Some “vs” articles are pointless and pretty confusing. The very definition of the term points to a fight of sorts. And usually where there is a fight, there must be a winner.

We could talk about truce, yet truce doesn’t really happen when the sword of discord gets buried, but when one loses the power to fight and the other imposes its will and gets control over at least half of whatever started the fight.

So when we talk about PPC vs SEO for example, we actually lose time and confuse the readers. The readers will probably believe that one is better than the other, when, in fact, they should employ both techniques to maximize the success of any online marketing campaign.

A correct “versus” expression would be: “Black Hat SEO vs White Hat SEO.” It’s pretty clear that no one should ever employ black hat techniques. So we have a winner and we have a loser. But the debate starts with a the “what is black hat” interrogation. And we can spend hours in redefining every single unethical tool and strategy employed by unscrupulous online marketers.

Because we have more definitions than necessary the SEO industry is still hazy. Many SEO professionals struggle to scatter the fog away, but their efforts are shadowed by those who become SEO enemies because they base their judgement and opinions on the very misconceptions brought by pointless debates of the VS kind.

There are SEOs and SEOs and if you still don’t know who to trust, the following names might help.

If you trust men more:

Matt Cutts – the absolute Google professional, the man who demystifies myths about Google and is ready to offer a helping hand any time you need it. All you have to do is just ask. But do yourself a favour and read his blog before asking a question he already answered. Not that Matt will not answer. But you owe it to this incredible man: respect is the foundation all all good communication. Also, don’t comment on his blog just to comment. Add something to the conversation. And this rule goes for all the following.

Aaron Wall – who sells on his official site the best SEO book of all times: complete, honest, filled with tips and resources.

Danny Sullivan – probably the most respected SEOs in the world. The blog he owns is also one of the most complete resources you’ll ever find, covering for free almost all the topics you otherwise pay for when you purchase an SEO book.

Michael Gray – whose human qualities are probably the best asset you can get (talking about professionalism, ethics and a great person). It also happens that I read Michael’s blog on regular basis, because he keeps the topics short and to the point, saving me a lot of time.

If you prefer women SEOs:

Rae Hoffman – who warns from the start: “Never mess with a woman who can pull rank.”

Jill Whalen – performing SEO since 1995, she is also one of the most resonant names in SEO.

Jennifer Laycock – search marketing consultant and editor at Search Engine Guide.

Apparently I just gave you what some would call a “Men vs Women” list. Well, call it what you like, but remember that SEO is not about gender. SEO is about results. And you have to hire the person you trust, based on real human values and not on age, race and sexual identity.

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This entry was posted on Monday, September 17th, 2007 at 11:47 am and is filed under Web 2.0 SEO. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.