Howdy mozzers. Since a lot of people in the search space are geeks, it naturally follows that there are plenty of single SEO guys and gals. Therefore this post is for you! Actually, it's more of a collection of random SEO tips and tricks I've picked up recently that I decided to hang together by applying the tips to online dating at the same time!
Disclaimer: I'm going to reference OKCupid throughout this post. They are not a client, I have no alliegnece with them but they're like the Google of online dating. Their blog is an A+ example of how to write engaging content which gets links. I reference it all the time when talking to clients.
5 Ways Being an SEO Makes You Better At Online Dating
1) Add Trust
This is something I learned from doing Conversion Rate Optimisation. Getting users to convert almost always isn't about changing the colour of buttons or the position of images. It's about getting the right message across to your users. You want to find out what makes them tick and then give them what they want. This can sometimes be as simple as changing the text of a header on a page.
Top Dating Tip: Mention things like "good at cooking", "sporty" - people respond well to these kinds of hints that you're an awesome person.
Top SEO Tip: Make sure the language and message used on your site fits your users. I wrote a post on using natural language for CRO which contains a nice little case study you might want to check out.
2) Be Efficient
Effective SEOs are efficient people (and efficient people are also effective SEOs I imagine?). Rand wrote a fantastic post on using outsourcing to get things done which highlights the different tasks that you might be able to outsource and Will wrote a fantastic post on automating tasks (with a followup cheatsheet full of APIs). Anytime you find yourself doing the same task over and over again you should really stop and think about how you can do it more effectively. Can you outsource? Can you automate?
Top Dating Tip: Write an "opening message" - full of humour and intelligence and wit (outsource this if you find it hard) which you can use to woo potential suitors. Online dating is a long slow process (at least for guys) and you'll need to message lots and lots of people in order to get dates (at least if you're as ugly as I am) so take the pain out of this process by automating the opening email. Of course, with all good email marketing you need to make it look like it's not automated. Include references to specifics from their profile and get their name right!
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Top SEO Tip: Automate automate automate. Did you see recently that you can now run scripts from within Google Products? Kind of like Google Apps only stupidly easy to use. It lets you send emails, access calendars and even create Google sites. The programming language is kind of like Visual Basic but includes powerful tools like sending emails and fetching web pages. I'll leave it up to you to imagine the possibilities here!
3) Research
Research is integral to strong SEO. You need to research rankings, links, site owners, potential link opportunities and a whole host of other things. The internet lends itself to researching and gathering data and sometimes you need to employ some of the SEO tricks you've learned to use Google effectively or to track down an errant webmaster. There was a scary email conversation between distilled and SEOmoz staff following a Q&A where we discussed how to find the individual behind a social media profile. The amount of data you can gather from a simple digg profile is terrifying. Within a few minutes we had his real name, family members, wife's name, address and phone number. So next time you think you're posting something "anonomously" think again!
Top Dating Tip: Users will often use the same photo to sign up to loads of different sites. So use a service like TinEye to do a reverse image search on potential suitor's profile photos. What people write on social media profiles and what they write on their personal blog are two very different things!
Top SEO Tip: Following the image theme, I recently picked up a really neat trick you can use to find people who are hotlinking your images. Simply use the imagesearch: command in Google Images like this: imagesite:seomoz.org -site:seomoz.org (make sure you're searching google image search!)
I'd like to think that you'd use this list of sites as a list of places to get links from rather than a list of sites to goatse but each to their own... (hat tip for this imagesite search query goes to Andre who I met at A4uexpo in Munich).
4) Stay Fresh
The idea that having "fresh content" would help you rank was one of the myths Rand recently addressed and I certainly don't think it carries much weight. That said, for fresh queries, fresh data is essential. Rand recently talked about how twitters of a URL may help them rank for QDF-style queries. Certainly QDF is one area of SEO that a lot of people overlook.
Top Dating Tip: Having a fresh profile helps get dates. If your join date is 2 years ago or your last login date was over a month ago then chances are you're not interested. So make sure that you keep things up to date. I also think that some of the ranking algorithms at sites like OKCupid favour fresh profiles over stale ones.
Top SEO Tip: Think about which queries are triggering QDF algorithms in your industry. Are they worth chasing? Is your site set up to publish content fast? Is your content team set up to publish content fast?! Some SEOs I've talked to recently still didn't even know there was such a thing as QDF so if you're in this space make the most of it and think about twitters of your URL like Rand says. Here's a good beginners QDF video (oldie but goodie)
5) Test Test Test
Testing is crucial to online success. Whether it's testing process changes, or multivariate testing using Google Website Optimizer it's important to keep testing things. Karl from Conversion Rate Experts gave a fantastic presentation in Munich at A4uexpo where he really demonstrated why testing radical changes is much better than changing little changes. Unfortunately I can't link to his slides but I'm assured he has a post in the works so keep your eyes peeled for that soon.
