Google’s John Mueller criticized SEO contests on Wednesday, stating that they are a waste of time and effort.
Without being prompted (but possibly influenced by Wix), Mueller took to Twitter to express his thoughts:
“SEO contests are pretty useless.
SEO contests never reflect real life performance, they generate a ton of spam that negatively affects the whole ecosystem, they’re a big waste of time & effort. The smart approach to SEO contests is to ignore them.”
Mueller didn’t mention any specific SEO contest, but it seems clear he’s referring to the ‘Lovers vs. Haters’ contest organized by Wix.
The contest invites agencies to participate and compete for the top ranking of the term “Wix SEO.” The winning agency receives $25,000.
Applications are open until June 6, suggesting the contest will be heavily promoted over the next month.
In the past, Wix conducted a similar SEO contest to showcase the purported capabilities of its platform.
Participants used any platform of their choice to rank for the term “SEO Hero.”
It was a contentious idea then, and it remains controversial now.
It appears SEO contests are here to stay. If you’re tempted to enter one, Mueller has some advice for you.
Mueller advises that those considering joining an SEO contest should instead invest their time and effort in more productive activities.
“If you’re thinking of running or taking part in one, consider just improving your services overall, making the websites you work on stronger & better for the long run, instead of trying to play useless, short-term games.”
By their nature, SEO contests encourage the intentional manipulation of search rankings.
Interestingly, Mueller didn’t mention whether contests violate Google’s webmaster guidelines.
