> the SEO industry is full of so much bullshit I have come to expect a lot of hate by association alone

So you don't think HN's view on SEO is unduly negative then, after all?

I think HN's view of "bad" SEO is spot on, but there are plenty of agencies who present legitimate strategies that have long term and lasting effects on rankings as opposed to going for the quick loopholes that Google will just inevitably punish in the next algo update.

Which of those legitimate strategies are not just common sense? Honest question.

All of them _are_ "common sense" - in the same way that most invocations of the term "common sense" usually mean "things that people know or ought to know but are apparently ignoring.

Most web site owners are not applying "common sense" SEO strategies to their sites. Many "web designers" don't either.

There is so much SEO information and misinformation out there, I don't think "common sense" isn't a useful way to look at the industry.

I don't mean to put words in your mouth, but I've seen this type of question many times and the subtext often suggests that a need alone isn't enough to justify an industry. It's a service, and one many people would rather pay for than spend their time learning and doing.

It's common sense the way UX and PR is common sense.