Google head says 'responsible' SEO is great

7th March 2008

If carried out responsibly, search engine optimisation is a positive thing for the internet, according to the head of Google's quality team.

Speaking to Wired magazine, Matt Cutts said that SEO is a lot like tweaking a CV if done well.

"SEO is sort of like tweaking your resume . . . It's helpful if you just think about which words people would use to search for your content," the representative said, adding that this can be a "great thing" if approached professionally.

According to Mr Cutts, anyone building a new website should prioritise good quality content as one of the best initial online strategies to get attention.

Honing snippets, changing meta-description tags and modifying text in light of user search habits were also recommended by the expert.

The Google quality head has earned the industry nickname "porn cookie guy" for offering his wife's cookies to anyone whose search results featured unwanted pornography.

He regularly updates a personal blog called Gadgets, Google and SEO.