The Men of SEO

Hello Stranger

2007-12-02T12:23:00.000-08:00

It's been a few months since I've given all 2 of my loyal audience any search boy eye candy. For that I really do apologize, and not just because I'm about to ask for a favor.

For much of this year I've been splitting a good portion of my time between client work and my own entrepreneurial endeavors. The client work has actually been more in the business development arena, so to compensate the bulk of the entrepreneurial endeavor has been spent creating a vertical search engine. I'm not nerd enough to handle that challenge on my own, so in addition to trying to structure development, filters, rules and such, I've been trying to get into the VC game. I still have a way to go, but do have a few friends who've committed to giving me a small start (thank you BL and AM).

But, what does that have to do with sexy search boys and search ladies to love?

NOTHING! And there's where I need your help. Yes, you! (I'm not sure of this guy's name, and I didn't have time to send the pic to my lab, but I've got a pink lipstick stamp with his name on it ;-))

I'll be up to my eyes in work for a client project that's going to last through at least mid-January. And I'm really, really, really (really!) disappointed that I won't be able to make PubCon OR SES Chicago. Not.one.sexy.search.~~lovefest.~~conference.

No playing spot the hooker (hi Joe!), which I'm sure would be an exhaustive, championship level competition in Vegas. No tallying of socks on doors. No fookin' Dave N. No pretty princesses (hi Neil!). Really, I'm only cheered by the hope that this year will bring one of the best comic recaps yet (Hi Rebecca! No pressure).

I don't know who can take Danny's place as sexy SEO boy of the year. Seriously, who else is this comfortable with their hotness?

Gotta love when he plays the innocent SEO boy next door.

But if I were at SES or PubCon, I'd damn sure try to find that guy. I want to get off to a good start in 2008, and there's no better way than with a calendar.

Jim Boykin agrees. Kim isn't so sure, but she smiled to make me feel better about the idea anyway. :-)

So that brings us to this little favor. If you're at PubCon or SES, help me find the 2008 Sexy SEO Calendar Boys. You know how I like 'em - signature style, plenty of experience on top, master baiters and just the right touch of nerd hot.

Whichever conference you attend, don't be afraid to whip out the camera. Guys, work it and give me your hottest poses. The 12 most sizzling SEOs will appear in a limited edition calendar for 2008. If selected, your prize is that I'll probably be too embarrassed to bother you in person at any future conferences.

So get the tiaras and tank tops out, dust off the signature suits and let's make it work!

All photos by Li Evans, who is in no way responsible for the craziness of the author's interpretations

The Sexy SEO Man of April Is....

2007-04-01T14:50:00.000-07:00

Jason McCabe Calacanis

Why?
1. From the moment he confessed to not understanding or seeing value in the search industry - at a search marketing conference - it was obvious there was something different about this guy. Too many presenters these days are well informed on the topics they speak about.

2. He's not letting any silly statistics or factual proof cloud his judgment. I like guys who operate on misconceptions and emotional reactions rather than evidence. Most search geeks are busy wasting their time on numbers and analysis of what works and why. It's sooo much more time efficient to form an opinion first and explain away anything that contradicts it later.

3. He encourages you to stalk him. Finally, something that explains the purpose of Twitter (nice try, Li)

4. And the most important reason why Jason Calacanis is the Sexy SEO Boy of the Month is....

because on a day like today, there simply is no other candidate.

Starting to climb the hill

2007-03-21T13:53:00.000-07:00

I moved to one of the only countries on the planet that still considered me a youth once I passed the 18-24 category in demographic surveys, and tomorrow it all comes to an end. There's nowhere left to go (I've checked).

I know I owe you all a lot of sexy search guys, and some ladies I love as well, but this is just a quick note to say that it probably won't happen this weekend. Very soon though.

In lieu of presents and retirement plan brochures, please send conference photos, search stud videos and Dave Naylor because something tells me he'd be fun at a party.

Randomness Vol. 2

2007-02-05T16:46:00.000-08:00

I promise, sexy search guys appearing shortly. But first a few random musings.

Slippery Balls and Underperformance

The Superbowl on satellite is not anywhere as exciting as the network broadcast. While the bacon cheeseburger and fries made me feel at home in Paris, the commercial quality reminded me I wasn't. It's bad enough that da Bears lost (I still love you all, nobody else has a song and dance to celebrate the Superbowl and that counts for something), but add to that crappy UK commercials (I saw the US ones via AOL, and while they weren't exciting they were a LOT better than what was running on Sky) and super random commentary to replace the commercials.

How random is super random? Super random is Don Johnson doing commentary. Somehow Don Johnson being on Miami Vice makes him an expert on all things Miami, and even though he has no real sports experience, that's close enough since the game is in Miami. Was J-Lo busy? She knows a lot about Miami, and she could've offered commentary on the wardrobe choices. Probably would've required less time with hair and makeup too.

What was really fun was seeing the Japanese Action version of the Superbowl. The sound loop was either a few seconds ahead or behind (not even any consistency!) so no ones mouths matched their words.

Apparently the fan coverage was on a 1 year delay, since there were interviews with Cheeseheads and Steelers fans. Apparently the only requirement for giving expert commentary was the ability to name one (any one) NFL team. For all the sports geeks who have a fantasy football team, send me the name. Next year I'll go to London and convince them that your team made the playoffs and give some expert feedback.

Pork and Boobs

Apparently the National Pork Board has come to realize that this isn't as popular a combination as they first thought.

After flexing the power of the blogosphere, the NPB realized that it's harshly worded cease and desist letter was probably a bit over the top and is working with Jennifer Laycock to resolve the problem. I kind of wonder what the resolution is going to be. Are they going to take classes on parody? View pictures of pork and breasts so there's no future confusion?

Anyhow, I'm glad that bloggers have demonstrated the influence of common sense on the web (Team Nerd!)

Not that I'm completely against the pork people. I think it's time someone took a stand against all those perverted babies who won't stop grabbing their moms' chests. Who do they think they are, babies or something?

And for February

2007-02-04T12:26:00.000-08:00

Sexy SEO Boys of the Month will be posted tomorrow. Was that a typo? Not at all. Multiple sexy SEOs heading your way again.

And what about all of the great suggestions for the Sexy SEO Boy of the Month? The ladies are so good that I just can't decide. So you all (all 2 of you who read regularly) are going to help me decide. March's Sexy SEO candidates have been decided by an elite few fellow fangirls. The winner will be determined by a ~~top~~ semi-secret poll. Think of it as Fangirl's attempt to go 2.0

For now, I'm headed off to enjoy some grease and cheer for the Sexy Superbowl Team of the Month - da Bears!

Super Bowl Shuffle - video powered by Metacafe

Goooooooooo Chicago!

Sexy SEO of the Year

2007-02-04T11:51:00.000-08:00

Am I that far into the future? Nope, but I didn't have a chance to dedicate January to my Sexy SEO Man of the Year

Mr. Danny Sullivan. I really don't need any reasons, but I have 5 which will be coming later this evening. For the rest of 2007, I'll be featuring a different DSul photo and fun fact.

Hot Headshots

10e20's Chris Winfield Captures The SEO Ladies Attention

2007-02-01T17:00:00.000-08:00

I happened to be strolling around the lovely garden of search engine marketing websites written by women, and what should I find? A lovely man called forth to the SEOFanGirl blog universe by Kim Krause Berg and Liana Evans for acceptance as a possible SEO Man of the Month candidate.

They say he is much handsomer in person. Exactly how, dear ladies, do you know this, I ask, with jealous envy? I would like to test this out personally of course. Does he like older women?

Ah, but I see he is engaged. Pourquoi? No matter. We shall still adore him, in the quiet confines of our own silly minds and bleeding hearts. And who is this man of muscle, mystery and marketing magic?

Chris Winfield, of 10e20.com.

Tamar started the ball rolling with her
Women of Internet Marketing Wednesday Part 8 interview, when she admitted, "He looks better than his avatar picture!". One has to be most careful in SEO circles, with what they say.

It doesn't take much to get us going.

Anyone up for Kissbait? Hugbait? Hunkwithnoshirtbait?

Sigh. That is just one lucky dog.

Fangirl Random Links

2007-01-14T22:48:00.000-08:00

Between research, reports and posting, I usually come across something that reminds me of why I'll never be 100% productive if I'm connected to the internet.

Just in case you need some distraction, I thought I'd share:

http://seoblackhat.com/2007/01/09/macbook-pro/
I guess this is where that saying came from: once you go Mac you never go back.

http://www.seomoz.org/blogdetail.php?ID=1633
Rebecca posts some master linkbait (couldn't resist) at the moz

http://crazydaysandnights.blogspot.com/
Not related to SEO, but this has become my biggest online distraction. Who's doing what in Hollywood? Are you sure it's who you think it is? Should you even be thinking about this stuff? Lots of questions, and sometimes that's pretty addictive

Who Moved My Cheese? The SEO version

2007-01-14T22:26:00.000-08:00

So in between Dinner #1 (Chinese) and Dinner #2 (Pizza), something interesting happened. No, no one got any devastating news (what usually happens when you gorge yourself on both of those in less than a 6 hour window).

On the train, one previously mentioned Man of Search, found a lonely piece of cheese on the train. The Cheese was minding it's own individually wrapped business, perhaps going to meet a slice of ham, or hoping to happen upon a piece of bread, when it found itself attached to the bottom of a sexy SEO.

I like that kind of bold move, so I invited the Cheese to Dinner 2, where it cozied up to a few more search sexpots.

