• Do not intentionally do harm to a client. Be honest with the client and do not willfully use technologies and methods that are known to cause a website’s removal from a search engine index.
• Do not intentionally violate any specifically published and enforced rules of search engines or directories. This also means keeping track of when policies change and checking with the search engine if you’re unsure of whether the method or technology is acceptable.
• Protect the user visiting the site. The content must not mislead, no “bait and switch” tactics (where the content does not match the search phrase) should be used, and the content should not be offensive to the targeted visitors.
• Do not use the continued violation of copyright, trademark, servicemark, or laws related to spamming as they may exist at the state, federal, or international level.
• All pages presented to the search engine must match the visible content of the page.
• Don’t steal other people’s work and present it as your own.
• Don’t present false qualifications or deliberately lie about your skills. Also, don’t make guarantees or claim special relationships with the search engine.
• Treat all clients equally and don’t play favorites.
• Don’t make false promises or guarantees. There is no such thing as a guaranteed method of reaching the top of the results page.
• Always offer ways for your clients to settle disputes. There will be competition among your clients’ websites. Make sure there’s a way to mediate conflict if it ever comes up.
• Protect your clients’ confidentiality and anonymity of your clients with regard to privileged information and any testimonials supplied by your clients.
• Work to the best of your ability to honestly increase and retain the rankings of your client sites.

Courtesy Bruce Clay, Inc.