• Micro Persuasion , Monday, February 25, 2008 11:30 AM

Steve Rubel seems to think so. In his post, Rubel argues that search experts who launch social media marketing campaigns for their clients "solely for the purpose of influencing search engines, rather than with the intent of fostering collaboration and genuine communication" are a threat to the social media ecosystem.

While it seems that Rubel is talking about dirty tricks and black hat tactics, he actually doesn't discriminate--insisting that any SEOs who work to manipulate communities like Digg and StumbleUpon, or advise clients to comment on blogs and discussion boards with driving traffic or boosting conversions as their primary goal, is a "danger to the fabric of the community."

"SEO, like word of mouth, should be a byproduct outcome, not a primary objective," Rubel says. "Any brand that plays in this space should be aiming to create value. Do that and the other stuff will follow."

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