Bodog/SEO Discussion (split)

[Rollo]

Jesus... I was really triying to be diplomatic. I really have to have the one more word if you're throwing silly bets in my face now, and in a gambling forum no less.

I'll send you my Paypal address, would you like to pay that $10,000 at once or in montly installments?

I said "direct channel to Google via a dedicated rep" and that Google can fix things like this from the backend. I have a dedicated rep and numerous others have as well. You decided to change it to " 'direct Channel' to Google's backend" for whatever reason. That's what they call a straw man argument in debate class.

Moreover, we were talking about Wikipedia before you decided to make another unilateral shift in subject... Yes, I would fully expect that if a representative of Wikipedia called Google, they would respond to the issue. Yes, I'm sure Wiki has Google's number. I'm sure they could even stoll right up to the Googleplex's front desk and probably would if something so catastrophic happened as they lost their domain.

Again, I can't say one way or the other about Bodog. It's either the algos or some assistance from Google. You're acting like going from bodog.com to newbodog.com is something more complex than a simple redirect. It's not. Yes, I would expcet a company as wired as Bodog to have the email of a contact at Google... it's not that hard. No, I don't think Bodog has enough pull to be able to just phone Google. No, I'm not insisting that Google assisted Bodog directly, but it realistically could have been the case.

Again, I can't say what happend. I can say what didn't happen and that's the Bodog enginers know something that the rest of us don't and can game Google's multi-billion dollar algo in a week's time. If that's the case, why no luck in Yahoo and MSN? Couldn't they work thier magic there too?

Lastly I disagree totally with the premise that Google doesn't care, Google does care about making sure their SERPs are relevant and yes they do respond to inquires... even if there is no direct Adsense or Adwords profit involved. Authority sites (whether in the algos or from direct contact) get special treatment (as they should). I guess Google just works hard not to look like Yahoo and MSN which at the moment have dead links to bodog.com coming up in the top of their results for "bodog". Again, I'm not saying what happened, only speculating about what are reasonable possibilities and what aren't.

Now, let's PLEASE stop this tiresome off-topic rant and let's just agree to disagree, ok? So... thank you very much for your insightful comments Mr. lots0, but I respectfully disagree with just about everything you have had to say today... but it was great fun.

Now if you want to debate the stylistic flourish that is CA's thumb ring, you're on.

[lots0]

OK the last post was not my last.

I really have to have the one more word if you're throwing silly bets in my face now, and in a gambling forum no less.

I'll send you my Paypal address, would you like to pay that $10,000 at once or in montly installments?

It was NOT a bet.

Do you have problems with reading comprehension as well as spelling?

I'll pay cash... as soon as you provide a direct channel to google via the back end, that is not involved with adsense... An inside contact to google's back door, like you said, no bets, just payment for services received.

I said "direct channel to Google via a dedicated rep" and that Google can fix things like this from the backend.

No google can't. It is a DNS (Domain Name Server) problem and has nothing to do with google and there is nothing google could do to fix bodogs DNS problem... Your ignorance of how the internet works is showing...

Again, I can't say one way or the other about Bodog.

OK, so just what is your point? You disagree with me, but you don't know what is going on...

You may own a site or two, rollo, but you don't seem to have a clue about search marketing. I do consulting if your interested.

[Chatmaster]

Rollo,

Just want to point out a few things here.

I agree, losing one's domain is a big deal and it can take years to recover one's search engine traffic.

Although I do not have any kind of information from Bodog stats I can give you an idea of the amount of damage done here from an SEO perspective.

In general, if you take away affiliate referrals, and advertising you are looking at average damage to at least 50% of all traffic based on search engine referrals. Of that you are looking at probably 80% + coming from Google. The damage done to Bodog on SEO is setting them back at least for the next 3 months until they start ranking for uncompetitive keywords. It will probably take them at least 2 years to regain the rankings they were at before this happened. The problem is that their competitors has gained the advantage to get ahead for at least 2 years. Getting competitive again is going to cost them allot of money and clever SEO to be done, but is not impossible.

Also, major sites generally have a direct channel to Google via a dedicated rep and can get them fix this sort of issue from the back end.

I hope you realise by now this statement is completely false and couldn't be further from the truth. But I want to highlight something here that should make logical sense. No engineer at Google can go and change the rankings for Newbodog to have similar ranking as bodog did. Technically the Google algorithms simply do not allow that luxury. Their SEO is starting from scratch, end of story.

In terms of branding the damages are huge. Although the main source of traffic they received was most probably for their brand name searches on Google, there are other smaller trickles of traffic that came through on other search terms that combined will be allot more than their brand name search. This damage will take years to be repaired.

One very important benefit Bodog has and should take advantage of is the publicity this incident can generate them. The opportunity for them to obtain natural backlinks from this incident is huge. Also with the latest information that the Mohawks actually own the domain bodog.com instead of Bodog, there is a chance of them getting their domain name back without having to appear in court. This can mean that their SEO team will smile from ear to ear when they implement the 301 redirect on newbodog to bodog.com.

Finally, I just like to add in admiration that the SEO people Bodog is using has done an excellent job so far, and alot of us are supporting you guys to make this work out. I personally am extremely frustrated by things happening in the US atm in terms of net neutrality and lack of legislation to legalise online gambling, and this makes me a little biased towards bodog atm. Any court that makes a ruling that potentially kills a business based on a default judgement of this kind, needs to be shot in public.

Then for the most damage done in terms of traffic.

A casino with a good retention ratio usually have majority of it's traffic from return visitors. Bodog has serious retention problems right now, that is probably more serious than any marketing aspect. If they had a retention % of say 80%. They can expect to lose at least 30% of that. The damage would be worth allot of money that probably cannot be measured properly.

[Simmo!]

One thing that occurs to me is, $48million aside, that Bodog won't actually "lose" money over this, they just won't make as much! One would think that Calvin Ayre probably has enough to see him through a couple of holiday, 12 months mortgage repayments and a few escorts

[lots0]

Update.

The work that the Bodog SEO's are doing is starting to pay off for Bodog in google.

Newbodog.com is now #1 for [bodog] and as of a few minutes ago newbodog.com was #5 for [poker] in google.

Kudos to the SEO team... Not too bad at all (I'm even somewhat impressed)...

[Simmo!]

Update.

The work that the Bodog SEO's are doing is starting to pay off for Bodog in google.

Newbodog.com is now #1 for [bodog] and as of a few minutes ago newbodog.com was #5 for [poker] in google.

Kudos to the SEO team... Not too bad at all (I'm even somewhat impressed)...

Although they have now rebranded permanently as "BodogLife.com"

[jetset]

Never a dull moment for Bodog marketers....

[Chatmaster]

It must be very exciting being there right now.

[lots0]

Over two months later and bodoglife (or any Bodog site) is nowhere to be seen for any money key words in google. bodoglife.com is coming up for [bodog] but that really means nothing in SEO, as it will generate very little converting traffic for bodog.

It looks like the SEO's at Bodoglife pushed too hard with the paid links and some other little tricks I won't go into... and the penalties at google have kicked in.

Trying to take SEO shortcuts and play the blackhat game when the google search quality team were closely watching was very stupid and bodogs overpriced SEO should have known the search quality team was watching.

Hey Calvin, you should have hired me as your SEO instead of you know who... At least if you had hired me you'd be ranking in the top ten for some money keywords now... ROTFLMAO

On the bright side (although I think this is whole thing is very funny all on it's own )... This is a great opportunity for some good affiliate(s) to make some serious cash... if they want to deal with bodog that is...