Some UK businesses may find themselves hit by a new keywords ban on Google AdWords. If you’re one of the unlucky ones, you should perhaps use Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) to maintain Web site traffic levels.

In the last few weeks, the search giant has prevented pay per click adverts from showing against a number of words it considers unethical, including ‘gambling’ and the names of spirits such as ‘vodka’.

Some people are very unhappy with Google forcing its ethics on the UK like this - especially those who sell alcohol in their casinos! Just because a few Americans have a problem showing adverts next to the word ‘vodka’ will affect hundreds of UK businesses. Bah!

It’s unlikely Google will reverse this decision, so affected businesses should ensure they don’t lose market share by putting in place a SEO campaign to get natural search results. But good SEO is not a quick process. Depending on the keywords it can take several months. But it is a long-term investment in the performance of a Web site.

Adverts, on the other hand, disappear immediately when a campaign ends. When you switch off an SEO campaign, it continues to drive traffic. For businesses that rely on Google traffic and have seen it snatched away, SEO is one of the best ways to protect future Internet sales - more than ever if you don’t have a big budget for traditional online advertisements.