SEO for your website is a thoroughly mathematical proposition, but there are intriguing – and humorous – parallels between SEO and the social interactions at a nightclub. This analysis is necessarily written from a male perspective, but it should be pretty clear how to draw the analogy from a female view as well. So let’s party!

The first comparison is one of difference. Unlike the online world where search is commanded by a very small number of search engines, the nightclub environment is frequented by dozens or even hundreds of “search engines” – Gender Inter-Relationship Leader (GIRL) units – each presenting a different mix of attractive benefits for the Mass of Attenuated Neurology (MAN) that achieves top ranking.

On the other hand, just like search engines, GIRL ranking algorithms are undisclosed and thereby subject to rampant speculation. The unavoidable result is the creation of an entire subculture devoted to this study – code named PUA – that enjoys a following every bit as intense as the SEO community.

But despite all the mystery, there are some things that we do know.

First, “content is king”. It is clear the GIRLs rate MANs based on social interaction, both verbal and non-verbal. The first “spidering event”, termed an “opener”, appears particularly critical – much like a title tag. Be aware however that reusing previously successful openers can result in a well documented “duplicate content penalty” that results in nearly permanent loss of rank.

Numerous other penalties are possible, all generally delivered without any warning, and there are no credible reports of a successful “reinclusion request”, so penalty avoidance is critical. In particular, “spamming” will almost always result in a complete “ban” and in the worst case will be accompanied by a “GIRL-slap”.

But returning to observed ranking factors … in addition to content, linking also appears to be vital to successful top ranking with many GIRLs. Such linking can take several forms, but all are directed at enhancing “social proof” as computed by the ClubRank^™ algorithm.

Methods for manipulation of ClubRank are widely taught in PUA. The most widely used technique appears to be the “mini-net” of interlinked MANs. In the simplest case, this is reduced to the “wing MAN” linking structure and this is the most common method observed in field tests.

There are a multitude of other factors GIRLs use to rank MANs – a commonly reported number is 200 – but the two covered here are widely reported as the most critical.

In 2003 I wrote an article that turned into an ebook that spawned an industry-wide technique named “PageRank Sculpting”. A couple years later I updated the book to include the nofollow attribute as an alternative to Javascript, but the strategies and linking structures remained the same.

Fast forward another 5 years and the web is 20 or more times larger, the competition is far better educated and funded and the economic rewards of top ranking are many times larger. It was time for an update.

In this almost entirely rewritten “update” of Dynamic Linking I’ve provided new and expanded diagrams, updated code samples and a completely new applications guide. I’ve also revised and modernized some of the original material on Sacrificial linking (now known as PR Pumping) and mini-nets.

What I have not done is “lighten it up”, so it is by no means a “casual” read. If you plan on putting the material into practice, you will want to print it, grab a highlighter and a pen, and personalize it with your own notes and questions.

And come to that, your comments, suggestions and requests for clarification are always welcome here. If there is sufficient interest, I may construct a discussion forum for this purpose.

To get started, grab your copy … there’s no charge … at http://dynamic-linking.net