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Top SEO's Competition (WTF?)
Went Hot: November 7, 2007 - 8:39 pm
Posted By: toddmintz 344 days ago
Topic Type: Discussion
Category: Sphinn Zone
I look over this website and I notice the steep entry fee ($5,000) and I'm thinking that the only winners of this competition are the folks putting on the competition.
Am I missing something?
As I look through this and see that the "objective" judging will be done by an "independent" panel...sorry, I can't help but think that this will be a lesser process for evaluating true SEO ability than some of the fabled SEO contests of years past.
If I were looking for a top SEO for my company, I would rather engage the winner of the Dave Pasternack SEO contest http://www.threadwatch.org/node/11507 (or any of the top runners up). Examining the techniques those top "Pasternack contestants" used combined with reading the scholarship they all (Aaron, Michael, Todd F. & Greg) put forth on their blogs would give me far more confidence in my prospective SEO investment than any "Top SEO'scontest " winner.
This contest process is inherently prejudiced in favor of big agencies with bloated marketing budgets when many of the industries best folks won't ever go near a competition such as this because they are too busy making money...either for themselves or their clients.
Off my soap box...I welcome other viewpoints.
21 Comments
Comments
Bah Humbug - a total pile o steaming nothing. Is this the 'first' annual? I would love to see who (if anyone) actually signs up for that. I'd rather take my chances on the poker tables!! A few drinks, relaxing with the ladies.... aaahhhh... much more fun :0)
All those fake lists of the alleged "best" SEO companies are a big huge scam, imo. They're all pay to be rated the best. :barf:
I agree Jill, they are just link slingers them and SEMPO, how come they don't get their PR spanked?
Why Sempo?
Plenty of threads on SEW forums and threadwatch about SEMPO. I particularly liked how clean and clear Mike Grehan's language usage on the issue was.
Yeah, they do one every month, if I remember right, don't they? I've never taken them seriously, and few do I'll bet.
Sempo, like TopSEO's, provide links on their home page in return for payment of their premium membership fee. The co-citation on a high PR site may be worth the membership fee, that's why they should be 'spanked' by Google (that is, if you are against paid links).
But $5000 for a competition entry? I thought that was nuts when I got it in my email the other day, too. I don't see the value.
First of all, every site and every industry needs different approaches. What is the "top SEO" for one industry might be the worst SEO for another. The only thing this does is top the scales as the dumbest SEO contest ever.
I think the more fun way to get your message across would be to optimize a page for "topseos" and steamroll past them.
I came accross this site too, its an absolute joke, I see "seo companies" that have their awards displayed and the word "mugs" springs to mind.
The idea isn't bad but the prizes are a little thin on the ground.
http://www.topseos.com/competition/benefits-entry.html
The only tangable thing you get is being included in a mailout to Fortune 500 CIOs, press releases and a spot in Visibility magazine. Based on my experience of buying mailouts and magazine placements, you could probably buy this for $5000 without the trouble of entering.
The other prizes such as "An increase in occasions to speak at search marketing conferences and forums " are nonsense unless they have firm speaking dates on offer. I especially like point 8, when you win you get a chance to purchase company endorsement memorabilia. w00t!
Heh Yeah I joined up to the site itself(not the comp) when I saw a few companies based near us were one there. While it is free to sign up all the free account gives you is inclusion into the directory etc. If you want consideration for their monthly rankings you are supposed to sign up to the Gold, Platinum, or Official account. They cost $2000, $4000, and $7500 annually! You can also "Purchase Consideration For Rankings" which costs $500 for each month you want to be considered for!! I have no idea how they can possibly justify the fees nor could I justify paying it.
And as mentioned you are just paying for the ranking, how can you really be classed as one of the Top SEOs if only a fraction of the SEO industry participates?
I suppose if your a large company then it isnt that much to invest and the average client probably wont question the validity of an award like that.
The funny thing is, that lists make people do strange things, like pay $5k when they can't get attention otherwise. Possibly the strangest thing is that companies looking for consultants perceive credibility in those lists and make hiring decisions based on them. I like Nick Wilsdon's points on the cost/benefit.
FYI, we've been on their monthly SEO list for about 2 years and have never paid dime - ever.
This sounds like another contest I know of.. Our local airport (I'm a hanger bum) won the 4th annual best airport of the year contest last year.. First prize was a vinyl banner saying best airport of the year winner.. The entry fee was $5,000 and three airports entered.. That's three airports in the entire country..
It was a three way tie for first..
I reviewed the benefits Nick. 400/month is a small price to market yourself to Fortune 500 companies. I think Jill charges in the range of 5000 a day - do you think she is worth that amount for one day? And all she does during that one day session is tout her services - **WWWOOOTT*** How far can a company go by itself for 400/month in marketing?
LMAO!! $5000? Surely they've just forgotten a decimal point...It's gotta be $50, as in FIVE-ZERO. Right?
I have been eyeing TopSEOs for a while, wondering how deeply I should involve our company with that site. It seems like a good directory, but to what extent are we preaching to the choir? How many people outside SEO agencies are visiting that site? (Love to see actual stats on this, if anyone has them.)
Nick and Toprank offer good points, and I'd agree with Nick - and expand upon his point: I would take that $5000 and invest it in a good PR consultant (who has solid analyst relationships) and other industry competitions through sites like MediaPost and ClickZ. I have to believe that the best clients are going to take the advice of Forrester and similar groups over TopSEOs.com.
You have got to appreciate the irony of The Search Engine Marketing Professional Organisation breaking the Google Guidelines.
We spend 400/mo in landscaping and lawn care. Its difficult nowadays to get your name out there w/o some serious investment. It costs anywhere between 30-80k to hire ONE marketing personnel.
I am not sure I understand the investment in PR consultants; to me that's marketing yourself. I see the competition as a tool where someone else markets us.
@davidogden "400/month is a small price to market yourself to Fortune 500 companies"
Maybe but it depends what that means exactly. I could send an email to the Fortune 500 companies but would that be marketing - would it even get read? Calling something marketing doesn't make it so.
@davidogden
"400/month is a small price to market yourself to Fortune 500 companies"
Are you saying that the winner will get monthly mailouts to Fortune 500 CIOs, press releases and spots in Visibility magazine? If so, I agree that is a very good deal and well worth $400/month. However the text on the site gave the impression this was a one-time award - if so I stand by my comment.
The rate card for Visibility Magazine says I can buy a full-page ad for $925 - how does that compare to your highlighting?
http://www.visibilitymagazine.com/mediakit1.pdf
Fortune 500 Mailouts can very in price range depending on the coverage. Is this a dedicated mailout or an advertising spot, your site doesn't say. As Jay says, what level of response does this mailout get? I've been offered this service for between $1500-$4000 previously.
We all know how much press releases are.
Sorry if my w00t was a little disrespectful but I usually get a chuckle when I see that a 'prize' entitles me to buy something (especially after I would have already spent $5000). It just doesn't seem that much of a benefit really.
Considering this prize is aimed at media savvy companies you don't seem to have succeeded in conveying the benefits (as you can see from the comments here). We can handle the details, this is a language we understand. To end on a constructive note, maybe you should keep the bullet points and go into more depth on the rest of the page.
@davidogden
Inccidentily I don't understand where Jill comes into this. I was weighing up the costs/benefits of your prize.
>I think Jill charges in the range of 5000 a day - do you think she is worth that amount for one day?
Well if she is getting me a mailout to Fortune 500 CIOs, press release and a spot in Visibility magazine - funnily enough, no.