Every company wants to build links back to their website, and every company wants to be noticed. An incredible number of companies have sprung up to do that very thing for their clients, but some of the most remarkable increases in online visibility have come from some of the most outrageous, unexpected places- quite outside the realm of traditional publicity-building and marketing tactics. Here are three of the most remarkable, but remember- use these with caution!
Case #1: SEO Company Sued for Spammy Link-Building
Yes, you read that correctly- spam haters of the world rejoice! As Search Engine Land reported, a Michigan law firm called Seikaly and Stewart sued the SEO company they had hired upon discovering that the link-building techniques they used were in violation of Google’s guidelines. This news introduces some very interesting questions, namely: can Google’s guidelines be considered “law”? There is sure to be some fascinating dialogue arising from this case, to be sure, but the most interested aspect of this case from a link-building standpoint is the fact that the law firm that is doing the suing is gaining a lot of publicity, and with publicity, new business. Litigation really does seem to get people’s attention, especially if it involves an issue that irritates a lot of people, like spam. However, this obviously doesn’t mean you should just run around suing people in an effort to get links back to your site!
- What Can We Learn From This?
- We learned that there is no end to what people can sue each other for, and that making a genuine effort to respect Google’s rules can pay off for you in unexpected ways. If you’re an SEO company, you should take this story as a lesson that it’s time to stop the spammy tactics- this case may very well set a precedent.
Case #2: Tattoos are Forever
In 2011, a Dutch tattoo artist gave a client a tattoo that garnered worldwide attention. The client had all 152 of her Facebook friends tattooed on her arm, resulting in a viral Youtube video that earned the artist 3.7 million views! Even though the tattoo was revealed by a Dutch newspaper to be a temporary “try-out” tat, the video still earns the artist valuable social media capital and visibility years later— it’s even still linked to from her website. If nothing else, this case goes to show us all how deep our interest in social media has become— and it won’t come as much of a surprise when the first person gets their Facebook friends tatted for real.
What Can We Learn From This?
- We learned that social media is as permanent as a tattoo. It’s not going anywhere, and the same can be said about the impact of a particularly clever, surprising piece of content. Even if the content loses impact over time (or turns out to be a complete fake, like in this case) the residual effects- both positive and negative- can be felt years later. Despite the fraud, the artist is still getting a good amount of web traffic due to the YouTube video.
Case #3: Save Toby
Few things call people to action like cute, furry animals, so it’s no surprise that the “Save Toby” campaign garnered so much attention. What was the campaign? Simple- a person posted a video of an adorable rabbit, with the ominous warning that if he did not receive $50,000 by a certain date, the rabbit would be killed and eaten. Not surprisingly, people were outraged at this attempt at “rabbit extortion,” and the site owners received death threats on a near-daily basis— as well as hundreds of thousands of hits. Despite all of the commotion, the site owners allegedly managed to raise $25,000, despite the fact that the plot to kill Toby was later revealed to be a hoax. Currently, the domain belongs to bored.com, and they write that “Toby has been quoted as saying he is very happy with the arrangement.”
- What Can We Learn From This?
We learned that people love furry animals, and that pathos is a powerful tool for grabbing people’s attention. Moving someone emotionally is a great way to gain interest, shares, and links back to your site. But please, try to avoid hurting any bunnies- or stirring up any negative publicity.
The fascinating thing about trying to build links and create a buzz is that you never know exactly what will get people’s collective attention. However, it’s good to stick to a few general principles, like using clever, original content, sticking to Google’s guidelines, and using content that moves people emotionally. And of course: try not to become famous for the wrong reasons!
