a website being penalised, causing it to plummet in the search results.

Google suggests that the best way to create a search engine friendly website is to fill pages with high-quality content to attract consumers and encourage in-bound links.