Google and SEO

Hi All,

I've been trying to wrap my mind around SEO for the past few weeks as I'm a complete newbie to IM and I've been trying to find a niche to focus on. SEO is something I found a natural interest in and I've been collecting a lot of information about it. Sorry if my questions are basic or a no brainer for more advanced people.

Obviously SEOs help businesses with their ranking; some people say that Google is against that, as well as against SEOs and some of the tactics they use and that's why they come up with updates such as Penguin and Panda as well as the constant changes in algorithms in order to weed out spammy websites, black hat techniques, etc.

At the same time I see indications that Google is ok with SEOs. I just watched a webinar where a prominent SEO said he is a Google partner. I looked it up and it does seem that Google has SEO partners. This person uses PBNs which doesn't seem to be a tactic approved by Google. I wonder how these can be compatible (unless he uses that strategy in a way approved by Google). If SEOs are taking money away from Google (by businesses not buying Google adwords and going the SEO route instead), why would Google have SEO agencies as approved Google partners?

I guess my question boils down to is there a good guy - bad guy dynamic between Google and SEOs and is SEO an ethical business worth pursuing after all?

Thanks