Ask any search engine optimization (SEO) pro what their least favorite task is, and link removal tops the charts. It’s tedious, boring, time consuming, and most active sites could do with a clean sweep. Unfortunately, for SEO DIYers who want to scrimp and save wherever possible, this often means link removal gets put on the back burner—
permanently. Of course you can (and should!) hire an SEO professional to manage your website(s), but there are a lot of things you should do that don’t often make the cut (egg white omelettes, anyone)?
Whether you’re an SEO do it yourselfer, an SEO guru, or anywhere in between, an homage to a campy horror flick might have the answer for you: Chuckie Egg. It’s an online game inspired by Google. Players have to “chuck” links that are riddled with spam while also making sure no black hat tricks are used in the process. There’s a penguin, a la Google’s Penguin update, that will be released if you don’t play by the rules in a timely manner.
Get more points the more often you send “bad links” for disavowal or removal. Basically, it’s exactly what you have to do anyway, but in gaming format. And that penguin? Whether you spell it with a capital “P” or not, it’s very real and it’s going to be on your tail whether you play Chuckie Egg or not.
The Makings of Chuckie
Net Voucher Codes is behind this addictive new game, with Steve Barnes noting, “Removing bad links is tedious and one of the most frustrating SEO tasks. Especially with the new Penguin update just around the corner, removing all the toxic backlinks is an essential job. If you don’t get them sorted, your site could face severe consequences.” Of course, the latest update has already launched (slowly), which makes getting in on the Chuckie action even more important.
Some experts agree that Google’s algorithm updates, which have been happening on a pretty steady quarterly basis this year, might be set to happen every three months from here on out. What better reason than quarterly changes to mix business with pleasure? Barnes says, “We really hope the SEO world likes this game as much as our last one. The response to Donkey Cutts was absolutely incredible and it went viral within hours of going live.”
Work Hard, Play Hard
Lest there are any gamers who double as SEO professionals, don’t think that Chuckie is an easy time kill. “The new game is a lot of fun and is a lot harder than it looks,” warns Barnes. “Players need to be quick fingered to chuck all the bad links before the penguin is released. Keeping on top of dodgy backlinks can seem like a continuous uphill battle; it’s no wonder so many companies are getting worried.” Of course, just like with the killer doll Chuckie, only the smart and savvy will survive.
“We like to put together games which others will enjoy playing and have a bit of a laugh at the same time,” comments Barnes. Who says SEO cleanup has to be a downer? With Chuckie, you can get the job done with plenty of time leftover for your other SEO tasks. Just consider yourself warned: They’re not going to be nearly as fun as link chucking now that Chuckie’s in town.