SEO Black Hat: SEO Blog and Private Forum

1st dnic24 Poker Forum Won all the links. Since he won, maybe they know what the hell they are talking about on that poker forum!

2nd tmwilson1 Tom Wilson Madison Web Design walked away with a cool $2000.

3rd ukpokerbuddies of uk poker buddies walked away with $1150 of free money.

4th Rustyskills from Lasik won $800.

5th gnarlygeezer of Home Mortgage Refinance scooped $600.

6th Wikcedfire Jon of Super Affiliate Marketing Blog made a nice $400.

It’s fitting that the owner of a poker forum spanked us all and took down the crown.

There will be another tourney in the not so distant future, so brush up on your poker skills at Full Tilt Poker and you could be crowned the next champion of the SEO Poker Tournament.

Added: and the poor sucker who couldn’t get past the bubble and finished in 7th was wangarific of Balance Transfer.

Tagged: poker |

Every now and then you’ll find a service, idea, or product that is so great that you think it will “sell itself”. All you have to do is talk about some of the features and your prospect will just “get it”. No need to sell, it will sell itself – right?

Don’t believe it for a second.

No matter what you’re selling, “your customer needs a ton of rational reasons why this is a great deal, so he can give his wife, his buddies, and himself a good and plausible story supporting his buying decision.” –John Carlton.

Case and point is my recent SEO Poker Tournament announcement. To me, this was such a no-brainer that I thought we’d have a thousand sign-ups by now. To me, the benefits are so overwhelming and self-evident that I believed that everyone who read it would sign up instantly.

Boy was I mistaken.

Here we are more than a week after the announcement and only a handful of people have signed up. Sure, I could chalk it up to the fact that the tourney is not until March 24th, but I think the real failure was in the original pitch.

The benefits were not clearly defined. The pitch was too complicated: the call to action not strong enough.

So let’s have another go at it:

It Cost Nothing to Join!

The SEO poker tournament is basically free to enter. You don’t need any money in your full tilt poker account. There are no hidden costs. All you have to do is agree to link to the winner for year from your page rank 4 or higher site. If you have a Page Rank 6 site, that link can be one off the homepage like in your “about”, “contact”, or “fun stuff” page.

Extra $5000 thrown in for Free!

Maybe you don’t care about getting hundreds of backlinks from quality sites. Maybe you actually believe what rose water said:

“Tons of links with the same anchor text is worthless.”

Sure it is pal. That guy couldn’t even spell “SEO” with a 2-letter head start.

But let’s say you actually buy his “talking out of my ass with no testing to back up my claim” bullshit. You could still win your share of $5000 for placing in SEO Poker tournament. That’s 5000 FREE reasons to join. But if you still need convincing:

Rank for a Profitable Search Term!

You’re Page rank 4 or higher site already has some quality backlinks. Throwing an extra few hundred quality backlinks at your site has the potential to help you rank for something that can make you money – lots of money. Now, you can sit back and let this opportunity pass you by, or you can have some fun on a Saturday with the potential to help you put lots of money in the bank by signing up for the tournament. The decision is as close to a no-brainer as they come.

The SEO Poker Tournament Will Be FUN

No limit Texas Hold’em is fun. Playing poker with other SEOs and webmasters is a way for you kick back, talk trash, have fun and network with other successful webmasters.

Overcoming Objections

You probably dreamed up some kind of reason not to “do it fucking now” and sign up for the SEO poker tournament. So let’s walk through some of the common objections:

1. “I don’t Want to Link to a bad Neighborhood. “

Answer: The Winner Will Have a Quality Site.

Sure, page rank isn’t perfect – far from it. But the winner of the tournament will have at least a page rank 4. It’s not like you’re going to be linking into the dark and shady corners of the Internet; the winning site is not banned from Google. Google trusts the site enough to award it at least a page rank 4.

