] Google Inc has been sued by a search engine optimization
] company, which claims Google deliberately altered its
] ranking when it realized the SEO company was competing
] with it. Search King Inc, of Oklahoma City, wants an
] injunction and $75,000 damages for alleged loss of
] business.
]
]
] Search King launched a service in August that allowed
] companies to place "text ads" on pages that score highly
] from Google's PageRank ranking algorithm. The rationale
] behind such a service is that a link from a high-PR page
] increases one's own PR, and makes your site more visible
] to Google users.

#1 Search Engine Optimisation Blog - Google sued by search optimism company | The Register

] The simplest and surest method of ensuring your documents
] are indexed correctly is to ensure your pages have good,
] accessible, and well-structured content...Techniques to
] trick search engines into ranking your content higher are
] unlikely to work, and could ultimately result in a ban.
] The accessible solution is not only better for your
] visitors, but also ensures you get plenty of them.

#1 Search Engine Optimisation Blog - Accessible Search Engine Optimisation Techniques

] The search company has blocked users for the use of
] automated queries, but many of them are not individually
] responsible for breaking the rules
]
]
] Dimandja Emoungu got a surprise when he tried to search
] Google this month: Instead of a results list, he says,
] the company handed him a "rude" note denying service.
]
]
] Emoungu is not alone. This month, about 100 Comcast
] subscribers were temporarily shut out of Google when the
] search company charged the high-speed Internet access
] provider with hosting some accounts that had abused its
] terms of service by performing "automated queries." The
] crackdown cut a wide swath, taking out a block of IP
] addresses, shutting down the guilty and innocent alike.

#1 Search Engine Optimisation Blog - Google protects its search results - ZDNet UK News