Now here's where you get involved. I'm pleased to announce the first ever Fangirl contest!

The first person to correctly identify all 4 cheezy bottoms will win...

A LARGE CHEESE PIZZA (you were expecting something else?)! After Neil and Aaron's experiences I'm applying for a scholarship to Shoemoney U. If I get in the next contest prize will come with breadsticks and a 2-liter.

So this one may be easy to guess

And this guy made it into a previous picture

But this one did not

And you'll have to use some super sleuthing to find out which stylish searcher is walking away with the cheese here.

The contest is open until someone correctly names all 4 cheese movers.

I know I'm not the only one studying the pant selection (that's my story, I'm sticking to it) and fashion choices of search studs. Go back to Flickr, browse through old photos, and put your photo search skills on display.

Good luck!

The Wrapup

2007-01-14T18:18:00.000-08:00

I feel like I've been living in meetings, and I've been requesting that invitations for social events come over in CSV files or PowerPoint format, so I'm happy to finally get to the last pictures from the last SES, which along with a few blogs, have kept things interesting for me.

Onto the final fun

On the same day as the lunch with all the Ladies I Love, I also organized a pizza party for the Studs of SEO, because they give me a warm fuzzy feeling, and I thought a good slice of Chicago style pizza would give them a warm greasy feeling (close enough).

Between lunch and pizza, I took some time to ~~admire~~ listen to Danny's keynote. I was okay until someone only two rows in front of me asked a question. If you'll notice from the 100% unretouched photo below, there's a search engine halo that surrounds Danny, and little beams of search sexiness that bounce off of him when he sheds light on some important conundrum (yes! I found a reason to say conundrum). I later introduced myself to Danny, who was nice enough to pretend like he likes the collages I do for him. I'm hoping to be called in as the official headshot designer for Search Engine Expo.

So after Danny got me to leave him alone by promising he'd try to make pizza, I ran into Rand and Rebecca in the lobby where they invited me to have some Chinese with Li Evans, Rob Kerry, David and Irma Wallace, Ken Jurina, David Temple, Ward Tongen (the real Fangirl) and other hot SEOs. Chinese, and pizza and two dinner gatherings full of search studs? I just couldn't turn it down.I thought Rebecca was with me when I was gushing about the black hat guys, but apparently her mind was on other things.

While Dinner #1 wrapped up on time, there were more SEOs than cab drivers that night, so the group ended up experiencing the joys of the Chicago Transit Authority. Lots of train stops, heat lamps that just manage to prevent your frostbite from going to hypothermia, cheese...

So, about half an hour after the start time, we finally made it to Pizzeria Due, which serves up delicious (had to stop myself from making that 2.0) Chicago style pizza from Pizzeria Uno (the original's in Chicago, if you have a franchise in your city). My heart started to warm not only at the thought of what Chinese and Chicago style pizza would do to it, but at the site of all the internet superstars in attendance.

There was Todd and search hottie to watch, Everett Sizemore. Todd's mind was definitely in other places (pick your favorite distraction), but Everett was happy to see me. I asked him to show me the search guns, but outside of the photos he sends his friends it seems he's a bit shy.

From left, Phil Maher, Rand the Man , Curtis Dueck, Ken "Some Guy" (I am somebody!) Jurina, Keith Levenson and Tony Wright

and at the other end of the table, Planet Andrea, David and Irma Wallace, Jen Sense, Mystery Man and Shoemoney. Even though Planet Andrea, Jen and Shoemoney aren't technically SEO stars, they appeal to my love of internet marketing stars in general. While she doesn't have the merchandising appeal or the cartoon rep, Jen does have a love for Disney and the name Jenstar appeals to my fondness of stars and hearts. (Email me Jen, I think I have an idea for the merchandising!)

And look, Shoemoney even got Cameron's mind away from Todd.

Lots of Ladies I Love

2007-01-07T07:34:00.000-08:00

Finally! All the modifications, client reporting and other stuff that I was hoping to have done Thursday evening/Friday morning is finally done. If I hadn't already added the hearts and stars to pictures, I'd seriously list everyone who manages to blog every day and still work on multiple projects as Sexy SEOs of the Year. But, that title is taken, so on to the goodies.

To get everyone excited about SES London (no word yet from Chris on if my How to Rate Search Sexiness panel is going to happen, but I'm pushing for it!), let's have a look back on my first (annual?) SEO Ladies Who Lunch.

I'm used to working in time zones from Paris (Fun Fangirl Fact: I now sleep 2-3 hours at random times of the day, rather than one long stretch, ensuring that I'm awake during some business hours in Europe, the East Coast and West Coast), but trying to do it from Chicago was not as easy as I thought it would be. After answering emails from Europe, I made my way into Rhapsody where

on either side of the table, as far as the eye could see (okay, maybe the table wasn't that long), there were lots of Ladies I Love!

who actually looked fairly happy to meet me. Since Rebecca didn't go the Madonna route, Marie from Bruce Clay UK brought the cool accent (I'm working on my French accent). Janet was working the Search Mojo, CShel disappointingly did not bring anything related to the sea (though she did bring guests, who didn't make cool sounds when held up to your ear, but were knowledgable and fun) and Dr. Amanda came to offer advice to troubled bloggers and podcasters who aren't having the best relationships with search engines.

Either that, or Jill, who I love for always looking happy about search, spread her ranking good cheer. Just to flatter myself, I'm going to say it was a combination of the two.

Elena Haliczer, who does SEO for an Illinois University (quick, hit her up for a link!) is an up and coming Lady I Love. Not only was she rocking out with me the night before at the Blues extravaganza, but she was also up early enough to get in sharp questions at sessions, and get the spot next to Elisabeth Osmeloski.

Just when I thought everyone was happy to see me, they couldn't alter their badges fast enough. Hey, what's wrong with being a Fangirl?

And while I didn't get much of a chance to make it to the other end of the table, I'm hoping to sit next to Jen at a future event to get some Contextual Superstar Mojo.

I'm Bringing SearchSexy Back

2007-01-02T18:35:00.000-08:00

Bonne Annee, Happy New Year to everyone!

2007 is already bringing in lots of meetings in the first week, but wrap up of all the events at SES Chicago - including Who Moved My Cheese? - and the announcement of the first Sexy SEO Boy of the New Year will happen on January 5th.

And... a little surprise.

It's Always The Quiet Ones

2006-12-23T16:04:00.000-08:00

I guess it's time for me to show my SEO Fan Girl Training! I've been studying feverishly with my "Teach", SEO FanGirl, and I hope that the Hot SEO Guy I'm featuring here is done justice with my meager skills.

There's this really quiet, polite and very respectful SEO guy who doesn't seem to get all the love like Rand (Fishkins or what are they called?) or Matt (Cuttletts) gets, but boy does he deserve it! This guy gives us photo trivia fun, wish lists and more! This SEO hottie makes Ranking in Search Engine his business and does it without all the flocks of fangirls following him (we all just admire him from afar!).

I've also discovered, and I'm sure of this (I'm just waiting for the DNA test results to come back), that his long lost brother is Ron Perlman. I remembering adoring Ron Perlman when he played Vincent in Beauty and the Beast, and then as he moved onto other shows and movies (yes, I think I'm showing my age) from The Magnificant Seven to the new Hellboy Series, Ron's a guy who can make a gal's heart flutter - just like Dave.

Dave Wallace has this wonderful lovely wife Irma (she's one lucky gal!), I wonder if she knows she's got a hubbie who's got a brother in Hollywood? Regardless, Irma and Dave are just the sweetest couple at the SES conferences - watching from afar its so fun to see them together. It's also what makes Dave such a great choice to nominate for SEO Man/Boy of the Month - for any month (please "Teach" can we have Dave??)!

Dave tackles all sorts of issues by making them look easy! I read about what he did with that car place who stiffed him - the SEO super hero, flexed his muscles and WHAM! Just look what happens when you make Dave mad!

Oh wait, that is his brother *hehe*. Either way - don't make Dave mad - Make him an SEO Man of the Month ... please! :)

Watch Out, SEO Boys! I'm Watching You Closer Than Ralphie's Dad at a Leg Lamp!

2006-12-21T09:59:00.000-08:00

So you thought that once Fangirl became unmasked at SES Chicago, the game would be over, eh? No more embarrassing blog posts about the hott (yes, so hot you all get two t's) fellas of SEO? Oh, silly boys...

That's right, as Fangirl noted, she's recruited fresh sets of eyes to do some spyin' and bloggin' for her, which means that no conference is safe! No party shall be uncovered! No session unattended! (Well, maybe some, on account of too much partyin'...) Fangirl's almighty power will only grow! GROW!!!

Uh, that being said, have a happy holiday. And remember...I'll be watching...

What We Learned About Our SEO Boys From Blog Tag

2006-12-19T18:25:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you but I've had a blast running to every blog tag post written by a male SEO. There was a list in my head of who I hoped was tagged, from the smoldering John Scott to mysterious Nick Wilson to the be-still-my-heart Aaron Wall.

Blog tag is way better than posters on my bedroom wall and fake interviews by handlers about a guy's favorite color and brand of jeans. Like I care what he's wearing! I do care about what I don't know about my favorite guys. Learning about what they love is sweet. Makes me wanna run to the picture of Rand wearing a Santa hat and pinch him.

If you read all the 5 Things You Don't Know About Me posts going around, can you guess who wrote some of these?