Plus, it’s unlikely that anyone would win the tournament only to point the links to a spam site; the life cycle of those sites is too short. The smart move is to throw those links at a white hat project and rake in the cash over the long haul. A link to a site like that out of all your quality outbound links is a drop in the bucket; but those drops could add up to something HUGE for the winner.

2. What if people don’t link to the Winner?

Answer: I doubt very many people would be stupid enough to welsh on a bet like this.

In Business, your biggest asset is your word, your credibility: your trust. If people don’t trust you, good luck making any business contacts or becoming successful. Why would anyone want to risk all that over a silly link?

3. “I suck at Poker”

Answer: Get a Ringer!

OK, you may not be that good at No limit Texas Hold’em. It’s a complicated game. But are you really telling me that you don’t have any friends that could play with you?!? We’re talking about potentially ranking for the search term of your choice or your share of $5000. Get a ringer!

Get someone who knows poker to come over your house to help you on every hand. If I didn’t know poker, it’s what I would do.

4. “I don’t want to link to 10s or 100s of sites.”

Answer: You only have to link to the 1 winner of the tournament

It’s not like we are anteing a link for every round of betting – that would get out of control very quickly. All you’re doing is anteing once to get into the tournament. Once you’re in, you stay in till you lose your all your chips, or you win the tournament and all the links.

5. “I’m lazy, What do I have to do to Sign up again?”

Answer: It’s simple, this is what you need to do:

1st: Just do a simple blog post and link to poker.seoblackhat.com saying you’re gonna play. Cut and paste this if you like:

I will be playing in the SEO <a href="http://poker.seoblackhat.com">Poker Tournament</a> on March 24th at 9:00 pm GMT.

It will take you at most 2 minutes; do it right now before you forget.

(no, really. Do it now.)

2nd Download the free full tilt poker software and sign up for an account. It’s 100% Free. I don’t care if you use my affiliate link or not; just get the poker client so you can play.

3rd Fill out the form at the bottom of this page.

It really is that simple.

Tagged: poker |

Here’s a very good write up on the Pending Online Poker ban (worth the read) by WSOP Media Director Nolan Dalla. Here are some excerpts:

As to the impacts on poker and sportsbetting, this new law is going to be DEVASTATING. Especially for poker. . .

C. Online betting sites will likely not be able to post banner ads and links to gaming sites, especially those based inside the US. “Aiding and abetting” laws could result in arrest and prosecution for those who provide links to US residents. Poker magazines, online betting forums, and even MadJacks could suffer. I remain uncertain as to how severe this impact will be, especially at MadJacks. But for the hundreds of poker sites/sports sties and blogs out there that are dependent upon online poker and sportsbook advertising, many will go out of business. Once again, this might not seem a big issue to everyone, but these are the pioneers who are bringing in new poker players and sports bettors and when they dry up, the market shrinks and everyone is adversely affected.

D. Many sites use what are called affiliates. Persons who are affiliates and live inside the US will now be subject to arrest and prosecution, particularly those who do not block financial transactions from the US.

 

That’s some scary stuff. Of course, some people think that criminalizing people who play and affiliates who promote online poker is “Awesome”. You must voice your opinion and Vote this November to counteract the ignorant who think this is “Awesome.”

(for you non Americans, Awesome means Great or Fantastic in the United States).

Tagged: Poker, Politics |

The recent passage of the effective ban on Online Poker was attached to a Port Security Bill (As if online poker has anything to do with port Security!).

While the Port Security Act which included the prohibition legislation was passed near unanimously in both the House and the Senate, the House did have a clean vote on the poker prohibition in July. This earlier vote from July on HR 4411 is a clean Vote on Poker Prohibition that tells us who voted to Make Online Poker Illegal in the United States. This vote was NOT attached to the Port Security Bill.

It’s October and the next elections are just around the corner. If you’re one of the 23 Million Americans that played Poker Online, send a message that it was not OK to Make online poker illegal. Make sure you are registered to vote, and Vote out the corrupt bastards that took away your personal liberty. We must establish a poker voting block.