Top Dating Tip: Test which profile picture will get you most dates by using the My Best Face feature. It lets you see which profile image works better for you and gives you lovely graphical breakdowns of the data to show you which demographic your image works best for. It's like CRO for online dating!
Top SEO Tip: Try segmenting your website optimiser tests. Will wrote a post on how to segment your tests which you should check out.
I hope you enjoyed this - look out for my next installment entitled "5 ways being an SEO doesn't help you get dates online" which will mainly feature images of SEOs looking geeky and having poor social skills.
Warning: Kinda creepy story
I once looked up a guy on MySpace.com after being on Match.com. We both "winked" at each other, but I didn't want to pay. So I took what I knew about him (height, age, location, etc.), entered that into MySpace's search feature.
Then (here is the creepy), I took the number off his Texas A&M rugby jersey that was one of his pictures, deduced when he was at the school, and found his name on team lists.
I found him on MySpace and sent a message there. We went out a few times, he was less creeped out about how I found him than I figured. I think he was more impressed than anything.
But yeah, the SEO skillz are helpful in online dating.
Following the style of the post:
SEO tip: to do competitive research don't rely just to the classical tools and tecniques... be creative!
Kate Morris, you scare me. But that is awesome - very gutsy! If a guy ever did that to me, though, creepy would not be a strong enough word.
Just by their inquisitive nature and resourcefulness in using and analysing data on the Internet - SEOs probably make some the best stalkers.
Seo detective!!
Has anyone tried to use Google ads as personal ads yet? I don’t know, but it would make a lot of sense, because they are very similar in format to printed personals. Now, add some advantages:1. By choosing the right keywords to trigger your ads, you can easily find people with the same interests.2. You can target a very specific geographic area.3. You can target people who speak your language.4. You only pay, if someone clicks on your ad. 5. You can set up an awesome landing page with lots of information about yourself that potential mates can access immediately.Let me know if you tried this after reading my comment, and invite me to the wedding. :-)
Brilliant, there's a true search engine maketeer! Optimize your cell phone in place of a landing page!
"Write an "opening message" - full of humour and intelligence and wit (outsource this if you find it hard)"
Hahaha! Ok that made me smile - nice tip :-)
Hey, it worked for Cyrano de Bergerac :-)
Well... somehow... but remember the sad end of Cyrano!
Guys, we are fogetting a big, big thing! The Call To Action!!!
Ha ha! good point Philip, if you don't you'll lost your effort! :P
I love how tip number 2 is essentially saying that all good relationships start with a lie... or at least a stretching of the truth.
If you aren't witty or funny yourself, consider outsourcing this.
Most excellent! Definitely an enjoyable/funny read. I'm no geek though!
There is no shame in hiring a writer to help you out. I've asked so many guys to do this. It helps! ;)
Haha, I suppose a lot of comedians "outsource" their writing. Russell Brand, one of the most famous British comedians at the moment, outsources a lot of his comedy writing to Matt Morgan and he's still successful and witty himself.
This was fun.
I'm gonna share my story too. I have a personal blog and I want to impress women, so I wrote a post about "Ang Pinakagwapong Lalake Sa Balat ng Lupa" (The Most Handsome Man on Earth) and linkbuilded it for the same keyword. Since people really know only a bit about SEO, i told some girls to search who the most handsome man is (in this case, in the Philippines).
And the conclusion, I scored 3 dates in 3 days! lol
"LOL." Don't tell my wife I've read this! And don't show it to her!!! Damn, I feel so guilty now....
Quoth the priest: and they ate of the Tree of the Knowledge of Google and Evil, and that was the Original SEO!
Hi Tom,
I have to tell you that you made my day today through this post. haha Really funny but good one. I enjoyed the post throughout my read. Outsource dating was really Lol. ;)
Well written.
Surely, you have to include the gray / black hat tactic of "cloaking" your ad (using language that appears wholesome to the site administrators while letting prospective paramours know you like to walk on the wild side...)
Somehow, I never knew about the imagesite: command... Feeling sheepish, but also loving how every new day brings awesome new knowledge!
Thanks for sharing, Tom. Us married folks can, apparently, still enjoy your post.
WOW! For the 1st time since I subscribed at SEOmoz, there's one think I knew and Rand not :)!
Maybe it's because I come from the A/V world (where all steal images from all), to use really good images as a link baiting tactic and with the secondary objective to be stolen and reused with the "copy image url..." it's something I always suggests to my clients in order to achieve more inlinks .
One thing is to remember well in this case: optimize the image file name brandizing it, as I saw it helps with the images SERPs.
Thank you, Tom, for sharing the imagesite:command. I don't feel SO bad for not knowing about since Rand didn't ; ) One more linkbuilding tool in my arsenal now.
I'm glad I came back and read this post more thoroughly. The imagesite command tip alone was worth the second visit.
