Search Engine Optimization Code of Ethics.

Red Carpet Web Promotion, Inc. is committed to standards that include honesty and accountability. The search engine optimization field is rife with scams that appeal to the public's hunger for get-rich-quick schemes. In fact, even we receive unsolicited offers promising instant success on the web for as little as $29.95! Such tactics do nothing to build a real business with actual revenue.

Our services are intended to help your business succeed on the web. We are always available for consulting during business hours. Furthermore, we voluntarily adhere to the following code of ethics:

1. We do not send unsolicited email
   Sending mass emails is not one of our practices. Furthermore, you will never receive an email from Red Carpet Web Promotion saying the following:

   "I visited your website and noticed that you are not in the top of search engine results for your keyphrases. We can help..."

   We adhere to a strict anti-spam policy to assure that no one receives unsolicited email from us. We even have policies to avoid third parties sending unsolicited email on our behalf. behalf.

2. We do not Guarantee #1 rankings in any search engines
   No reputable search engine optimization company can offer a guarantee because they cannot claim to have significant control over search engine results. We have often achieved #1 rankings, but we will leave the predicting to the psychics. We have extensive experience in search engine optimization and will apply the knowledge we have gained through ongoing research towards improving your ranking in the search engine results. Feel free to read our client testimonials at www.redcarpetweb.com/testimonials.html for further proof of our claims.

3. We do not confuse actual search results and ads that appear in search results
   Although some of our packages include a combination of organic search engine optimization and paid placement or advertising, we make it clear how much of your resources are being allocated to each area. Furthermore, we will always tell our clients when a result is a paid result as opposed to a high placement in regular search engine results. Such distinctions are also made clear in our reports. Many other firms blur this line in order to use paid placements to deceive potential customers into thinking they have achieved high results.

4. We do not use cloaking
   Cloaking consists of feeding search engine spiders a different page than the one that the normal user sees. Cloaking has advantages and useful applications, but search engines frown upon their use because pages that use cloaking are often misleading. RCWP does not use this technique because if a search engine investigates your page and finds that it uses cloaking, your page will be penalized or even banned from the search engine.

5. We do not use "doorway" pages
   Defining a doorway page can be a slippery business. The following is taken directly from Google's "information to webmasters" page:

   "Another illicit practice is to place "doorway" pages loaded with keywords on the client's site somewhere. The SEO promises this will make the page more relevant for more queries. This is inherently false since individual pages are rarely relevant for a wide range of keywords."

   All the sites we create include information that is useful to users and relevant within search results. All links are visible and offer a clear indication of where they will lead visitors without any redirects and without any use of cloaking technology. Links and keyphrases are never hidden or abused. When we create a website, it offers information that will help users to learn more about a subject, product, service or business.

6. We value usability
   Users do not appreciate new windows popping up or having disabled back buttons. These aggressive tactics reduce the user's experience -- something that is very important to us. Therefore, we avoid using tactics that will reduce the quality of the average user's web surfing experience.

7. We do not promote pornographic sites
   It is Red Carpet Web Promotion's policy to stay out of the online pornography industry. Many adult sites have requested our services, and we always refuse their business. It is all too easy for children to find adult sites on the Internet and we do not want to help facilitate this.

8. We do not promote any site that presents illegal material or makes illegal sales
   We make reasonable efforts to ensure that our clients' websites are not intended for any purposes that are known to be illegal in Canada or the United States.

9. We will not participate in a conflict of interest without prior notice to all parties involved
   This includes the practice of choosing to promote one client over another in competing keywords for personal gain. All clients are treated equally and all receive our best promotional efforts.

10. We will not set unreasonable client expectations
    We will always provide educated and honest estimates of our time-lines and expected results. We will not imply that results can be obtained in an unreasonable amount of time given the known condition of the search engines, the client's site, and the competition.

11. We encourage third party dispute resolution
    We are a member of the Better Business Bureau and we will likely look to their dispute resolution procedures should a dispute arise. Depending on the nature of the dispute, it is likely that the BBB offers an appropriate solution that includes resolution by a third party. See www.dr.bbb.org/programs for details.

12. We respect your Privacy
    We will protect the confidentiality and anonymity of our clients with regards to privileged information and will not disclose our client's contact information for testimonial support without prior permission. See our privacy policy for details.

13. We do not use the following tactics, all of which are frowned upon by the search engines:
    • stuffing the content of the web pages with the keywords
    • hiding text by using text color the same as the background color of the web page
    • hiding text by using a very small font size
    • using keywords in the keyword meta tag which are not related to the page content
    • using keywords in the title tag which are not related to the page content
    • using keywords in the meta description tag which are not related to the page content
    • creating artificial links in order to boost rankings

14. If you feel you were deceived by an SEO in some way, you may want to report it
    In Canada, contact the Canadian Competition Bureau. Its role is to promote and maintain fair competition, which includes processing consumer complaints. See their contact information at this site: www.competition.ic.gc.ca.

    In the USA, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) handles complaints about deceptive or unfair business practices. To file a complaint, visit: www.ftc.gov and click on "File a Complaint Online"

    If your complaint is against a company in another country, please file it at www.econsumer.gov.