Finding the right DJ for your event is always a difficult task. If you enter the relevant search terms into Google, you'll be overwhelmed by a mass of websites, and only a few are actually worth your money.

Many DJs who offer their services online have carefully manipulated their PageRank to consistently rank highly in search results, which is perfectly legitimate. I myself once had six different websites, all linked to each other, but ultimately it didn't achieve much.
There are a few DJ colleagues who are now resorting to "badmouthing" each other on their websites, which I don't think is right, because musical taste is subjective and you can always argue about it, just like you can argue about the way a DJ performs. Whether with a CD player, vinyl (if you don't remember what that is, feel free to Google it), or with a laptop and MP3 files, music is music.

I urge everyone who isn't using an agency to find a DJ to take the time to research online and check how many links the DJ has. There are DJs who have a lot of links, which is fine, but these are usually to their own websites, or to sites where these full-time DJs are listed as webmasters in the legal notice – sometimes with up to seven of their own sites. What's more, there's a lack of linking among DJs themselves. A few might be on good terms with each other, but if you join a "DJ collective," you won't get a link to the DJ's homepage or blog. As a client, I want to be able to get a feel for a DJ, not just find a short description and a picture followed immediately by a "book here" link.

What I find almost outrageous are the explanations on some colleagues' blogs/homepages where they try to justify their DJ fees at length, regardless of whether they use equipment or not. They also go on to badmouth colleagues and even speak ill of agencies to secure bookings, all publicly and for everyone to see on their blogs or websites.

Here is a short guide to checking the credibility of a DJ on the internet.

Google the DJ's name and you'll find plenty of results. Once you're on the DJ's website or blog, check the blog post archive to see when the first post was written. If a DJ claims to have been in the business for over 20 years and was born in 1973 (like me, by the way, and I've only been DJing for 18 years), something's not right. The same goes if the first blog post was written in 2008. That raises the question: "What did they do before that?" I'd already be skeptical of the terms "professional" and "long-time business."
For a website, I can recommend the "Wayback" search engine or Alexia. gulli:whois also provides good results, clearly showing how long the domain, and therefore the website, has been online. Once you've chosen a DJ, you should definitely speak with them personally; this also applies to agencies. Get the DJ's phone number or ask for a callback, as this should be included in the price. Also check if the DJ can be booked through an agency, as this offers more security should the DJ cancel.
Personally, I can say that I haven't badmouthed any DJ colleagues on my blog for their style of DJing, and I also work with two agencies, one of which I'm involved with myself. I've given up on linking to other sites; I only link to DJ colleagues who also link to my site, regardless of PageRank.
We should also show each other respect, because there's only a narrow path between DJ colleague and guest, and if a DJ doesn't respect a colleague, then he'll have even less respect for the guests, and that's exactly what I've heard far too often: "that the DJ didn't play any requests" or "he only played what he wanted," and nobody wants a DJ like that at any event.
Many people have asked me why I don't write about all the weddings, corporate events, and parties where I've DJ'd on my blog. Quite simply, I only write about events that are publicly accessible. A certain degree of privacy should be respected, and I find it unprofessional to do so. I prioritize privacy over advertising; after all, who wants to find an embarrassing photo from their wedding or birthday party online?