Search engine optimisation network disreputable practices

Last night my blog received some comment spam. These are comments that at a glance look genuine but they actually contain a link to some web site the author is trying to raise in search engine ranking by having more links to it.

Comment spam is deceptive and manipulative, if not actually illegal under the Spam act, it is certainly immoral.

The messages linked to Highlander Plumbing, a Sydney plumbing service. It seems that Kevin O'Kane has hired SEOWorks to "optimise" the traffic to his site.

Here's what SEOWorks say they do:

• Targeted keyword phrase research using SEO Works Keyword Tools to identify best SEO keyword phrases


• Deconstructing and reverse-engineering competitor website SEO strategies and developing SEO countermeasures for targeted keyword phrases


• Applying SEO Works research-based optimum meta-tag standards to all relevant pages


• SEO copy writing current on-page content to better target Search Engine spiders


• Click mapping and PageRank value redirection to critical pages


• Inclusion of SEO Works Proprietary XML Sitemap format to website core directory


• Using SEO Works database of 5,500 "friendly" web sites developed inbound link growth program from high quality government, university and authority sites


• Documentation and implementation of recommendations

I'm not sure which of these covers spamming blogs with fake comments. Perhaps that's the one about using the database of "friendly" web sites?

In the past I've only seen this done by the pornography industry, but now it appears SEOWorks my be using shady practices to try to game the search engines. I'm sure the plumbers don't know what's being done on their behalf, so I've written to them to let them know.

Update

I spoke with Kevin O'Kane at Highlander Plumbing, he was very polite and seemed genuinely appalled at the practice I described. He has received a couple of other complaints about it which he's passed on to SEOWorks.

The comment spam is coming from a blogger user called bhavani, as you can see it was just created this month and has had 37 profile views so a few people aside from me are looking in to this.