claaarky - 2:00 pm on Mar 28, 2012 (gmt 0)

I completely identify with Kidder's point. When you've operated successfully in a niche for years and you see new and existing competition rising as a result of big spending on SEO, and you realise the job is now so huge and complex that can't possibly do it yourself, you have to look at hiring help.

But as soon as you hire an SEO you're potentially creating a time bomb for yourself.

Tedster, as always, wisely says solid SEO will protect you from the time bomb. All the SEO's I ever hired told me their techniques were solid, ethical, nothing that would get us into trouble with Google. They all told me the site was fine but we needed more quality links. They all focused mainly on 'attracting' more quality links and doing it in a 'natural' way.

But how do you know they really did and it's not about to blow up in your face. The rules are about to change and anyone involved in any form of link building could be in for a big shock. Can anyone really confidently say their techniques are 100% bulletproof.

Let's face it, link building is not a natural exercise. How many of us would be engaged in obtaining links if it didn't help. It's all about manipulating the results, no matter how solid your techniques. We find that if we do X, Y happens, so we do X and at least as much as our competition does and more if we can afford it.

I think Kidder's point is what will happen if Google decides to punish even solid techniques of obtaining links on the basis that it's all an attempt to manipulate rankings.

Then it's a case of how the punishment is administered, presumably with the biggest spenders suffering most.