An Australian industry watchdog filed a lawsuit against Google earlier this year, threatening to take Google to court over what it says is Google’s deceptive behaviour concerning the presentation of its Search Engine Results Page. The organisation claims that Google is not doing enough to differentiate between organic and paid (Pay Per Click) search results, which is causing confusion and misleading gullible searchers and potential customers.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) claims that Google is deceptively designing the sponsored links in order to make them blend in with the paid links, thereby causing clients to believe that they were the same.

In the view of many independent observers, the Australian organisation’s action was largely uncalled for. Google clearly demarcates the sponsored links by a different colour background. It also specifically captions the region. While it is true that some people may still be duped into thinking that all links are organic, Google cannot be blamed for what are still some of the most transparent practices in the industry.

This action is the latest in a series of developments that only serve to underscore the immense importance of Search Engine Optimisation. While Pay Per Click advertising may cause a company to potentially expend a lot of money in advertising costs (usually when PPC is not managed by a professional), Search Engine Optimisation can be an increasingly cost effective and very prudent alternative to PPC for generating targeted website traffic.

To be safe, however, it might be wise to adopt an organic approach to search engine marketing in addition to a Pay Per Click campaign. Search Engine Optimisation may remove the uncertainty of a negative perception or perceived stigma(unfounded though it may be) associated with paid links, lending an air of impartiality or even competence. Since the search results on the Search Engine Results Page do not involve paid links, a business that focuses on ranking high in the organic listings gets rewarded with an additional perception of legitimacy. It is advertising that doesn’t appear to be advertising. As such, SEO presents an extremely powerful marketing tool.

Search Engine Optimisation is concerned, among other things, with the delicate balancing act of reconciling client offerings with search engine preferences. SEO experts know how search engines “think”, and are also aware of what their clients are offering as their unique selling propositions. Reinventing one to fit the other is an art that nobody practices better than the Search Engine Optimisation professional.

Get Involved