"Sometimes, on the rare occasion I am being snowed on (and when I think nobody is watching), I run around trying to catch snowflakes on my tongue."

"In high school and college I was a pretty serious goth. Lots of makeup, all black clothing, the whole 9 yards. I varyingly had extremely long hair (to the lower back, usually) and a completely shaved head."

"Have a crush on Lisa Barone and Rebecca Kelley."

"I used to be on a powerlifting team." Huzzah!

"I was a hippy."

"To this day, I can crack open heads of lettuce in ways that will stun anyone who isn't a fast food professional."

"You can trace my ancestors back to Sir Christopher Wren."

"I played defensive tackle for my high school football team." Another huzzah!

"I was a nuclear reactor operator before doing SEO." Quite a leap there, eh?

"I'm an insufferable romantic."

So am I.

So am I.

Many thanks for the beautiful men of SEO. The more you bare your souls, the more we love you.

Fangirl is expanding

2006-12-14T15:15:00.000-08:00

Nope, this isn't a reference to my waistline, though all the good greasy American delights I've been enjoying are helping there.

While at SES, I had a sit-down with a great groups of search ladies. Out of this group, I ~~begged, cried, pleaded, and cajoled~~ an elite few to contribute to the Men of SEO. There were so many search studs to admire in Chicago, and I quickly realized if I didn't get advisors I might miss out on a few. Over the next few days, keep your eyes peeled for fellow fangirls posting about the ranking hotties that give them googlebumps.

A quickie

2006-12-14T15:07:00.000-08:00

The rest of the posts are coming. Your favorite Fangirl isn't finding it so easy to work in two time zones from this side of the Atlantic though, and is pretty much chained to the inbox.

Looking over comments though, Andy Beal thought his shot wasn't the most flattering. I have to agree. I mean, Andy looks fine, but his true star quality isn't apparent. So, to preserve the sexy, I present a more appropriate portrait of my favorite Southern British Sexy SEO.

The Conference, the Dinner, the After Party

2006-12-10T16:05:00.000-08:00

Back to the reason you really check out this blog - Sexy SEOs! Without further delay, the wrap-up of my coverage of the SES Chicago social events.

She didn't hatbait me when I first met her, but Li Evans introduced me to search stud Rob Kerry, better known as Evil Green Monkey. He is wearing green, but didn't seem evil or monkeylike. Though he is from England, where 87.4% of SEOs are blackhats*, so maybe that's where the evil monkeying around comes in.

*Source: A friend of a friend, who once overheard a joke about most blackhat SEOs residing in the UK

Also at the conference, I got to meet Matt McGee who reminds businesses that it's not the size of your search campaign, but what you do with it.

The conference started to wind down, and stomachs started talking which meant dinner! The transmitter chip I slipped into Rand's pocket kicked in and extended an invite to join Todd Malicoat and approximately 19 other well ranked hotties for steak and pasta at Gene & Georgetti's. Cutie Cameron Olthuis (pictured above) and the eye candy around the table kept me distracted for a bit, but between snapping photos I managed to finish off about half of the spaghetti I ordered. Even though I was in Chicago, apparently my appetite was still in France.

The other half of the PronetAdvertising SEO (hey Neil, if you could get a link from SEO Fangirl... ;-)) dynamic duo, Neil Patel. He's pictured next to Rebecca's hair.

At the head of the table was master marketing pilgrim, Andy Beal. Now Andy's recognized for his ability to help grow search marketing companies, and insights on search marketing, but I think he's far underappreciated for his accent. In what has to be the coolest mashup ever, Andy's accent is about 40% English and 60% North Carolinan.

Also seated next to me were Jarrod Hunt and Troy Ireland of Text Link Brokers. ~~I can't remember the name of the guy in the middle (sorry, I'm bad with names) but next dinner I promise to stop drooling over the optimizers long enough to get cards and learn all their names.~~ In the middle is Scott Orth from Selytics (thanks David), who actually did give me a card, and will now be getting lots lof fan notes from me. Jarrod and Troy treated everyone to dinner.

Smoking hot search guys treating me to dinner? I must be dreaming. Further convincing me that this was all a dream....

I started seeing double. What's better than one Rand? Two Rands. Now everyone - myself included - thinks Rand is some kind of blogging, linkbaiting, text tweaking , stylish search genius. And he might be, but not without help. To the untrained observer, the guy in red looks like your average bearded babe, but THEN

we highlight the photo and it's Rand's doppelganger! When Andy told Rand that he should work to expand the SEOmoz brand past a single person's reputation, Rand decided cloning was the way to go. This clone, who I'm going to call Sand Gishkin, discreetly observed the happenings at the table the entire time. In a Men of SEO exclusive, you now know how Rand is really able to get so much done, and still maintain his rock star style. BTW Rand, some ladies I love would like to know if Sand has a Mystery Guest.

After dinner, it was time to party!

In the cab over to the TrueLocal party I rode with Ben Wills, rising social media superstar and winner of Andy's search marketing scholarship, Andy B., Todd and Neil Patel. In the cab, someone said something about SEO Fangirl. Being the only girl in the cab, I think most people figured out my alternate identity. But not Neil. In a bit of fun that lasted 15 minutes, but could've lasted the entire evening, Neil looked straight at me, and almost believed me when I suggested Fangirl might be Jill or Lisa (he already guessed Rebecca). No biggie, I bet Neil is the search stud least likely to ever reveal a movie or TV show spoiler.

At the True Local party, Todd had the magic name, and 5 guests. Unfortunately, Todd's such an SEO magnet that he showed up with about 10 or 11 people from dinner. Due to the popularity of the party, the doorman actually reduced that to 3, and told Todd to choose his top 2, and 1 onebox guest. Not wanting to make that choice and forever hear "I thought I was your number one" from rejected guests, he went with 7 or 8 search hotties (and me) down the street to another blues bar.

Cameron told me I'm famous now (woo hoo!), Neil told Cameron "I know who SEO Fangirl is!"

Jarrod points me out to Neil and says "it's her!"

To which Neil replied "CShel?" Just funnin' with ya Neil.

Unfazed by the lights reflecting from his dance partner's shiny top, it only took one beer before Jarrod turned into a dancing machine.

After a few songs from Chicago Music Award nominee Joanna Connor, we headed back to the True Local party to catch up with the search party.

Marie from Bruce Clay UK moves in on search studs Joe Morin and Troy Ireland.

After a few more songs, and for some a few more rounds, most people headed back to catch up on sleep and prepare for the next day of the conference.

Kiss without the makeup

2006-12-10T15:18:00.000-08:00

Before I went to SES Chicago, Hawaii SEO Dave Zuls asked if introducing myself in person would be like KISS without the makeup. Well, I'm hoping I look a little bit better than Gene Simmons without makeup, but I do think there's something to be said for a public character.

I wanted to be fair to those who I've profiled, and give them a chance to throw tomatoes, processed cheese (what's with the cheese? Coming soon), etc. if they didn't like/agree with anything I posted.

However, there is something to be said for cute cartoon representatives. Walt Disney will always be a great animator, but people first fall in love with Mickey Mouse. I am not a great SEO humorist, but people probably find SEO Fangirl as a characrter more entertaining than the person who created her. So, if you really want to know who Fangirl is, ask the people in the pictures. At subsequent conferences they can point you to me (though there's not much of a risk of me being lost in the crowd) and I'd love for you to say hi.

Though it might be a bit more embarassing now that they know how to find me, there are plenty more Sexy SEOs I'll be spotlighting, lots more Ladies I Love, and the general shenanigans you've come to expect from the Men of SEO. As Jarrod from Text Link Brokers reminded me, there are plenty of SEO experts, but only one true SEO goof-off (aww, thanks Jarrod).

Search Engine Studs - Day 1

2006-12-08T17:02:00.000-08:00

Day one? Just a tad behind. I'm finding that despite being a native Chicagoan, I even think it's too cold and have been burying myself underneath blankets at every opportunity. But, I'm out, and a little nippy, but happily nerding it up at a table at Borders. On to the good stuff!

Unlike most of the crowd at SES, my first day wasn't until Tuesday, December 5th. After spending some quality time with fellow passengers making it through customs, I got to hang out a little longer while I schlepped my pink suitcases (the pink accessory fascination is real) through O'Hare to the airport shuttle station. Even though I was excited to see some search cuties, the pillows in my hotel room seemed slightly (just a smidgen) more appealing, so I gave in and slept through most of Monday. I did wake up long enough to get a good, greasy patty melt. In the few months I've been in Paris, part of my jelly belly has gone missing. I'll find out soon if 2 weeks in Chicago is enough time to get it back.

Once I made it to the conference hotel, I got my badge and started to poke around the exhibition hall. One of the first people I spotted was

Dana Todd, who had a fan gathering already forming around her, but when it comes to SEO fandom, I've got things covered. Okay, not really, but she was nice enough to ditch the guys hanging around the SEMPO booth (haha!) for a few minutes.

In the press room she introduced me to

Mona Elesseily, another search lady I love. I actually recognized her from the Web Marketing Today newsletter I receive, where she and Andrew Goodman of Page Zero are the Paid Search contributors. Then she reminded me that she was one of the ladies in bed with Danny Sullivan. Hussy! Joking of course, because I'm sure she can get me an invite to the next search pajama party.

Though I hear the real challenge is not into getting Danny into bed, but getting him to turn the computer off (hi Anonymous).

Though Dana and Mona are both leading ladies of search, I quickly caught site of an orange suit, and a pink tie and lost focus.