The following is a list of members of the House of Representatives who either voted for an Internet Poker ban (Aye - Voted FOR an Internet Poker Ban) or against a ban on Internet Poker (Nay - Voted AGAINST the Internet Poker Ban).
Read the rest of this entry »

Tagged: Politics, Poker |

From the Poker Players Alliance:

The U.S. Senate is Seeking to Ban Online Poker
PPA Phone March on Capitol Hill Scheduled for Sept. 12

Dear PPA Member:

Your urgent action is needed! On September 12th the Poker Players Alliance with the support of leading poker blogs and forums, PocketFives.com, Wicked Chops Poker and others are organizing a “Phone March” on Capitol Hill. From 9:00 AM Eastern Time, until 5:30 PM Eastern Time on Tuesday, September 12th, we are asking all PPA members and anyone interested in defending poker to call this toll free number, 800-289-1136 and be patched through to one of your two U.S. Senators in Washington D.C. When you call the 800 number you will hear a recording from fellow PPA member Greg “Fossilman” Raymer and then you will be prompted to enter your five digit zip code so you can be directed, free of charge, to your Senator’s office.

Note: The 800 number will only be active between 9:00 AM EST and 5:30 PM EST on Tuesday September 12.

Key points you should make:

* I am voter in your state.
* I strongly oppose any legislation that would prohibit online poker, and urge the Senator to vote against such legislation.
* Poker is a skill game enjoyed by 70 Million Americans.
* The Senator should seek to regulate online poker much like the government regulates other forms of gaming, like lotteries.
* Prohibitions don’t work. Any legislation that tries to ban online poker will only drive those players underground.
* Again, I urge the Senator to oppose any attempts to prohibit me from playing the great American game of poker on the Internet.

The threat to poker is real. Please forward this information to everyone you know who cares about poker and an American’s freedom to use the Internet. We need everyone possible to make their voice heard on September 12th!

Sincerely,

Michael Bolcerek
President
Poker Players Alliance

This is important, so please share with Reddit or Digg this story.

Tagged: Poker, Politics |

We’ve discussed the United States hypocrisy on Internet Gambling before, but this story from the Washington Post really takes the cake.

The story is a fascinating read - well worth dealing with the fact that it is annoying split up into 3 pages. In a nutshell, Antigua filed a World Trade Organization suit against the United States for trade treaty violations following the 2004 prosecution and conviction of an Antigua Internet Sports Book owner.

Antigua won the suit but the U.S. has thus far ignored the ruling.

The WTO cannot force a country to do anything. Even if found guilty, a country can refuse to change its trade practices. The WTO largely enforces its rulings by giving the victorious country the right to impose punitive duties on the loser’s products.

That enforcement mechanism works for big, rich countries such as the United States because other nations fear losing the vast U.S. market. But Antigua’s economy is so tiny that few U.S. companies would notice.

“The WTO gives the little guys clout, but it cannot guarantee symmetry of justice,” said Claude Barfield, a trade expert at the American Enterprise Institute.

So the Antiguans plan to ask the WTO for the right to impose sanctions that would hurt — namely, permission to copy and export U.S.-made DVDs, CDs and similar material. Hollywood is not amused.

 

From the article, it seems that this case may have been the impetus for the recent push for an Internet Gambling ban. The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement act was approved by the House of Representatives 317-93 on July 11, 2006. Although it has passed the house, perhaps the Republicans in the Senate will realize that alienating 23 million online poker players while the President’s approval rating hovers around 30% might not be the best political strategy.

What can you do? Well, if you believe that individual liberty should win out over government intrusion, if you want a smaller government instead of a Big Brother Nanny State, or if you’re just sick of all the bad laws that have been passed lately then call your Senator today.

