Real Estate Forums

SEOWolf · 03-04-2008, 02:45 AM

If anyone has been tracking the Greatest Real Estate Agent In The World contest Greg Boser has been catching a little flack but Ardell is getting crucified on the Rain City Guide blog for voicing a dissenting view on the value of the prize and SEO services/techniques.

The amusing part is that by MC sending in the troops Ardell and Greg Boser are contenders to win the contest. Or would have been had they entered it.

Please note that I intentionally named this thread something other that the contest title. This thread is to inform, NOT to participate. I genuinely feel the contest is a bad idea and may draw unwanted attention to the participants.

Since Ardell and Greg are NOT contestants I think they are safe from any repercussions the contest may yield.

There really are some SEO lessons to be learned from this contest for The Greatest Real Estate Agent In The World but not those that were intended and only for the very astute.

~Mack

Jim B · 03-04-2008, 09:53 AM

I cannot say I agree with you or disagree with you, though I decided not to take part in the contest other than to be a active observer. I have been to Ardell's blog post on the contest and did not really think she was being attacked, then I went to Greg Bosers blog and commented positively on the post and some of the aspects of the contest and some of the comments made on Gregs blog.

Funny thing was I was given the backhand to the face at Greg Bosers blog, not by Greg, but by the commentor known as Bob.

SEOWolf · 03-04-2008, 12:53 PM

Jim I am proud to say that PREN is a real estate forum that you CAN disagree with the Admins so it is OK if you ever do disagree to so state your opinion. Debate is healthy. In fact we encourage it here as long as it constructive does not get real personal. The Administrators do NOT want our opinions “Rubber Stamped”.

I saw your posts on Greg Boser’s blog and really did not notice anything offensive about them so I am not sure what you would have been flamed over. While I may not agree with you on every issue all of your posts and comments that I read you always come off as a Gentleman IMHO. There is a huge gap between legitimate differences and flaming and I although I have obviously not read all of you posts and comments I have yet to see you intentionally flame anyone.

I did not see the comment from Bob on the Greatest Real Estate Agent In The World thread so I will have to go back and read it again.

I would urge you to reread Ardell’s blog as well. She was attacked and it was offensive IMHO.

~Mack

SEOWolf · 03-05-2008, 12:27 AM

UPDATE:
Well it appears as though Ardell is starting to wear down and yield. I know the felling when you are attacked by an army. It is overwhelming at times.

It is unfortunate indeed that this same tactic has been repeated successfully time and time again.

At any rate Ardell still holds the #2 slot in Google for the search term of the contest that she has not entered and has spent no time on. You have to love it when content wins over SEO.

For what it is worth, on my Google DC today I noticed a HUGE drop in pages indexed for the search term Greatest Real Estate Agent In The World. Now I have no idea what that means but I am so happy I am not involved with this contest in any manner.

Google frowns on link schemes and this appears to be an exercise in just that. If the Google wrath does come down the participants will be easy targets. I would love to hear what Matt Cutts and his anti-spam team thinks about this so called contest.

Ardell stated “Notice to all…issues involving people that have nothing to do with this contest will be deleted” so if anyone is following Ardell’s blog I am not ignoring Knox but I don’t think it would be appropriate to respond there now.

Per Knox, he is aware of this forum and is welcome to continue his less than eloquent defense of the indefensible here so long as he remains civil.

BTW – Knox, aka Knox Denver Web Guy, aka Denver SEO Guy, aka Blogger, aka … I know you are lurking out there. Yes. After being back in Missouri for over 3 years now I dropped my “VegasMack” handle and “MoMack” just didn’t have that zing.

~Mack

HSSD · 03-05-2008, 09:21 AM

Boyer,

If you want to take any response to your comments as an insult, be my guest, but your comment about Greg's blog getting attention he wouldn't get solely because of a silly contest was absurd, especially considering you commented on it twice. That blog is linked from a majority of the most relevant SEO sites in the world, and when Greg says something, people tend to listen.

SEOWolf · 03-06-2008, 08:50 AM

In defense of Jim he only knows about Greg what he has been told. And we both know by whom.

Jim is on a quest for SEO knowledge and my interactions with him here at PREN have been very pleasant and he has always been a gentleman. In Jim’s quest for knowledge he will eventually learn the truth and appreciate Greg Boser as you and I have come to. But this is a gradually process. It can’t be hammered into him or it will only alienate and keep Jim from finding what he is really looking for.