Aaaah! It's my Sexy SEO Boy of September (and November), Mikkel de Mib Svendsen. And he's got Some Guy with him! I hear Mikkel traded shirts with Some Guy aka Ken Jurina, so that he could catch my eye. And it totally worked.

"No, I don't have time to talk about your rankings. I'm discussing style tips right now. You don't get a name in this industry by just talking about the industry"

Ken demonstrates his Matrix-style marketing hand to Mikkel. Faster than a clicking camera, this is the type of skill other SEOs aspire to have.

Even though Ken wore my favorite color, I couldn't help but notice a streak of yellow. Was it... it couldn't be.. it was!

My original Sexy SEO Boy of the Month! In my mind I saw the beach background behind him, and palm trees... then, I saw Rebecca who looked like she'd help Rand make a run for it if I stood there too long.

I actually stood there long enough for them to figure out my identity. Apparently, the Cuttlets are the only organized fan base, so I was a little obvious. That, and apparently someone started dropping hints about my true identity on Sunday (hi Someone).

No harm though. Since I beat all of the other Fishkin fans (first!), Rand and Rebecca went back to the exhibition hall with me.

Rebeca and I lost track of Rand, but made it around to some other sexy SEOs, so I was happy. At the Review Me booth, I spotted

Bearded Babe, Andy Hagans. You'll have to forgive the blurry picture. Andy started stroking his beard and I got all excited and had trouble just pushing the button. I started to explain that it was the first time something like that had ever happened to me, and Andy just told me that it happens to everyone and I shouldn't feel bad.

Also hanging out at the Review Me booth was
Sex Goddess Kim Krause Berg, who is a lady I love, but also a true search super hero for making it to so many sessions despite not feeling 100%. She also blinded Danny with the flash from her camera (or was it the magic wristlets?). Kim, call me next time! You set off the flash, I'll get him into the van and we can take him back to the secret search lair.

After walking around a bit more, we caught up with Rand again. He spent some time talking with

Chris Boggs and Barry Schwartz, for Webmaster Radio. I like this picture because it looks like Barry's up to something, and Chris looks reeeeally interested. Could they be checking out the Women of SEO? (promise, that blog isn't me)

I'm not sure, but Chris offered me quite a bit of swag after he finished, so I think I may be onto something. Either that, or he's trying to get me to overlook the fact that he's not a bearded babe and giving me stuff to compensate for the lack of facial hair. That works.

After that we hung around for a little bit. Someone came up to Rebecca and went "you're part of Rand Fishkin, right?" Rebecca confirmed that the surgery went well, and that she's no longer conjoined to the search portion of Rand's brain.

After that I tagged along with Rand and Rebecca to join a long table full of Search Superstuds at dinner, which is a part of the evening which deserves it's own post.

Search Engine Sexy!

2006-12-07T00:07:00.000-08:00

That's what SES should stand for. I'm just getting back after another night hanging out with some of the biggest search rock stars on the web. There was so much sexy going on over the past few days, that the batteries in my camera are depleted (they just couldn't keep up), so most pictures will be coming tomorrow. Food, drinks, merriment, cheese, butts. These things are related, just stay tuned.

By the way, I'd just like to say that Rand, my inaugural sexy SEO boy, is by far the biggest jerk I've ever met.

"Seriously?!"

Nope (gotcha), not at all. But before I gush, I had to throw in something so Mystery Guest doesn't come looking for me at the next conference. Rand was kind enough to invite me to hang out with some search studs I've been admiring from the back of sessions, behind bushes, etc. I knew he was hot, but he's also a lot of fun and one of the nicest guys I've met in a while. And he has a clone (pictures, next post). Who can top that?

Your favorite Fangirl is off to bed for now, but I can't say enough about how much I enjoyed meeting all the SEO superstars in my hometown.

The SEO Wives Club

2006-12-01T22:11:00.000-08:00

Nope, I'm not a part of it (yet) but one of the search studs who'll be joining me for pizza in Chicago (hi Barry ;-)) has asked about guests. If you've been invited to chow down on a few slices, you're also welcome to invite guests. Now, while I'd prefer these guests to be studly SEO hunks who know how to work the big 10, or sexy search employees who inspire cutt out dolls, wives and girlfriends are welcome too.

Though smokin' SEOs and search staffing studs are even more welcome.

Sexy SEO Boy of December

2006-12-01T19:32:00.000-08:00

It's a Men of SEO first. For December's Sexy SEO Boy of the Month I couldn't narrow things down to just one.

So, I present to you the Sexy SEO Boys of the Month: the Black Hatters.

Since most Blackhat Babes keep a very low profile, I had to turn to a celebrity montage. No doubt, these stylish guys were inspired by the bad boys of SEO, and they're pretty hot so I figure it balances out.

Aside from the influence on celebrity style, why am I drooling over guys from the dark side? Though the techniques aren't intended for the long term, black hatters (well, the good ones) are on top of search engine twists and turns quicker than you can say exploit. Not only are they aware of the approved way to work the top 10, in usually a matter of days they're cranking out automated programs to take advantage of any loopholes.

If these guys can figure out how to take over a new technique for making it to the top that quickly and on a consistent basis, you've got to wonder about the other techniques they can come up with.

In no particular order, my favorite Sexy Boys in Black Hats

Aaron Wall
While his SEO Book actually teaches good clean White Hat strategy, he does maintain the funny and informative BlackHatSEO.com site. Plus, he was the one of the few guys I could find with enough pictures to start a decent scrapbook for. I'll be seeing more of him on my board of babes.

Dave Naylor
Admittedly, Dave has other pictures besides this one. But I've got a thing for cute cartoon versions of people, so this is what I'm going with.

Dave regularly spreads the black hat love with detailed posts on redirects, shifty code and other things that you probably shouldn't do, but want to know about anyway. And I'm sure he doesn't need to do any Viagra to keep his rankings up.

Quadszilla

While his avatar would lead you to believe that there's a little dental work and waxing in order, Quadszilla has some undeniable black hat sexiness going on (just ask his Brazillian swimsuit model wife).

For those curious about getting some search engine quickies going and opening up the latest loophole, he gives out plenty of blog posts that lots of people Digg. If you're past curious and want the hardcore codes, tips and exploits he'll introduce you to his friends at his paid forum. Aah, sexy, mysterious and friends who are too. How could I resist?

Earl Grey
No avatar, not a trace on Flickr, or any other image search, Earl Grey is by far the most mysterious Sexy SEO I've tried to devote space to. I did find the above picture of a Mango Earl Grey parfait, and being one with a huge sweet tooth that was enough to distract me from the frustration of not finding any images of the man himself. There was also this adorable kitten on Flickr, so I decided I wouldn't let the lack of photos stock my admiration.

Granted it's difficult to properly ~~stalk out~~ admire Earl without the usual hot avatars and pictures, but just by association he's sweet and adorable - and he's got a bad boy side. ::Swoon:: I'll have to keep an eye on this one.

Geoffrey "G-Man" 67

Here's a ban who's black hat and not afraid to show it! I'm a little disappointed that he thinks girls are evil, but he's clearly referring to girls without an appreciation for the smoldering art of site optimization, right?

I'll assume that's the case. Aside from his willingness to bare his quick and dirty techniques, he does it in not one, not two, but three places! Catch him spicing things up on the already insanely sexy SEOmoz blog, more recently at his own blog, and doing it for a private audience in the Syndk8 Forums. Breakin' the (search engine law) and not afraid to flaunt it. Aah, how dangerously tempting.

Beyond trying to get a taste of the eye candy, your favorite Fangirl (or me, in case you have another favorite fangirl) doesn't dabble in the dark arts much. While it would probably give me a bad girl component, I really just find it to be too much work. I mean, there are only so many hours in the day, and some of those need to be dedicated to admiring new search studs. Redirects, mastering redirects, keeping up with algorithm holes would just take away from that. And I know what's important.

So, there they are, my Sexy SEO Boys of December. Expecting someone else? When I have lunch this Wednesday with some of the ladies I love, January's Sexy SEO Boy of the Month will be one of the topics of conversation.

4 Days and Counting!

2006-11-29T15:39:00.000-08:00

It's almost here. That magical time of the year when winter weather, Chicago and hot searchers all come together.

I checked out some of the French fils de referencement (boys of search) at SES Paris the other day, and while it was great to have a chance to talk rankings and link strategies over champagne and cheese, I have to say I think Chicago is going to be even better.

Quite a few ladies of search are going to get together for lunch, and help me decide on important matters - like who will be 2007's first Sexy SEO Boy of the Month. There are a couple of ladies whose email addresses couldn't be turned up after clever searching (Risa, Lisa I've been getting all kinds of lottery winnings and deals from Nigerian heirs - you don't know what you're missing out on by hiding your email! If you can join me for lunch on Wednesday, it would be great to have you both there), but hopefully I'll hear from them soon.

And search studs? Your invites are on the way. The day is Wednesday (I want to get all my admiration and 8x10 glossies signed on the same day), the time is 8:00pm and the place will only be anounced to sexy search guys. If you don't receive an invite and think you're a hot search guy I've overlooked, email me your steamiest SEO secret and I'll add you to the list.

Coming up tomorrow: December's Sexy SEO Boy of the Month will be announced. Who will it be? You may think you know, but you have no idea.