Sorry for being really slow on this one but how do you convert stolen hotlinked images into valid tasty linkjuice?
I've just noticed that my 5 years old personal blog has 40 hotlinked images thanks to this EXCELLENT tip.
There's no magic trick or SEO secret here unfortunately - just that it gives you a list of places to ask for links. People that use images are usually quite happy to link to you as credit.
I second what Tom says, hotlinked images are just unfortunate if you're not getting a link. If they refuse a link you can do an image replacement but it's not recommended because it will also block those legitimate sites.
Thanks! Tom for nice image search tip posting.
Framing these tools & tactics in the context of online dating makes this post really fun and informative (as always!)
The best takeaway here for me is TinEye. I have always wondered if something like this existed, and I'm pleasantly surprised to find that it does. I have about a hundred ideas for how to use it!
Best online dating advice. This website provides the most effective and comprehensive tips, guidance and advice for your success on your online dating.https://www.eonlinedatingadvice.com
I tried these steps in my site and it worked! Thanks.
Yes, to all the married people out there... You're so lucky! Online dating can be such a game in the wrong hands. Married people posing as single, pictures not matching up to reality, someone sounds better on paper than they actually are in person.
Hmm... Kind of sounds something like blackhat SEO techniques to me.
Funny post! Love the comparison!
Another cracking, thought provoking post.
Worth the eyeball time for the image plagiarism detection top tip alone. I was amazed to see how many people were blatantly pinching our content from italyum.com!
https://www.google.co.uk/images?q=imagesite:italyum.com+-site:italyum.com&hl=en&gbv=2&tbs=isch:1&sa=N&start=60&ndsp=20
Jeremy.
A really good and fun post Tom!
I was a user of that kind of sites some years ago and I have to add something very important that brought me results: you have to select your target very carefully. If you waste your bullets in every pretty face instead on a real chance girl, you'll have a bad reputation and no results at all. So, to me, you need to apply all this things but on the right persons.. not make of yourself a spam! ;)
when it comes to women i very much like the PPC version (paid version) a lot better.
I don't really have time for dating takes too much of my time and money and it's a big headache.
Eeeewwwww.
Well... here is not a place to judge the moral of anyone (mmm, it depends from the gravity of what said)... but what we cannot deny is that he wasn't clearly honest about it.
Just make sure you don't go for broad match...
On EHarmony, I found my skills as a writer directly translated into getting more dates than my more outgoing or wealthier friends. For a while, EH would feed me and a buddy (a wealth manager at Smith Barney - he hired a professional photographer to take his online dating photos so he wouldn't look short :) the same women, who almost without fail would contact me before him.
This post made me smile A LOT.
I mean... using the logic:
If I am good dating online, that means that potentially I'm good at SEO.
So... if I was good enough dating online with my mystery_guest almost 10 years ago, that means that I was predestined to be an SEO as I am now.
Thanks Will for the post (that I'm going to reread with calm as I have more time to do it): it's of the kind I like the most, as I simply love the metaphorical language.
By the way... we can find another analogy:
are dating online cheaters the same of black hat SEO?
I love the idea of outsourcing dating, it's just so wrong!!
On a serious note the image command is really helpful, thanks.
Isn't outsourcing dating what someone does when they hire a matchmaker?
So thankful I don't have to worry about this anymore! Very good and funny post!
Nice analogies Tom. Now to take it a little further, people come to experienced and successful SEO's (such as yourself) to learn from and emulate because they are both experienced and successful.
Based on the above criteria, should we be coming to you for dating advice?
scary what you can "digg" up about a person online. Makes me want to delete all my social media accounts or at least put in false positive info
Well... that's why actually Human Resource people now check a lot the web when selecting new employeers.
I've been doing online dating for years and this is good stuff.
I've been doing variations of 1,2 and 5 pretty much from the beginning.
Number 3 takes online stalking to an all new level.
Thanks!
Awesome post, Tom! Even though I've had a girlfriend for over 3 years (and one for 6+ months before this one), I completely understand the dating metaphors you're using and love them.
1. Add Trust
This is something I cannot emphasise strongly. So many SEOs believe that just by changing the colour, placement or text of a button that it will increase conversion rate. That's not necessarily true. The button could be working fine, the content around it could be the problem. A lot of SEOs rely on evidence provided by credible sources rather than just taking the leap and trying it out for themselves. You never know, it may just work for you!!!
3. Research
This relates to my point above. Always research for yourself and don't rely on these "credible" resources ;-). What works for them might not work for you :D.
Awesome tip for the image search!
Great blogpost! I will send they URL directly to a friend how works for a big German dating portal. Hope they will link from their blog to this post. :-)
Hahaha best post ever! Actually its pretty true how some of these apply. Biggest thing an SEO has to overcome is his job title. I just tell chicks I help Google.
Wow...