SEO Contest Gone Awry
I read an interesting post from one of my favorite “black hat” SEO gurus today. There is an SEO contest, initiated by threadwatch.com, which is giving away a whopping $1k for being #1 on Google for the term “Dave Pasternack”. An article by Mr. Pasternack got under the skins of some SEO’s when he claimed that SEO was “not rocket science”, among other things. Apparently, this contest was to poke fun and harass Dave for making sweeping, negative comments about SEOs. It turns out that someone else named Dave Pasternack, a Master Chef in NYC, is getting his site kicked to the curb as a result.
First, I would like to repeat the statement that SEO is not rocket science - just like accounting is not rocket science, nor is gardening, painting or playing music. It is what it is. Besides, I have worked with a rocket scientist-turned-programmer and that man was a bone-headed assclown (thanks again, Greg…and no offense to other rocket scientists).
Some SEOs are infinitely more effective than others and no one should be insulted by the rocket science statement. The rock stars are making more than any rocket scientist anyway. Frankly, I try to de-mystify SEO at my job. Will that cost me job security? Hell no. I have experience and a proven track record. When my colleagues understand how SEO works, the more success we will have as a team.
But back to Greg Boser and his post. What Greg has suggested is that when the contest is over, people 301 redirect their web pages back to the chef Dave Pasternack’s site. That is very admirable. And hopefully this will happen to a large degree and no one will suffer because of a silly SEO contest. What is especially sweet about Greg’s post is that Mr. Boser is known as a “black hat SEO”, which is also synonymous with “unethical” in come circles. Kudos Greg, this is not only ethical, it’s admirable. And not a bad link magnet either.