So Disappointed

2006-11-28T13:20:00.000-08:00

Thank goodness my recognition from Google came. Earlier I was seriously depressed. While reading Lisa's great Thanksgiving guide (uncomfortable family holiday dinners? Move across an ocean - trust me, it works) I happened upon a link to Danny's PubCon recap, that led me to this:
Why Danny, why? Why was I not invited? There's barely enough room for me to even digitally insert myself in this picture. Yeah, I'd get a little more comfortable with search engines (or their reps) if I could, but I'd have the decency not to leave out my die hard admirers. Sure, maybe you found an easy way to get your sites out of the sandbox, and into the trust bed, but a little r-e-s-p-e-c-t please Mr. Sullivan.

I Like it On Top

2006-11-28T12:40:00.000-08:00

That's right, I'm finally at the top of the search results on Google for SEO Fangirl and Men of SEO. Yahoo! and MSN also put me on top, though they also serve up some interesting results. Bonus: on Yahoo! Shopzilla is offering bargain prices on the Men of St. Louis. While the men of St. Louis are probably fun, I'll hang onto my money until I can buy a bargain man of SEO. On MSN, Shop.com offers tons of options for men to buy. I just might have to check that out.

Now, although there are lots of fangirls, they're staying in the shadows and not giving me much competition. The Men of SEO? They're so sexy that Google's reporting over a million and a half pages trying to shine the spotlight on all the studs of search. Not that I don't understand, but I want to be recognized as the authority on hot search guys, and Google was holding out on me.

But not anymore. My emails to the 3 Googes (way hotter and much more coordinated than Stooges) - Larry, Matt and Sergey- must have paid off. I'd write to them all the time, asking "why won't you acknowledge me? I might be young, but that doesn't make me less valuable." And they finally caved. Yeah!

I've got to do some keyword research (sadly, not involving any search guys), but there are a few more posts to come - I'm so inspired! Just need to make a quick stop at Shop.com to check out their inventory of men.

Sweet Home Chicago

2006-11-22T10:19:00.000-08:00

Aah, Chicago in December. Not for the faint of heart. It's time to break out the coats and gloves and get down to some serious character building, butt biting search techniques! Your favorite Fangirl is a native Chicagoan and I can't wait to see my favorite search studs, and ladies I love in one of the best cities in the world. Check out the picture above - they're rolling out the red carpet.

After losing a few pounds on a diet of chicken cordon bleu and French frozen food (Fangirl is a microwave gourmet), it's time for a return to the best pizza, steaks and artery clogging grease the Midwest has to offer. Aah, sweet home Chicago.

Since everyone has been wondering what I look like without my pixels done, I figured I'd take the opportunity to meet ~~the 3 people~~ all my admirers who've been dying to know.

If you're a search lady I love (or search lady I should love), let's do lunch! If you'd be interested in being a search lady who lunches, email me. Hopefully it will be a fun chance to hear some of Fangirl's vacation stories (haha, just kidding, but don't get out of line or the vacation stories come out!) and chat with some of the cool lady optimizers working the Top 10.

When: December 6th at 12:30pm

Search stud? If you've appeared on Men of SEO, you're hot and you know it. If you'll be in Chicago, join me (and select ladies I love) for authentic Chicago deep-dish pizza. Dessert will be included, bypass surgery for after effects of the pizza will not. Start the festivities by attending Danny's evening chat, finish them out with a tighter belt.

When: December 6th at 8:30 pm

If you'd like to join me for lunch (ladies only) or pizza (search hunks and ladies), email me at seofangirl&at&yahoo (.com, the Frenchies haven't gotten me over to .fr just yet).

Vote or Die!

2006-11-20T19:47:00.000-08:00

Okay, even when that was coming from Diddy I wasn't crazy about it. Hmm, how about vote or catch a cold...nah, not quite as effective. I've got it! Vote and I'll buy you a drink. Much better.

If you plan to attend SES Chicago, please take my brief poll at the top of the page and let me know when you plan to leave.

Fangirl Loves the Ladies

2006-11-12T12:51:00.000-08:00

Even though this is the Men of SEO blog, I've gotten lots of comments asking why there are never any ladies featured on here. Well, for one it's the Men of SEO. Two, I want them all for myself. I'm happy to report on sexy SEOs, but I have to guard my collection of framed Flickr printouts and lifesized Matty C. cutout.

But I'm feeling generous, and just a little guilty. I've been away working on stuff that didn't give me much opportunity to enjoy the shear studliness of search guys. Professional design, gradients for that shiny 2.0 look, website architecture guides, writing articles, planning link campaigns - all that stuff I have to pretend to like in order to drool over the search hotties at conferences. And unlike Jim, I didn't even leave any fun links in my absence. So, I'll give you a few ladies I love (not in that way, not that there's anything wrong with that). They're listed in no particular order, and this may not be a regualr thing, but here goes...

Jill Whalen
Why is Jill a lady I love? She always looks happy about search. It's easy to get fired up about content vs. links or the viability of Web 2.0, the latest algorithm change, etc. I'm not sure which part of search marketing makes Jill smile (for me, it's the search studs, I'm just in SEO for the hunks. I'm sure Jill is less superficial), but it's contagious. So for spreading SEO help and smiles, Jill is an SEO lady I love.

Lisa Barone
I Googled and flickrd my fingers to the bone, and couldn't come up with a positively identifiable photo for Lisa, so my professional rendering will have to do. Lisa is responsible for the cool weekly recaps over at Bruce Clay, but that's not why I love her. She shares my love of sexy search boys and that's important. It's easy to get lost in the information about how to find links or create good content, but it takes a special girl to not overlook the smoldering fire that only a search nerd (and I mean that in the most flattering way) can deliver. Plus, if we bump into each other at an SES I think it would be fun to make popcorn and talk about who we were really looking at during the presentations.

I will say that I had a little bit of hesitation. I'm considering Lisa a lady I love on blind faith. Since I wasn't able to find anything, I started to think. No one has seen Lisa and Bruce C. together in a room at the same time. Is it possible that Lisa is really

Bruce Clay? Only because Bruce's stache looks like it would be pretty hard to hide, I moved onto another theory. Lisa may just be..... Mystery Guest!

Lisa and Rand recently traded a few kind words. Rand let it be known that she had the search goods, she said she was happy at Bruce Clay, but THEN there comes a post just a few hours ago where Rand mentions going to California. Bruce Clay's headquarters are in California, hmmm. Mystery Guest then puts in a challenge to fight for my Sexy SEO Boys (I'm a lover, not a fighter, but I'm not giving up on my goal of a Google themed nursery!).

So now that I'm mostly sure she's a lady, and that she may be a lady spending time with one of my favorite search studs (hi Rand ;-) ), I've decided Lisa B. is a lady I love.

Rebecca Kelley
Time to come clean. I like the SEOmoz blog a lot (I know, some of you are going "really? Could've fooled me!). Mostly because of Rand, and sometimes because of Gman (what can I say, I've got a weakness for bad boys), but Rebecca's a big part of it too. Even though there aren't nearly enough pictures of SEO guys, I always look forward to Rebecca's posts. Hiring a new person isn't my idea of exciting, but somehow Rebecca made it pretty darn funny. She also shares my skepticism of certain European foods (above picture), and a hometown that borders Lake Michigan (Detroit for her, Chicago for me).

But that's not why I love her. She's gone international to work with Sexy SEO Boy Ammon Johns, she's best friends with my homeboy Matt (still waiting on the picture, but trust me we're likethis), and she's probably had a spot of tea with Danny Sullivan. If for nothing else but the potential pictures she could take for me (psst... hey Rebecca, would you get a few of Ammon toiling away over a keyboard?) Rebecca is a lady I love.

Big Daddy!

2006-10-11T15:03:00.000-07:00

Once in a while, a man of SEO does something to grab my little pixilated heart and really set it aflutter. Last week, the coolest guy on the planet partnered with internet marketing buddy Andy Jenkins to introduce search engine optimization to the niches (much better than the masses).

I'm not one to cheat - search guys are generally the hottest things out there when it comes to internet marketing - but I get butterflies when I see men tackling multiple methods of promotion. Slightly mysterious, they hit out of nowhere and really shake things up. Next thing you know, you wake up in the morning and either go "how could (my top search results) leave like that? I thought I had something!" or you're so happy with the rock and roll that you start planning for the future.

That type of performance isn't easy to duplicate, so when I recognized it in this guy, I had to honor him with a different type of recognition. So, it is my great honor to introduce my inaugural Big Daddy honoree, Brad Fallon.

Some of you are like "yeah! The SEO Expert - I know him" and some of you are like "who? I've never seen him at SES"

But why exactly is Brad such a sexy SEO boy that he gets the added honor of Big Daddy? Check back next week... Hah! I wouldn't leave you hanging.

1. Talk nerdy to me!

A little while ago I was browsing for something to listen to late at night, to stay motivated while I made travel arrangements for conferences, hassled guys on MySpace for links (instead of drinks), etc. There are podcasts out there, but I really liked a little show I found called SEO Radio. Brad would grill various people in the search and online marketing world, and it was almost too hot for me to handle, but I found myself going back to the archives for more. One of the ladies I love (not in that way, not that there's anything wrong with that), Jill Whalen was one of the first guests. With heavy hitters like that, how could I resist? Every week, it's a different guest letting out a hot little search secret.

It's always great to read what someone has to say, but it's even sexier to hear them too.

2. It's the same ol' position

When you're on top, that's a very good thing. Shakeups, dances, filter changes, algorithm adjustments... whatever you call them, don't seem to have changed much with Brad. There are several other sexy (and savvy) SEOs who've figured out that the latest trick of the day only keeps you at number one for a similar time period.

