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Srsly are SEOs Really That Easy To Manipulate?

Posted April 23rd, 2008 by Jeremy Schoemaker

I see some of the newer SEO’s on the block falling for the same old Calacanis mind tricks that have been going on for years. Jason who has a BA in psychology is pretty fricking amazing in his manipulation of the SEO and affiliate industry driving tons of traffic and links to his newest startup Mahalo.

Do you dipsticks really think Danny will not let him speak at a conference because he is “controversial” oOoOoOoOo. His controversial talks have driving more press then any other speaker ever at SES/SMX.

Welcome SSS newest member of the jasonnation to promote him to the frontpage of another social network.

Please read a post I wrote 1.4 years ago called Calacanis Plays SEO’s Like a Fiddle

Also Jason has agreed to come on my radioshow and SEO Rockstars several times yet…. never seems to make it =P

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48 comments. What say you?

  1. Good Comment?
    Prosperity Writer

    bad publicity is good publicity

  2. Good Comment?
    Nate Hill

    Not neccessarily because word will spread quick if there is a newbie on the scene talking about controversial matters or methods and in some cases may even work better.

  3. Good Comment?
    Goran Website

    Me I’m a newbie to all of this, but i would assume that controversial can only be created by people with Authority, And its the authority that the industry gives him that makes him so controversial. I would say well done if anything, clever marketing.

  4. Good Comment?
    Asia'h Epperson

    I’m not one who sits around and listen/reads what Jason is currently doing. I stopped reading/listening to his stuff years ago. To me, he’s a lot like John Chow, all hat and no cattle.

  5. Good Comment?
    Jeeb

    I think the reason he doesn’t do them with SEOs or affiliate marketers very often is fairly obvious. He knows in an actual debate, he would be killed and made to look like a fool. He seems to limit his interviews to ones with stuffed animals: http://www.calacanis.com/2008/04/19/greatest-mahalo-interview-ever/

  6. Good Comment?
    Hypnosis Dude

    It’s a shame that he doesn’t do interviews. Who knows for sure why he doesn’t apart from the man himself though

  7. Good Comment?
    Chetan

    And far larger the exposure :)

  8. Good Comment?
    Jeeb

    Ofcourse he’s watching. He has time to watch all the discussions about him and even make comments, but then suddenly he’s too busy to do interviews with people like Shoe and others. Too busy, or afraid because he knows he would get slaughtered in an actual debate?

  9. Good Comment?
    Hypnosis Dude

    Now that is hilarious! I love the way that Calacanis is watching and responding to the comments too.

  10. Good Comment?
    Debo Hobo

    The more drama the larger the audience!

  11. Good Comment?
    Nick

    Backhat SEO has strategy decay. Whitehat/good content is more sustainable. And social media is another way to drive traffic. Mahalo is a good example of this strategy. The bearer of this bad news to the SEO community is Jason, let’s kill the messenger! Hilarious.

  12. Good Comment?
    Paul

    It is like a bunch of high school girls here. I guess you do not have to go to California to get to Hollywood. But what I say doesn’t really matter because I am way out of my element.

  13. Good Comment?
    corey

    lol exactly my thoughts.

  14. Good Comment?
    POOPeGifts_com

    The key here “newer SEO’s on the block”. People that have been on the block for a while, understand what he’s doing and just ignore him. they also tell him to scram as soon as he starts to try and market to you in person.

  15. Good Comment?
    SanchezBoy

    Thanks for a post, for me it has appeared useful. I wait not for posts not worse.

  16. Good Comment?
    Web Marketeer

    Can’t agree with you more….first encountered this saying in the car audio industry when I first became self-employed. One of our competitors was a real rogue, yet very successful although he received loads of bad press on occasion. His exact words were “any advertising is good advertising”. It’s true though, the name sticks but the bad memories fade. That’s human nature for you.

  17. Good Comment?
    Chetan

    Just a good way of getting good publicity through controversy?
    Lol Jason is just making his name by tricky ways..

  18. Good Comment?
    Dr. Bardou

    Still, they really easy to be manipulated. I agree.

  19. Good Comment?
    auctionpixelpage.com

    Goes to show like what was said in recent and very good post on this blog. “There is no such thing as bad press.” Any press is good press, particularly when and where you position it. Good stuff.

  20. Good Comment?
    Subzero

    Did he as you to promote his bait? Why write about this? You are also falling for his trick, haha!!!

