SEO Spam-Don`t do it!!

I love companies that guarantee listing on Google.com`s first page. I specially love the company, who after charging my client $500 a month, all they did was add keywords to her page at the bottom of her page in a different text color. But the one that takes the cake, is the one that called me and told me:"Do you know that your site cannot be found on the web?"
"Oh yeah," I said "I am #1 on google.com for X keyword, which is what I do. Did you try that?"

Although I am sure that there are good SEO (Search Engine Optimization) companies, I am wary of companies that call me out of the blue. My advice to you-Learn how to do it yourself! Google posts guidelines and even hosts free seminars for business owners.

Here are a few rules on what not to do:

1. Never hide text in your page by making it the same color as your background. If you want to be known on the web for selling chrome hub caps and you type that in, over and over and hide the text or make the text light, it will be considered spamming.
2. Never just add keywords to the bottom of the page. In order to benefit from even having keywords, you need to write about them on the page. Not all of your pages on your website will be about the same subject. So! Change the keywords on each page to reflect its content.
3. Never use irrelevant keywords. I once found a web designer using her competitor`s name in her keywords. Again, your content must match your keywords.
4. Never use crazy java scripts or flash. As good as technology is, only Google`s spiders are smart enough to crawl over flash and java scripts. Some scripts may be obsolete and not crawlable. So if you are not getting the hits you need, check the scripts and flash on your page.
5. Never clog up your alt tags. Usually designers will fill these up with your keywords or your name. Personally, I prefer them blank. If you know how to add alt tags, you do it. As your content changes, those tags will have to change to reflect your new content. How do you know your alt tags have content? Take your cursor and hover it over an image. If text pops up, you have an alt tag.
   
6. Never submit your site more than twice a month. Really! If you do, you will be blacklisted.