What I really love though, are Brad's fans. In an industry where NDAs abound, and no one wants to tell anyone what you did for them, this sexy SEO Boy has devotees willing to play defense AND offense when it comes to sticking up for their #1. And on video no less! Hot.

3. He's part of the Mile High SEO in the Sky Club

I like a guy with some outside ambitions. While I usually go for the popstar type, I think I see where Brad's going with the flight training. This is the type of surprise rise to the top I like. I'm probably letting the cat out of the bag, but I see a clear pattern. Obviously not content with being ahead of other sites in the SERPs, Brad's trying to get a head start on other SEOs when it comes to getting on the Googlejet. Brilliant! Why didn't I think of that?

While I'm drooling over Larry and Sergey on the ground, Brad's trying to get at them from the friendly skies where there's much less competition. Pardon me while I sign up for flight attendant school.

4. Can I Have Your Number?

Brad and Andy are tight lipped, but apparently their SEO training program sold out in a few days and broke "launch" history. For those who don't step over into the world of the independent marketers, the launch usually refers to the weeks-months long buildup til the release of a service/product. The most famous of these grossed about $1 million in one day, on the day of the release. So, if they're breaking records, that's at least $1,000,001. Not that making a lot of money makes a guy hotter... Who am I kidding, it does (unless said money came from some questionable activity - then the guy's hot and mysterious ;)).

But among plenty of SEOs who are surely worth their links in gold, why does that stand out? Well, the $1,000,001 didn't come from one big client. In fact, it seems most of the people who signed up for Round 1 of the program are small site-owners. While a lot of search optimizers wouldn't give their budgets an auto-response, Brad was able to combine their value for a pretty nice payday.

5. Might be related to

former SNL guy Jimmy Fallon (Brad, can you get me tickets?)

For those reasons, and just because I'm a sucker for cute baby pictures, I'm proud to bestow the Big Daddy Pixel of Hotness in SEO on Brad Fallon.

Technorati tags: brad fallon, big daddy, men of seo, brad fallon seo, coolest guy on the planet

Words of Wisdom

2006-10-04T07:37:00.000-07:00

For future Sexy SEO Boys, Rand offered the words of wisdom above and has threatened to keep a lower profile (no way!).

To my current men of the month: while the added exposure may add to my competition, I can't keep all of my musings on your hotness to myself. More visitors, increased sales, targeted traffic - sure, I may have gotten into this thing called SEO for boring reasons, but now I'm focused on the pure marketing muscle that lurks beneath.

The Runner Up

2006-10-04T06:35:00.000-07:00

In the event that either of my Sexy Boys of the Month cannot fulfill their duties as Sexy SEO Boy of the month...wait, I have to assign some duties. I'll get to that later. Anyhow, if for some reason Mikkel or Ammon are disqualified from serving out their terms as sexy Boys of the month (September/November, October respectively) Matthew Foster of ArteWorks will take the coveted lipstick print.

In a campaign that would make a Texas politician proud, Matthew established a platform and rallied his supporters. Alas, even after stalking out MySpace, I couldn't find enough pictures to properly scrapbook an example of why Matthew's so hot. In his favor, the poetry and offers of free drinks (is that offer still good?) did convince me that Matthew's SEO sexiness is worth keeping a close eye on.

He's also generous, and will be matching donations to his friend, Kim McSpadden's (warning: MySpace page with music - it's pretty good though) efforts to walk for a cure for ALS. Kim's cool for lots of reasons, but anyone who can type impressive campaign emails with one hand gets my suppport. If you know someone diagnosed with ALS and want to chat with others about ongoing research, fundraisers and more check out this community. Click here to throw your support behind Kim

Sexy SEO Boy of October

2006-10-04T03:30:00.000-07:00

Ammon Johns

is October's Sexy SEO Boy of the Month

Anyone who's hung around the cre8asite forums is familiar with this search stud. Recently celebrating his fabulous fortieth birthday, Ammon's search strategies can only get sexier with age and experience.

But as you know, it takes more than a little experience to make SEO Sexy. It's time we stop viewing these guys as just search objects and appreciate their broader appeal. To do my part, I present 3 reasons why Sir Johns is October's stud of the month.

1. He's open to interns

For readers who know my background, I’m sure you can appreciate my excitement. I have spent a decade supporting and mentoring new talent in forums and via private communications. My years as an unpaid administrator at Cre8asite, trying to help webmasters, marketers and new SEOs get the same passion for SEO that I have, make this feel like the culmination of my efforts, and my joy in teaching.

While US politicians are busy getting in trouble for offering different kinds of hand on experience to interns, Ammon seems to have developed a program with real value. For an entire month, interns have the chance to eat sleep, sleep and breathe search. How to become a hot optimizer isn't mentioned as an offering, but do you really think that won't be picked up after some time with Ammon?

And while I don't think there will be any lurid emails detailing secret cloaking fantasies, or any other kind of inappropriate behavior with impressionable interns, I can always hope.

2. Has some pretty cool partners in crime

Okay, crime if you count stealing into the top 10 a crime, but it sounds cooler than partners in search. I saw this picture and couldn't help notice a resemblance to a certain on screen ensemble. It's like Ocean's 11 for net nerds. I'd totally be the first one in line if Hollywood ever made this happen on screen for real

3. Star Style

Once you get past the substance - well planned long term marketing results, recommendations for linkable content, generous advice to new and experienced optimizers alike - you realize all that stuff is good, but it isn't what gives Ammon that je ne sais quoi. For that, you have to swim towards the shallow end of the pool and ask yourself "but what makes him hot?" For me, this picture answered the question. I immediately thought of George Michael in the pre-Idon'thaveaproblem,I'mjustsleepy days when everyone had a lot of Faith in his sexiness. Despite the similar star styles, Ammon seems to have steered clear of anything that would cause him to nod off at the wheel of a campaign.

:in my best Marilyn Monroe voice: Happy Birthday Mr. Black Knight!

Technorati tags: ammon johns, sexy seo boy, men of seo, ammon sexy seo, black knight

September's Sexy SEO Boy of the Month is...

2006-09-19T10:40:00.000-07:00

Mikkel deMib Svendsen

With an alias like "SEO Popstar" how could I resist? A hot stage name, of course, isn't enough to make sexy SEO boy of the month. For that honor, there has to be a certain je ne sais quoi. With no further hesitation, I'll now detail exactly why Mikkel is the Sexy SEO Boy of September.

1. He's descended from pop stars, or at least people who look like them.

Okay, so I'm not sure that he's actually related, but in looking at a picture of Mikkel, I noticed a resmblance to Joey McIntyre, formerly of pop group New Kids on the Block. Apparently there were some attempts at Broadway, and a solo album, but no one seems to know what Joey's up to now. Hmmm, could he have decided to embark on a career doing something really sexy? Something like SEO? There's no documented evidence of Joey relocating to Denmark and assuming a new identity, but I think there are too many similarities to ignore.

Then there's the wardrobe. Mikkel always catches the ladies' eyes with his rockstar suits and shades. So much in fact that this guy, who pays homage to a different pop star, has borrowed the look to make himself more successful. Smart move. I think he pulls it off, but we all know who started the orange suit trend.

So in fashion, as in search marketing, while others imitate Mikkel innovates.

2. He plays hard to get

Despite his pop star status, Mikkel seems to have escaped much of the flickrazzi. He jet sets with the best of them, and works the engines in at least two languages that I know of, yet he has a relatively low profile when it comes to fan photo postings. I had to sniff around Danish sites, and dig into the archives of others to find enough images to start a decent scrapbook, but that only made me love Mikkel more.

What type of fangirl would I be if I couldn't refine my searches beyond 2 or 3 words? If I expected to find any gems to lust over, I'd have to show what I'm made of. While I do like flattery and being pursued (see Sexy SEO Boy of the Month Runner Up), there's something to be said for having to put in a little work to get my guy.

3. He's not afraid of a challenge

Ugly HTML site with no content? Well that's easy to fix. Dynamic beast of a site operating off of a database with no regard for spiders? While most optimizers worth their salt wouldn't back down from this challenge, Mikkel specializes in it. There weren't any knock down drag out fights for the title of Sexy SEO Boy of the Month or anything, but if there were I imagine MDS would have been a pretty tough opponent.

And sometimes that's important. What if someone tried to dirty my name in the SERPs? Knowing that a guy can defend my honor and not be intimidated by any flashy, dynamic challenges thrown at him is important

Congratulations to Mikkel, the official Sexy SEO Boy of September, who due to my moving will serve out his term in November.

Technorati tags: mikkel demib svendsen, sexy seo boy, men of seo, mikkel sexy seo, danish seo

BWSD

2006-09-15T09:52:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,
Sorry to keep you waiting sooo long for the Sexy SEO Boy of September, but unfortunately you'll have to wait just a little longer.

As mentioned in a previous posting, SEO Fangirl has relocated. I'm now in the City of (Cigarette) Lights - beautiful Paris, France. I was considering Paris, TX to be closer to Matthew, but the pastries en France won out.

I created a lovely, lengthy detailed posting about September's SEO Boy of the Month. Under the influence of almost no sleep, and lots of Red Bull, I now realized that I didn't publish it. I'm guilty of Blogging While Sleep Deprived, and I have to apologize.

I'm in the process of hunting down a correct modem for internet access at home, but for now it's all internet cafes, borrowed computers and limited access to my files. As soon as I have the pictures to pay proper homage to my Man du Mois, I'll share.