  21. Good Comment?
    Melvin

    whew blackhat.. something i have not even tried … i do whitehat ;-)

  22. Good Comment?
    Web Marketeer

    Mahalo is being spoken about and commented upon….nuff said!

  23. Good Comment?
    Meethere

    lol. thats true.
    I think he is a dp member and talks much on blackhat too. :D

  24. Good Comment?
    Dave

    Interesting that a so-called SEO expert would agree with someone who bashes the very industry he works in.

    And what has he said that’s true exactly?

    All I ever hear from Calacanis is ill-informed comments about things he has no right discussing.

  25. Good Comment?
    Website Reviews

    At the end of the day, even if you have dirty code if you are getting good SERPs you are good at SEO. Seems pretty simple to me!

  26. Good Comment?
    Melvin

    I dont know… i dont think theyre easy to mnipulate

  27. Good Comment?
    Jeeb

    Mahalo is getting useful press from this, really? SEO’s aren’t the ones who end up using Mahalo. They prefer not to use a piece of garbage as a search engine.

  28. Good Comment?
    Jeeb

    Is Shoe a pawn or a player? He also drew more traffic/comments to his blog. You’re the pawn! (and so am I).

  29. Good Comment?
    Terry Tay

    Perhaps we should drum up our own controversy to get everyone talking. What do you say Brian? Brian vs Terry – UFC 84…LOL :-D

    Will it work?

    ~Terry

  30. Good Comment?
    Samir

    It’s so true, I can’t agree with you more… just look at all the backlinks and press Mahalo is getting from this fiasco. This is Calacanis manipulation gold

  31. Good Comment?
    Popular Wealth

    Sure, call me a noob for posting on that thread even though I was basicaly saying shhh to the other noobs. Sure… hmmm, nope, thats all, nothing else to rag on you about this time. You’re right.

    You know, he’s getting a rep for being a god of SEO but he still has code to clean up. I’m not buying it yet. All the bitchin made me waste time and look, damnit.

  32. Good Comment?
    Verbal

    A great way to get publicity!

  33. Good Comment?
    timbytes

    an interesting way to get great publicity.

  34. Good Comment?
    Jonathan Volk

    Hahahaha. Love it.

  35. Good Comment?
    SlightlyShadySEO

    I’m not trying to reach out to Jason with this. I’m trying to at least get people to think about the idea of just not paying for stuff where they he’s being paid to speak.
    While I had to give him buzz to introduce this possibility, it may still get people to find other, more qualified/specialized people to speak. There’s PLENTY of people that would still create controversy. Just more qualified people.
    Do I think it will work? Maybe not. But it’s worth a try.

    And Shoemoney, let’s be real here. Do you think I have a problem with controversy or expect Danny to? No! That’s not the point at all. And if you got that from the article, then something was severely lost in communication.

  36. Good Comment?
    Kevin Heisler

    So you think conferences book Jason solely for controversy? Maybe you should read Danny’s response.

    btw – Jason’s not driving more “press” or blog posts than any other speaker at SES. Not even close. Can’t speak for other conferences.

    Like you fighters sight. Great stuff.

  37. Good Comment?
    Thiago Prado

    Apparently people doesn’t like this Jason Calacanis. He trying to be someone he’s not and making everybody fool. He wants to change the way internet market works criticizing others trying to put his product on the top.

  38. Good Comment?
    Joe

    Lol. Jason Calacanis Sphunn it.

  39. Good Comment?
    streko

    so i guess because you made this post you also have fallen for the “Calacanis mind tricks” or even worse – did you fall for SlightlyShadySeo’s mind trick and just pass his story more attention???

    damn shoe, anyway you look at this your a bit of a pawn…

  40. Good Comment?
    Michael D

    Being here at SMX it’s been interesting to watch. I thought he had some good things to say regarding creating good content. He was at dinner with 20+ other “SEOs” and there was no apparent animosity among the group. Things appear different when looking at the posts from the evening.

  41. Good Comment?
    Google Tutor

    very true shoe, he knows full well what he’s doing. many seos take themselves a little too seriously as well which plays right into it

  42. Good Comment?
    Patrick Altoft

    Half the stuff he says is true anyway so why do people get pissed with him.

  43. Good Comment?
    Mike1115

    Nice one Shoe. I’m always amazed how people take one thing he says and make it the dominated subject of his talks. All he really says is high quality content sites will win out in the end. No one like to hear that though, it’s sexier to just misquote and bash.

  44. Good Comment?
    Brian Mark

    So true. Controversy = coverage, which is what any conference wants.

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