Jim is only echoing his mentor’s ideas and thoughts as do we. The difference is that you and I know the difference as will Jim with time and patience.

~Mack

SEOWolf · 03-06-2008, 10:56 AM

UPDATE!

It appears as though a leading contender in the contest withdrew from the contest on February 13th calling it a “spam fest”. While he is no longer officially in the contest his entry page continues to climb in the Google SERPS.

Justin Smith says;

Quote:

The whole contest is really kind of silly anyway. Once I thought it over, I should have realized the kind of techniques that would be brought out. With such a short time frame, you almost have to use some short term “run and gun” seo in order to get ahead. I highly doubt that we’re going to see any revolutionary new seo methods being used by the participants anyway. One of the purposes of the contest was to share ideas, but I have a really hard time believing that is going to happen. My prediction is that it’s going to turn into a “spam fest” and only lend further to the growing opinion in the real estate blogosphere that all seo is spam. This could have been a really great contest… but I just can’t see it benefiting the real estate community. It is however a great link bait idea (wish I would have thought of it), even if that wasn’t the original intention.

Good for you Justin and well done for throwing your support to Ardell.

This is not just a smart move for SEO it is also an excellent lesson in reputation management.

For the whole story go to “Spam Fest”.

~Mack

HSSD · 03-06-2008, 07:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SEOWolf

In defense of Jim he only knows about Greg what he has been told. And we both know by whom.

Jim is on a quest for SEO knowledge and my interactions with him here at PREN have been very pleasant and he has always been a gentleman. In Jim’s quest for knowledge he will eventually learn the truth and appreciate Greg Boser as you and I have come to. But this is a gradually process. It can’t be hammered into him or it will only alienate and keep Jim from finding what he is really looking for.

Jim is only echoing his mentor’s ideas and thoughts as do we. The difference is that you and I know the difference as will Jim with time and patience.

~Mack

Sorry Mack, but I don't have a mentor and I don't echo anyone's thoughts. I think and speak for myself.

SEOWolf · 03-07-2008, 11:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HSSD

Sorry Mack, but I don't have a mentor and I don't echo anyone's thoughts. I think and speak for myself.

Understood. And you do well at what you do. I should not have spoken for both of us.

Perhaps I misused “mentor”. While I have not had a “mentor” per se either I have been fortunate enough to learn many things from many individuals that I truly admire and respect. When I find such a person I tend to analyze and emulate.

I think that is what Jim is doing to some degree.

Jim seems to be a pretty sharp guy and fast learner. My money is on Jim finding the answers he seeks.

~Mack

SEOWolf · 03-08-2008, 10:34 AM

UPDATE:
Well it appears that Greg Boser has moved up in the Greatest Real Estate Agent In The World contest despite Greg’s obvious attempt to slow down his rate of ascent.

BACKGROUND:
Boser (a well respected professional in the world of SEO) posted opposing views to the REW sponsored SEO contest on his popular Blog. Low and behold Boser’s blog post started to rank in the top 10, then the top 3 for the search term “Greatest Real Estate Agent In The World”. Since Boser was NOT entered into the contest he countered his own success with a “Part 2” posting on the same subject.

And it worked for a time. Part 2 of Boser’s blog drove the original post down in Google SEPRS. When I first started paying attention the original post was replace by part 2 and it was a respectable 9th place and I thought that was pretty shrewd.

This would place Boser out of the running to win the contest, but not out of sight so his opposing opinions are still seen and read.

When I checked Google this afternoon Greg Boser (aka WebGuerrilla) was back up to #3 on my DC for the contest’s search term.

Now Greg if you are lurking out there PLEASE just let this take its natural course. No “Part 3” please to reverse your ascent in the SERPS. If you win, you win. It would be a very valuable lesson for our Members here at PREN.

Currently Ardell’s blogs are #1 and #4 for the contest’s search term and Justin is #8.

So there are 4 sites now in the Google Top 10 that are NOT entered into the contest and that have challenged the validity of the SEO contest.

Interesting indeed.

Lessons to be learned, you bet! Content will trump SPAM with little effort and NO risk.

~Mack