Time for me to catch up on all of the sexy SEO news I missed while crossing the Atlantic, but drool-worthy montages are on the way!

Bisou Bisou,
Fangirl

A day late, but I've got a dollar

2006-08-31T06:55:00.000-07:00

I promised to post a juicy post about an up and coming Sexy SEO yesterday, but I got distracted with setting up a test server on my laptop, packing and other exciting moving activities.

Everyone's in agreement that you can catch some of the hottest eye candy in search on this blog, but some people have asked "what about the guys who aren't quite superstars yet?" Today, I'm proud to introduce you to one such stud. While he doesn't have a heavily referenced blog, or instant name recognition, I'm keeping my eyes on this cutie for a few reasons.

1. He may be a medium fish in the big pond of SEO, but he's quickly becoming the big fish in his niche. After he conquers that, my mind can only imagine what's next.

2. I like pink. In searching for all things pink, I happened upon photos of smokin' hot Carey Hart, husband of the singer Pink. He's got some skin to cover, but I notice a resemblance to Carey. That makes him sizzlin by association.

3. He recently hit 200lbs of pure SEO muscle. Hurt me!

Without further delay, I introduce Everett Sizemore,

of First Page Fitness as an up and coming SEO to watch. As "your website's personal trainer" I'd say Everett has the chops to pump ::clap:: your rank up. Sources have informed me that Everett will follow the caravan of search enthusiasts to Chicago for Danny Sullivan's last SES. I'll be devoting a significant amount of time to building a proper shrine outside Danny's door, but when I'm not I think I've got a new objet d'amour. *swoon*

Technorati tags: everett sizemore, firstpage fitness, men of seo, sexy seo boy

Breaking News!

2006-08-29T17:03:00.000-07:00

Well, if you've been reading any of the blogs it's not really breaking, but...

Danny Sullivan announced that he'll be leaving Search Engine Watch and the Search Engine Strategies conferences this year! Apparently Danny was fully behind my idea for a bedazzled awards ceremony with chicken dinner and free drinks, but Incisive Media wouldn't get on board. Danny was like "it's chicken dinners and an open bar for everyone" and Incisive goes "we can only promise you hors d'oeurves and a cash bar." Danny told them "I get the awards ceremony SES deserves or I'm out!" Incisive took too long and Danny let them know he wasn't going to take less than he deserves. If you want the full story straight from Danny, it's here. He forgot the part about the awards ceremony, but everything else is there.

I'm sure that whatever Danny decides to do, he'll have the full support of his loyal fans. I just hope for my sake, that Danny decides to continue with the conferences. (LCD) Fireside SEO chats, leopard trim hats, lederhosen and helpful advice? You can't get that from just anyone. Sure, there are a lot of other hot search studmuffins that attend, but a search conference just isn't a conference without DS.

This also leads to what I see as a disturbing future. Being Danny's last announced public appearance, I predict SES Chicago will be a blowout in terms of attendance. Sure, that may be good for Incisive, but what about the fans? Every silent Danny admirer will come out and rush him for pictures and autographs. This will significantly lessen my chances of getting solo Danny pics for future scrapbooks! Plus, it may be too crowded to properly admire from afar. This will require creativity, but I'm up to the challenge.

Danny I'm sure, will not be too challenged to find other business partners or other things to fill his time. I'd still like to wish him all the best.

Technorati tags: danny sullivan, ses chicago, danny sullivan chicago, danny sullivan incisive media, incisive media

I'm baaack!

2006-08-28T16:30:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my fellow fangirls who've been writing in to campaign for their favorite SEOs. September is almost upon us and the votes have been tallied. Who will take top honors? Who will have to put on a fake smile and give forced applause as they're named first runner up?

On September 1 the name will be read.

I'd like to have one big awards ceremony each year, so that I can see all of the SEO hunks dressed up in fancy suits and dress sneakers a la Messrs Page and Brin
I'd get to wear a fabulous gown, lots of rhinestones and probably some glitter.

Danny, are you listening? That's what SES is missing! A lavish awards ceremony with an open bar, a chicken dinner, rhinestones and glitter. Email me, I know the perfect hostess. ;-)

So where has your favorite fangirl been? Did they catch her outside the Googleplex? Did Rebecca from SEOmoz knock me out of the picture for getting too close to Matt Cutts? Was I simply too busy trying to claw my way up to number one for "men of seo"?

Actually, I'm just moving. As someone who's only a few pixels tall, you'd think that wouldn't be difficult. But I've got tons of little virtual shoes sitting around on my hard drive, lots of drag and drop clothes and 256 colors of makeup to get organized. Not to mention a sexy SEO boy of the month to choose!

I know my priorities though. Coming Wednesday: a studly SEO hottie on the rise. He's not a webwide name - yet - but he's creating quite a stir in his niche and I've got a shirtless pic! (Thanks to my inside source) I've got the scoop on future experiences, so maybe I can get some lurid shots of him wearing a cloak and black hat.

And of course
Friday, Friday, Friday: The Sexy SEO Boy of the Month for September is announced. Exclusive quotes, secrets from his friends and more!

Bearded Babes

2006-08-17T15:14:00.000-07:00

Photos, clockwise from bottom left: Rand Fishkin of SEO Moz (and reigning Sexy SEO Boy of the Month); friend to many, man of my dreams Mr. Matt Cutts; the always enthusiastic Jim Boykin; her Majesty's Search Knight in Spidery Armour (I use extra vowels just for him), protector of the empire of search, Sir Ammon Johns; new SEOmoz hottie Jeff Pollard (hi Jeff ;))

Maybe you've stumbled across this blog looking for useful advice about search engine optimization. Of course you stuck around for the eye candy, or perhaps you aspire to be a Sexy Search Boy someday. While I try to keep this blog focused, I'm going to take this opportunity to post some useful advice.

Great content with keyphrases sprinkled naturally throughout? Check. Links from related resource sites? Check. Beard?

Ah ha! The secret of search optimization that no one else is giving up! You always hear about content, and links, and blogging, and updating, yada yada whatever. But you see all these guys doing really big things with search, and you think "there's gotta be something more" and there is! Beards! If you're a guy, your chances of success in search dramatically improve with facial hair. Think about it - if you're online pouring over hundreds of sites researching keywords and linking patterns and the like, you need something to stroke. If you shave, you'll only be rubbing scruff when you find yourself still glued to your keyboard 10 hours later. And I won't even get on the distractions that might arise if you start stroking other stuff (like your forehead or something, where's your mind?). Enter the beard or goatee.

Photos, clockwise from top left: Link Lov-ah Andy Hagans letting you know where his strength comes from; Roger BKA Martinibuster at Webmaster World striking a pose; Todd Malicoat of Stuntdubl hitting us with the partial goatee; Matt Cutts goes gorilla on Greg Boser proclaiming "my facial hair is better than yours"; Barry Schwartz of RustyBrick smiles, knowing the 2 guys behind him don't stand a chance

Somewhere along the way your beard will start to inspire creativity and a fresh new perspective on content development. If you're snacking late at night it may even provide entertainment as you brush crumbs out of it. None of the guys at SES would let me rub their beards for good luck, so I don't know how the magic of the beard works. However, if you've followed the beginner's guide to SEO, and read the books and still can't quite get your mojo going, ditch the razor. Does it work? The proof is in the pictures.

Technorati tags: rand fishkin, matt cutts, ammon johns, martinibuster, todd malicoat, greg boser, andy hagans, bearded men, secret seo, instant+credibility

And the Nominees Are...

2006-08-17T12:11:00.000-07:00

By semi-popular demand, I'm proud to announce the nominees for Sexy SEO Boy of September!

Thanks to all the ladies (and gentlemen) who nominated their favorite SEOs, including the SEOs who nominated themselves.

Nominee number one: Mikkel deMib Svendsen.
Why he may be the next Sexy SEO Boy of the Month: Let's face it, SEO is about being noticed. Sure there's a lot of stuff behind the scenes that happens, but no one optimizes pages to be found sitting quietly at the back of the SERPs. Mikkel always stands out in a signature suit - usually in a bright primary color or eye-catching pattern. Besides strutting his stuff in standout suits, Mikkel goes to bat with search spiders in English and Danish. Hed! Jed lige sig.

Nominee number two: Ammon Johns
Why he may be the next Sexy SEO Boy of the Month: I'm not the only one who's been eyeing Ammon's inviting smile on his Cre8asite profile. Who says the British don't have good dental care? What really makes Ammon intriguing is his relatively low profile. Respected and admired by lots of search studs, including our inaugural Sexy SEO Boy, you won't run into Ammon at many conferences or find any juicy pictures on Flickr. At first that just frustrated me, but the more I searched, the more appealing he became. Is he a t-shirt or button down guy? Is he influenced by booth babes and promotional girls? Would his cartoon doll wear boxers or briefs?

Nominee number three: Matthew Foster
Why he may be the next Sexy SEO Boy of the Month: Not afraid of self-promotion (and what respectable SEO is?), Matthew's already offered to buy me dinner and drinks. I don't trade nominations for meals (conference passes, yes, meals, no), but flattery goes a long way with me. I'll assume that the drinks would be to get links out of me, but maybe with the right amount of fruity tropical cocktails with umbrellas I could coax some top secret SEO stuff out of Matthew. He's also from Texas, and I think he'd be pretty smokin' in a white cowboy hat.

