The Vancouver Blogger Challenge
byI know Google is nice to me. It likes me. I can post on a certain topic and within an hour show up on page one of their results for the most obscure of things. Well yesterday while reading Morning Brew, Sean linked to Narvey who was doing an SEO experiment. For those unfamiliar, SEO is “Search Engine Optimization” meaning trying to make your site more search-friendly. Narvey was trying to boost his ranking by using the words “Vancouver Blogger” dozens of times in one post.
When you Google “Vancouver Blog”
Later on in the day I came across another blogger who was trying to do the exact same thing – purposely doing a call out for links back to his site so he could boost his “Vancouver Blogger” rating however the #1 result for said search brings up my friend Duane’s site. Duane, not one to be outdone, found humour in all of these efforts and has come up with “Blog Wars“, an amusing way to get people to link back to him – and so the madness continues.
I realize that by perpetuating what is turning into a “Vancouver Blogger” meme of sorts, I’m just egging them all on (and perhaps boosting my own Google juice), but I guess I just find it pretty cute (and amazingly geeky).
Regardless, I shall certainly support Duane Blogwalker in his efforts, I will even include the geeky Blog Wars thing he created… just as soon as he turns off the “autoplay”. He’s also offering up a prize (an HDR print of his) to those who spread some link love and join him in the battle for the empire or something like that.
*Update: This is not an attempt to enter the challenge by any means, I simply found it amusing and am supporting Duaniac in his efforts.
21 Comments — Comments Are Closed
Heh, that really speaks to the power of title tags, doesn’t it? My site is nowhere in the first thirty results for ‘Vancouver blog’. I do, however, own the top spot for ‘Vancouver raconteur’. Look on with envy, ye masses.
Yeah Duane’s got “Blogger” in the title tag, that’s the key there. I’m perfectly content with “Vancouver Blog”… or even all the other crazy searches that lead to me site. Although I think Meg‘s got a monopoly on stuff to do with “boobies”.
if you look at ‘vancouver blog tyler’ you get mine first 😉
As for ‘vancouver blog’ I’m on the 13th page 😉
Yah, it’s totally the title tag. Both me and DARTH JEALOUSY have it as the first two words.
Thanks for the support! The force is strong in you people.
Thanks for the outstanding live blog covering Vancouver’s 2nd Facebook Developer (& Designer) Garage and 1st in the new year. Now it should be just a matter of days until Google reshuffles the index and you will be #1 and “owning” “Vancouver Facebook” on Google. Doesn’t the best content win out after all in the end over all the search engine optimization tricks?
I’m the second top Google result for “situationship”. How about that? 😀
Oops – sorry, I hit the “Enter” button way too soon. I’m not (not really surprisingly) the top entry for “raul vancouver blog”. But one of my guest posts on Miss604.com is 😀
I’m actually the fourth from the top 😀 which means that, still, Miss604 is WAY more popular than I am 😀 <>
I’m sorry to have begun this vain pursuit of mine to be #1 for the phrase Vancouver blogger. It’s entirely silly, a la Stephen Colbert’s Green Screen Challenge.
Nothing like a little friendly competition to hype this year’s Northern Voice, eh?
Game on, boys and girls. Game on.
I accept your challenge. I shall reclaim my throne. Long live the Empire! (Insert your favourite Palpatine laugh here.)
Game on, indeed! I’ll ride the wave as long as it lasts, but I have no doubt that what goes up, must come down eventually. Cheers, Miss604.
[…] challenge was born, thanks to Vancouver communications guru and media maven Michael Klassen. 2008 Tech Woman to Watch Miss604 has also entered the running and she seems fairly intent on grinding Currents’ search ranking […]
I wish you the best of luck in taking top spot in the Vancouver Blogger Challenge, Miss604. But I’ve had my day in the sun. In the words of modern philosopher Jerry Seinfeld, I CHOOSE NOT TO RUN!
Oh I ain’t in the running, just reporting on the ‘blog war’ and supporting Duane cause he’s also giving away something fun (as previously stated with my “I’m perfectly content” with things as they are comment).
I can’t even fathom doing something like this with my blog. I dunno, maybe I don’t have time, or the know how. I’m pretty impressed by the effort you all put into it.
Classy all the way, as usual, Miss604. Cheers.
Actually, it doesn’t take a huge amount of effort – just good content. A couple of years ago I had the highest rank for keywords like “vancouver blogger” but then I stopped blogging, lost a database, and lost the will to blog. It doesn’t really matter all that much. It is all in good fun, beer, and, well, more beer. 🙂
I think when I started blogging and was looking for other bloggers, your site came up, Shane – you’re a legend hehe.
*snicker*
Well, I have been told in the last couple of weeks that I am due to having helped write the latest edition of Blogging For Dummies.
Although, I did just notice that the keywords “vancouver blogger war” show just how powerful my Empire is. 😛
The key to get people to link to your site/blog is good, compelling content. Links gained in bulk due to a post of two will help you for a short period of time. Keep the frequency of incoming links consistent and you will gain authority.
PS: I am not an SEO expert by any means, I am a Realtor; just passing along what I have learned from various SEO blogs.
[…] months Duane was sitting there at the top of the Google heap when you searched “Vancouver Blogger“. He went entirely unnoticed til this guy decided to challenge him in the weeks leading up to […]
There;’s another new one on the block, with a cool layout:
http://vancouversecrets.wordpress.com/
Interesting angle..