Sphinn - SEO Competition ... Rules for the 2008 Contest

34
Sphinn It!

SEO Competition ... Rules for the 2008 Contest

Went Hot: January 17, 2008 - 7:38 pm
Posted By: jeffquipp 535 days ago
Topic Type: News Story (Jump to http://www.northsouthmedia.co.uk)
Category: SEO

Get 'em while they're hot. Back by popular request ... the SEO Contest returns again this year. Here are the official rules.

On your mark ... get set ... GO!

9 Comments

Who Desphunn This (0)

Comments

from Eavesy 535 days ago #

Votes: 0 | Vote:

+ -

Oh. it's on!

from shalom 535 days ago #

Votes: 0 | Vote:

+ -

Wouldn't it make sense to run a competition on an equal playing field - why not choose a keyphrase that is not currently optimized for and make it the target for all the competitors involved. Then once there are enough SEOs registered to make it competitve, the keyword/keyprase traget is released and everyone starts ("with all feet behind the line").

Also for the results of the competition to be meaningful there needs to be rules that define results and keep the game fair.
Example:
-only domain registered after competition start date
-maybe some "ethical" practice guidelines

from iBrian 534 days ago #

Votes: 1 | Vote:

+ -

I've said it before and I'll say it again - so-called "SEO competitions" are dumb, and set up to benefit the competition provider, not SEO's, not the SEO industry, and not consumers.

It is really incredible that any SEO would be so dumb as to leverage their skills and assets to try and "win" one of these things - all they do is provide a clear roadmap to search engines on what techniques and assets to devalue most.

2c.

from nsmseo 534 days ago #

Votes: 0 | Vote:

+ -

The difference is that these are keywords are searched upon from those intrerested in or wanting to purchase seo services for their company or site.

"I've said it before and I'll say it again - so-called "SEO competitions" are dumb, and set up to benefit the competition provider, not SEO's, not the SEO industry, and not consumers."

OK, I benefit here by having some increase with traffic or the odd link now and again but I have opened up my site to people searching for the keywords and have GAINED clients from that as well as those who actively got involved last year. So, what is "dumb" about that?

from shalom 534 days ago #

Votes: 0 | Vote:

+ -

... Its either a contest of skill and ability that is fair and meaingful or it's not a competition - just an Ad!

I agree with the comment ...

"SEO competitions" are dumb, and set up to benefit the competition provider, not SEO's, not the SEO industry, and not consumers"

But I love to compete - so I could see investing a small piece of my time into something like this for fun - but this particular "competition" seems less like a real competition and more of just a link baiting campaign.

I wish someone would put together a real competition with real rules, judges and sponsors... sponsors = PRIZES!

Anyone interested in setting it up?

from Eavesy 533 days ago #

Votes: 0 | Vote:

+ -

Normally I would agree that SEO competitions are a waste of time and resources, however I target all of these these phrases anyway, so it is just a bit of fun for me.

from DolphinPromotions 530 days ago #

Votes: 1 | Vote:

+ -

Yeah when it started last year it was just a bit of fun for NSM, the idea was that an SEO Company should really rank for their own key terms etc. So in general it was less a competion but more a view on how well UK SEO companies ranked for their own sites.

It has definatly provided some excellent publicity for NSM I also think it has benefited a lot of the companies that appeared in the league last year maybe not so much for the fact they appeared on the league but as we all tried to improve our rankings it generated more enquiries from potential clients etc.

I think the problem we may see this year is people just trying to rank for the terms just to be on the league and therefore using non ethical techniques and generally devaluing the quality of the results for the terms.

from DolphinPromotions 530 days ago #

Votes: 1 | Vote:

+ -

@Eavesy - Yeah exactly we are an SEO company too so while its nice for our egos to rank in the league it should also be helping us all generate new clients

from johnandrews 525 days ago #

Votes: 0 | Vote:

+ -

I like these competitions. They allow you to see what specific people will try when they are pressed to perform. They also show you the relative power of an approach at a specific time, as you watch what the player's do. If you join the game, they remind you of the futility of any public SEO competition, which you may have forgotten or overlooked. That is because once you start to try to win, you quickly realize the many reasons why you can never win (even if you win), while you are also reminded of just how powerful even small SEO efforts can be at gaining traffic. And that makes me go back to work.