Jill and the search goddesses at High Rankings already have a favoritecandidate for October and ideas on who should walk away with the prize for September, but what do you think? Who should be the Sexy SEO Boy of September? Is he already a nominee, or is there a glaring oversight? Leave your comments or email me at seofangirl (at) yahoo.com

Previous winners have gone on to receive speaking opportunities at internationally recognized conferences, coverage in high profile magazines & websites and a t-shirt. Okay, so Rand is the only previous winner, and he had the speaking gigs and press coverage before he was named Sexy SEO Boy of the Month. But I am working on designs for a t-shirt.

Technorati tgs: ammon johns, mikkel demeb svendsen, matthew foster, men of seo sexy seo boy of the month

Separated at Birth?

2006-08-14T15:14:00.000-07:00

The more I thought about Danny Sullivan's After Hours SEO pic - and I thought about it a lot - the more I started thinking "he really resembles someone." I don't know why I didn't pickup on this earlier. Nick and Danny have star status, lots of lady fans and both put on killer shows. A little hair gel for Danny and they'd be indistinguishable. Besides devilish charm and striped shirts though, that's where the similarities end. I mean singing, dancing, who cares? Link building, forum moderating, newsletter writing... that's what I call talent.

Pardon me while I cover my Nick Lachey posters with pictures of a real rock star.

Adult Video on Google?

2006-08-14T14:21:00.000-07:00

Barry Schwartz at Search Engine Watch compiled a few postings which indicate that Google may give the go ahead to "mature and adult" video content. That stuff doesn't usually do anything for me, but it got me thinking - could Matt's future videos be a little more titilating? I'm picturing something like....
Sexy!

Technorati tags: matt cutts, google video, sexy seo men

Drink Responsibly

2006-08-10T14:36:00.000-07:00

While I was ~~Googling the speakers~~ compiling notes from SES, I happened upon a photo collage of Rand. I started to daydream about our Google themed nursery, but then I found a rather disturbing shot.

The normally smoking hot Rand resembled a guy who wouldn't be hot if he was wearing lit gasoline boxers. Rand's 99% uptime sexiness ALMOST negates this shot. However with Andy Beal promoting the official fraternity approved link strategy, I feel it necessary to post this to remind you all to drink and link responsibly.

Technorati tags: drinks for links, rand fishkin

Mad About Danny Sullivan

2006-08-10T12:00:00.000-07:00

SES San Jose 2006 officially draws to a close today. No more longing looks at the men of SEO as they wax poetic about linking strategies, Web 2.0 applications, and ever changing algorithms. I'm a little sad, but when the door to one conference closes, another one opens - in a few months anyway.

After nervously admiring the departing search hunks, my mind came back to the conference. That of course got me thinking about Danny Sullivan. Danny is the brains and hotness behind the programming of SES, as explained in USA Today. I've been a long time fan of this international man of mystery. Based out of the UK, Danny jet sets with the best of 'em. Conferences in the US, Europe and Asia keep his passport active as he travels the world evangelising the miracle of search. Most of the time, he does this in style. Check out my Danny montage below.

Dapper Danny gets my heart fluttering, and fireside SEO is sooo romantic. Video fire, wine, Danny, Sergey... Makes me want to slip into something more comfortable. Then there's Uncensored SEO Danny who appeals to my carnal instincts. This picture looks like he just finished getting down and dirty with a black hatter and came out on top. Sexy!

Danny's one of the few guys with the confidence to pull off a violet and leopard print hat, but I don't think he really took it to its full potential. I picture that hat with an ensemble like this:

or something equally stylish from the international male catalog.

But then we get to the headshot Danny uses when promoting the SES conferences. Danny, I love you to death and am your number one fan. Seriously, if Rand doesn't accept my proposal, I'm dedicating my entire Sexy SEO men scrapbook to you. However, your headshot doesn't do your hotness justice.

As a devoted fan, I'm asking that you use the "Dapper Danny" picture or the "SEO stud" shot. If there was a video that accompanied the Uncensored SEO shot, I'd like a copy for my private collection. Sure, most people registering for the conference don't give your headshot a second look. For those of us who print out 8x10 glossies to keep next to our nightstands though, you're often the last image we see before dreaming of top 10 results on competitive, singular keywords (what would it be like to rank for "laptop" or even "seo" I don't think I'll ever know but a girl can dream).

Danny, I feel like Ask- thought of occasionally, but not given any real attention. Your picture is optimized for the viewer looking for a general idea of who's running the show, a face to place with the name. But what about those like me, who turn to you for sexy pictorials, flirty smiles at the camera as if to say "I know search strategies that you don't"? That's the Danny I know and lust after.

Technorati tags: danny sullivan, international male, sexy seo men, ses 2006

Mr. SEO August 2006

2006-08-09T13:58:00.000-07:00

I'm proud to announce that Rand Fishkin of SEOMoz is our first official Sexy SEO Boy of the month.

Lisa, from Bruce Clay was lucky enough to be seated next to Rand at the blogging panel at SES San Jose.

"I must be careful to maintain composure, Rand Fishkin and his yellow pumas are sitting four seats to my left."

Tell me about it! The thought of being so close to such SEO sexiness gives me butterflies. I don't know if I could handle being four seats away. It's kind of obvious why Rand makes me randy (sorry, couldn't help it), but in case you need reasons on why Rand is hot stuff:

1. It's in the genes
Mom and dad are a serious part of the SEOMoz mix. It's one thing to learn how to work the SERPs, it's another to have the genetics to naturally master it. Just think, if I were to marry Rand we'd have cute little SEO babies. We could decorate the nursery in fun primary colors, and baby's first word would be "gooo...gle" or something. Or maybe "yahoo" when baby has the sniffles. Sorry, I've gotten ahead of myself here, but you get the idea.

2. He says all the right things
I love guys who know how to give a compliment. Not your usual "nice backend (database work)" or "you're a 10 (SERP results winner)" type compliments either. Earlier this month, Rand shared some of his feelings about Danny Sullivan:

What I think is so incredible about Danny is his amazing ability to be down-to-earth. In a recent conversation, we spent almost an hour talking about making the decision to get married. Danny approached that topic with the same logic, empathy and tact that he does when talking about the latest Google foible. Unlike so many people in the business world, there's nothing two-faced about him - what you see is what you get, no matter the topic or the crowd.

I'm proud to say that Danny is the representative of my industry, proud to know him and grateful for his leadership. Without him, I think that the world of search marketing would be vastly changed for the worse. Danny's actually more than just a hero to me - he's a role model, someone I aspire to be.

Sigh. What I wouldn't give to hear Rand whisper sweet nothings in my ear about changing the search landscape, appealing to his feelings in a contextually relevant way... By the way, I'm assuming Danny and Rand aren't getting married (not that there's anything wrong with that), which could only lead me to the conclusion that Rand might be going off the market. No
Rand, no! I'm the one for you! I've got orange pumas and the same interest in search that fuels your fire. If you decide to ignore fate and walk down the aisle with that girl you live with though, good luck and congratulations. Just know she'll never be half the nerd I am!

3. He makes fashion statements
In a space where very few embrace their icon status, Rand proudly displays his trend-leading style. Madonna had crosses, Gwen Stefani has her red lipstick, ~~Paris Hilton has STDs~~ and Rand has the yellow pumas. Sure, lots of SEO guys have questionable haircuts (I think it makes a guy unique, don't change a thing!), but nothing Trump-esque that would stand out as a signature. Not wanting to compete in the questionable hair category, Rand takes it to the feet. It's just one more thing that makes him hot.

Congratulations to Rand of SEOmoz, or Sexy SEO Boy of the Month!

I'm too cheap to buy an award for you or anything, but email me and I'll buy you a drink - no link necessary. Just for fun: drinks for links

Technorati tags:
rand fishkin, seomoz, drinks for links

Search Engine Strategies Day 1

2006-08-07T13:13:00.000-07:00

So it seems like everyone in the search world has landed in San Jose for the 2006 Search Engine Strategies conference. Search stud Jim Boyken has the first pictures posted at his blog here

Our favorite? The man, the legend, the Google search god himself - Matt Cutts greeting eager fans. Now entering territory once reserved for 19 year old girls and lonely housewives, Matt recently added video star to the resume.

We totally understand the excitement. Our minds started to race a few weeks ago when the Matt cartoon doll started circulating. We're not sure abot the undies, but the thought of a shirtless Matt toiling away over servers whirring and humming in the background, processing billions of queries, was enough to send our minds racing.

We love seeing Matt on webcam, but we love being able to dress him up even more.

There were also some girls from Bodog moving in on Jim Boykin (L), Dave Zuls (R) and Some Guy (back). Hey girls, not too close! SEO Fangirl is the shy type, but she's been known to be agressive in getting competition out of the way (in the SERPs anyway).

Do you have pics of any search studs from SES San Jose? Send them to seofangirl-at-yahoo.com

Technorati tags: SES, search engine strategies 2006, Search Engine Strategies 2006 San Jose, SES San Jose

What is this blog about

2006-08-07T12:54:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Men of SEO. MoS is run by SEO Fangirl, an admirer of men who are packing the big 10 (SERP results of course, what were you thinking?), marketing muscle and overall search sexiness. Let's not forget these guys know how to handle spiders! SEO Fangirl tells people she reads the search engine optimization blogs for the articles, but like those who read certain gentlemens' magazines it's really all about the pictures.

To maintain appearances, the occasional item of actual news may make its way into the posts. We know what you really want though, and SEO Fangirl swears that boring stuff will be kept to a minimum.