Tell him to get his head out of his ass long enough to stop this bad legislation from becoming law. Tell him if he doesn’t, you and your 40 beer drinking buddies, who normally never bother to vote, are going to make it a point to vote againts his party down the line this November.

Tagged: Poker, Politics |

Can contests get any easier? It will probably take you about 15 seconds to enter both.

Check out the details of how to win the contest. I have a feeling that some of you might enter more than once.

;)

Good Luck!

Tagged: Poker, Digg, Delicious, Case Studies |

When I first heard about the Arrest of BetOnSports CEO Carruthers in Dallas, I thought that he was foolishly operating the business out of the US. That was not the case:

It said that the Scot had been detained while changing flights in America en route from the UK to Costa Rica, where the company is based. It said that it was “seeking clarification as to the basis of the detention”.

Mr Carruthers, a former Ladbrokes executive, was changing flights at Dallas Fort Worth airport on Sunday evening when he was stopped while walking through the transit lounge with his wife.

The detention of Mr Carruthers, a British citizen resident in Costa Rica . . .

 

So he’s a British Citizen who lives in Costa Rica and the US decided to arrest him while he was changing planes. That’s downright dirty.

People sometimes complain about companies like Yahoo and Google and their buckling to Chinese Law. In fact, online gambling is legal and regulated in the UK and in Costa Rica where these sports books operate. But the US has no problems arresting forign citizens who have committed no crime on US soil and were in fact operating legitimate business in thier home countries. There is no difference between what the US did and you getting arrested on a flight layover in China for for publishing something about democracy on your website.

The hypocrisy on the issue of gambling makes me sick to my stomach. It would be one thing if our slimey scumbag politicians were against gambling across the board. For example, if we did not encourage gambling at every 7-11 through the state lottery and we outlawed all forms of gambling (like betting on poneys and on Indian reservations) then that would be one thing. It would still be retarded and an infringement on personal liberty in what was once the Home of the Free and the Brave, but at least it would not be hypocritical.

“Illegal commercial gambling across state and international borders is a crime,” said U.S Attorney Catherine Hanaway of the Eastern District of Missouri in a press release. “Misuse of the Internet to violate the law can ultimately only serve to harm legitimate businesses.

 

And when she says “Legitimate Business,” she is refferring of course to her campaign contributers like Riverboat Casino ($1,150 in 2002 race) and other casinos:

Republicans were once reluctant about accepting campaign cash from Las Vegas-based casino companies. This year, the party’s legislative leaders are receiving more than twice as much from casinos as Democrats. Key GOP-related committees received $90,320 from January to September, compared with $37,270 for Democrats.

House Minority Leader Catherine Hanaway, R-Warson Woods, solicited the donations, claiming that casinos were among over 300 businesses — from mothball factories to ham-curing plants — that she visited to bring in checks for the GOP.

‘My pitch is the same as it is with everybody: that there’s an unprecedented opportunity for Republicans to take the House, and we need financial support to deliver our message,’ Hanaway said.

 

I hate people like that. I really, really do. “Gambling is wrong . . . unless you contribute to my campaign. Then I’ll pass legislation to lower taxes for your casino.”

Today’s US policy on gambling is a function of one thing and one thing only: the political contributions of the brick and mortar casinos (like the Indian Reservations). The only thing driving our Gambling Policy today is political corruptions and bribes - and that is the real crime that is being perpetrated on the American public today.

The online gambling companies are begging to be legalized, taxed and regulated in the US. Just think of the tax revenue the US is currently forfeiting in the face of record budget deficits - it’s to the tune of several billion dollars every year.

As an act of protest, I have decided to open a white hat site dedicated to online betting, sports handicapping, casinos, and poker: SlyBets.com. I have never really tried to compete in an uber-competitive area before so my expectations are modest. If I get up to 10k uniques a month, I’ll start a forum.

If you too are outraged by these political shanagans, you can voice your protest by linking to slybets.com with some juicy gambling anchor text.

