Google’s Updated Guidance Encourages FTC Complaints Against Shady SEOs

Google has updated its guide for businesses interested in SEO to make it shorter and easier to read. There is also a new mention of AEO/GEO services, a warning about the use of third-party SEO tools, and, for the first time, Google is encouraging businesses to contact the United States Federal Trade Commission if they have a complaint about fake SEO services.

There are about seven changes in Google’s “Do you need SEO?” Website. The purpose of the page is to provide guidance in deciding whether to hire an SEO, factors to consider during the hiring process, and advice on avoiding unfair or dangerous practices.

The web page also encourages businesses to ask if they need to hire an SEO and provides links to SEO learning resources to better understand whether or not it is necessary.

The new web page is better than ever. It now warns businesses about the use of third-party SEO tools and encourages them to report shady SEOs to the FTC.

AI Improvements Added to List of Utilities Mentioned in New Guide

Google has added AEO/GEO services to its list of useful and common services offered to SEOs.

Current list:

• Updating the content of your site or building
• Technical advice on website development: for example, hosting, redirects, error pages, JavaScript usage
• Content development
• Management of online business promotion campaigns
• Keyword research
• SEO training
• Expertise in specific markets and areas
• Preparing for productive AI
• Generative AI is new to the list this year. There is no further guidance on this type of development or explanation of what this type of development entails.

Content Rewritten for Clarity

Google’s incentives for reading their SEO guidelines have been updated for clarity. . Some guides are being rewritten extensively while others are being rewritten to be more concise. The rewritten guidance is similar but clearer and easier to understand

Key Change: Google Promotes SEO Tools

One of the key changes in the guidance is a comprehensive section on third-party SEO tools. This is not something Google talks about much but Google has been taking steps to discourage third party tools from removing Google search results.

Google does not discuss specific third-party tools but discusses research conducted with the tools and advises businesses to compare the tools’ recommendations against Google’s published guidelines.

New guidance and recommendations:

“If your SEO uses a third-party tool, remember that Google does not test or recommend third-party SEO tools, and these tools do not have access to Google’s internal ranking data. Be aware of tools that are “accepted” or “allowed” by Google Search.

Evaluate your SEO recommendations and the tools they use. Before making significant changes to your site based on a third-party tool’s testing, be sure to check their recommendations against the official guidelines from Google Search, think carefully about any claims or recommendations you hear, and make your own informed decisions.
Do they cite official Google documentation as evidence to support their recommendations?”

Warnings for AEO/GEO Services

Google added AEO/GEO services to the list of useful services offered by SEOs but they also published a warning about AI development services, advising businesses to ensure that SEO recommendations cross the line between good practice and spam.

New guidance:

“If they have advice for optimizing AI experiences (also known as “AEO” “GEO” services), is their advice consistent with Google Search’s official guidance for optimizing productive AI features?

Are they using tools that comply with Google’s guidelines?”

Claims and Warranties

Google has rewritten the section about rank guarantees. It is similar but more direct, concise and easy to understand.

“No one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google. Be wary of SEOs who claim to guarantee a ranking, claim a “special relationship” with Google, or advertise a “priority submission” on Google.”

Warns of SEOs Violating Google’s Spam Policies

Google also rewrote the section on shady SEOs, warning that some SEOs are unethical, which Google defines as using “overly aggressive marketing” that violates spam guidelines.

The revised guidance now states:

“Important: Although SEOs can provide valuable services to clients, some unethical SEOs have given the industry a black eye by using overly aggressive marketing efforts or using strategies that violate our spam policies, which may result in a negative adjustment of your site’s presence on Google, or even removal of your site from our index.”

Google Encourages Reporting SEOs to the FTC

Many SEOs see their practices in light of whether or not they violate Google’s guidelines. But in fact it has always been the case that there are laws in the United States regarding advertising practices that may make other forms of link building (paid links) illegal due to FTC guidelines that require the content of “native advertising” to be clearly labeled.

Therefore, being bold about whether Google “likes” or “hates” how to promote a site has always been the most important thing for SEOs to worry about. Google’s new incentive that businesses should report SEOs using deceptive practices should give other SEOs reason to reconsider their practices.

The new guidance states:

“Reporting issues
If you feel that you have been cheated by SEO in some way, you may want to report it.

In the United States, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) handles complaints about deceptive or unfair business practices. To file a complaint, visit the FTC’s website to file a complaint online or call 1-877-FTC-HELP.

If your complaint is against a company located outside the United States, file it at

What is taken

Google and SEOs have always had a contentious relationship. The so-called white hat SEOs, despite presenting themselves as ethical, have always been the ones who test the boundaries of Google’s algorithms to identify loopholes. For example, when Google introduced a no-follow link, originally designed to cut links posted in comments, the white hat crowd started using “PageRank Mapping,” a way to stop Google from counting “useless” pages like About Us pages in the calculation of how PageRank is distributed on a site. Google has updated how nofollow links are treated by including them in the calculations of how PageRank is distributed.

Google’s relationship with the SEO industry seems to be on the mend now. Google welcomes AI optimization as a legitimate service while simultaneously warning businesses about AI optimization claims, third-party tools, and unethical SEO practices. The FTC’s reference is particularly noteworthy because it moves the discussion beyond Google’s guidelines and places it in an official space.

Circling back to the traditional adversarial relationship between Google and SEOs, this Google update on “Do you need SEO?” he dials the heat on SEOs that offer shady services.

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