Pssst.. Need Free Links?

January 10th, 2006

Well, not actually free, but you don’t have to give me any money.

After posting about some of my activist activities, I noticed that I have acquired more than a few new links from other activists talking about some of the signs that I posted around Long Island (lightbulb). So, in an attempt to get more people involved in the political process, I propose the following to my industry peers:

1. Find out how to make a sign; you’ll also want to read - Legal Notes, Placement Strategies (note that I am attempting to make this non-partisan; your sign can say whatever you want)
2. Take a picture of the sign, and email it to me - please include where you posted the sign
3. I will post your picture on my blog (I may even decide to build a page of contributors, and provide links)
4. I will generate and send you a code good for three free submissions to the BOTW Directory

Simple enough. Now some ground rules…

  • The submissions don’t necessarily mean that your site will be listed. You can’t do this, and then submit some garbage, made-for-Adsense site, and expect the editors to accept it. Whichever editor reviews your submission won’t even know that you are a “friend”. So this won’t work as a backdoor to getting your craptastic site listed.
  • If you are scummy enough to steal somebody else’s pictures, and send them over as your own, when (not if) you are revealed: (1) your sites will be removed, (2) I will inform the world of your chicanery, and (3) consult with our corporate counsel to see if we can take action.
  • Your sign doesn’t have to say “Impeach” or “Bush Lied”. I am not asking you to regurgitate my ideology. You can say whatever you want - if you think that GW is the greatest, and want to tell the world, knock yourself out. I am just looking to get people involved.
  • This project should not be interpreted as an official endorsement from BOTW - I am doing this on my own, and my thoughts/comments/actions should not be inferred to represent those of anybody but me. I am sure there are people at work who don’t agree with me; just as I am sure that there are some of you who may not agree with my philosphies. I respect the thoughts of all, and am simply looking to get people involved with the system.

    • So… if you are a webmaster, SEO, or blogger looking to get some exposure to your site, AND you are interested in participating in your constitutionally protected right of free political speech, then have a go at it. As the SEO crowd are at the forefront of guerilla marketing, just imagine what some determined SEO people could do…

    Good luck - and play safe!

    10 Responses to “Pssst.. Need Free Links?”

    1. SEO Book.com Says:
      January 10th, 2006 at 3:03 pm

      Political Activism SEO

      Post about the activism circuit having a bunch of viral link popularity.

    2. Search Engine Journal » Link Love & Political Activism = Free Links from BOTW Says:
      January 11th, 2006 at 9:45 pm

      […] In an effort to spread the effective offline awareness of political activism, Greg Hartnett has come about with a way for more Americans to get involved with their Right of Free Speech, and possibly even get sites listed in the BOTW directory. Seems that Greg got some link love with some signs that he had posted around Long Island which include a political message revolved around the booting of the current US President from office. […]

    3. AussieWebmaster Says:
      January 12th, 2006 at 10:44 am

      Hey mate!
      Creative marketing method and solid support for political activism in all forms.
      Gave you some pub too.

    4. greg Says:
      January 12th, 2006 at 11:38 am

      hi frank:

      thanks for helping to spread the word.

    5. Loren Says:
      January 19th, 2006 at 10:15 am

      Greg, I’m in Japan right now. Will this count if I do this here, like at a local train station? Even if the sign is in English and not Kanji.

    6. greg Says:
      January 19th, 2006 at 12:32 pm

      absolutely Loren - this is not limited to the US. i look forward to seeing what you do :)

    7. Sluz Says:
      January 22nd, 2006 at 4:40 am

      Hi Greg,

      When I saw the SEO book post on Political Activism SEO I thought the post was going to be about the name Santorum. It’s a Political Activism SEO campaign against republican Rick Santorum who is a total homophobe. So… they named something totally disgusting after the guy. Search for Santorum and you should get a good laugh.

      You should link to the parody website and give it some link juice. http://www.spreadingsantorum.com/

    8. Greg Hartnett » Freeway Blogger Update Says:
      February 17th, 2006 at 11:38 pm

      […] A little over a month ago, I posed the opportunity to get three free submissions to the BOTW directory. Though I received accolades from some of my peers, the actual participation was a little underwhelming. In hindsight, I am not too surprised. Calling upon industry peers to get involved in a controversial, political matter may be a tall order. […]

    9. Bruno Mitchell Says:
      February 28th, 2006 at 2:48 pm

      Set the bar kind of low there in terms of creativity, don’t you think. Taping “Bush Lied” or “Impeach” over a street sign is not exactly a profound political statement and hardly creative. In fact, I think it’s a bit silly to be honest.

    10. greg Says:
      February 28th, 2006 at 4:22 pm

      i didn’t know that expressing your concern over the political climate needed to be either profound, or creative. while it is very easy to throw stones at others attempts, it is another thing to get up and do something about it.

      instead of just pissing on my wheaties, why not provide examples of what you feel would be more creative, and less “silly”.

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