Tagged: Politics, Poker |

Washington DC is looking to follow the lead of the assholes in Washington State by making playing poker online illegal.

As of June 7th, playing poker online is the moral equalivant of a violent rape in Washington State. Think about that. Laws like this degrade the respect society has for the rule of law in general - much as prohibition lead to an increase in overall crime.

Even if you do not play poker, this is about what you think should be the size and scope of government. We do not want our government spying on us to enforce ubsurd regulations.

Don´t think this is a slippery slope? Look at what is already happening in Washington State just a week after their law passed.

The first casualty in the state’s war on Internet gambling is a local Web site where nobody was actually doing any gambling.

What a Bellingham man did on his site was write about online gambling. He reviewed Internet casinos. He had links to them, and ran ads by them. He fancied himself a guide to an uncharted frontier, even compiling a list of “rogue casinos” that had bilked gamblers.

All that, says the state — the ads, the linking, even the discussing — violates a new state law barring online wagering or using the Internet to transmit “gambling information.”

 

These types of laws will infringe on your liberty. The PPA sent out this email today and I thought I would pass it on to you:

Dear PPA Member:

Thank you for standing with the Poker Players Alliance to protect poker. Our voices are being heard in Washington, D.C. Over the past few weeks more than 15 thousand letters have been sent to Capitol Hill telling Congress to keep poker legal. We believe this has helped to slow the bill down, but the U.S. House of Representatives is poised to vote on the online gambling prohibition as early as July 11th.

This week (July 2 – 9), the U.S. House is on Congressional recess and most Representatives are working from their offices back in your state. Now is a good time to call your Representative’s local office and tell them to oppose, H.R. 4777, the Internet Gaming Prohibition Act.

How do I call my Representative?

Simple. Click here.
Then using your zip code you can find your Representative.

What do I say?

Rep. XXX, should oppose H.R. 4777, the Internet Gambling Prohibition Act.

Regulation of online poker is a more sensible solution than an outright ban.

Rep. XX should become a cosponsor of H.R. 5474. This bill requires Congress to objectively examine how Internet gambling can be regulated and taxed rather than driven underground.

Americans know that prohibitions don’t work. Congress should ensure that I can continue to enjoy poker on the Internet in a safe and regulated environment and not make the same mistake.

Telling American adults how to use their hard-earned money, whether on e-bay or on playing internet poker is not the federal government’s job, and I object to Rep XXX deputizing banks to monitor my debits and credits.

Again, it is essential that you make your voice heard. Please call!

Sincerely,

Michael Bolcerek, president
Poker Players Alliance

 

Every letter and phone call counts. I am throwing in the line “If you vote to outlaw online poker, I will vote against you in every future election that I can and tell all of my friends and family to do the same.”

Tagged: Poker, Politics |

It sure is it fitting that someone who runs I hate Google should win the first SEO Poker Tournament.

Dan from Kloakit (and ihategoogle.org) jumped out to an early lead and never looked back. He knocked me into third place when I held A5 vs his 77. A 7 on the flop sealed my doom.

In the final hand vs Jason, Dan held AQ vs Jason Bailey’s 99. It was raised by Jason, Dan pushed all in and was called. An ace hit the board and no 9 was to be found so Dan Took home the title.

Congratulations Dan! vgg

Those of you who couldn’t make it missed out on a very fun tournament. On the other hand, there was some solid poker being played at the tables, so you might have saved yourself some money.

If you’re up for the challenge next time, I’ll probably run another one in a couple of months if there is enough interest. Next time, we’ll put up some more prizes like some scraper sites, some good domains or some cool scripts and tools.

Dan has agreed that if there is another tournament, he will put up a copy of his professional grade cloaking software kloakit. What other great prizes can we get in there - who else would like to sponsor this next event?

If you’re interested in playing in or sponsoring a future SEO Poker Tournament, make sure to let me know.

Tagged: Poker |