Stratégie de citrouilles algorithmiques
Multi-platform contest (Google, TikTok, ChatGPT) organised by FepSem: over 1,000 participants and an absurd keyword that became a cult.
2024–2025The search-ranking arena since 2002
Explore the history of SEO contests, winning strategies and tomorrow’s challenges: Google, TikTok, ChatGPT and beyond.
42+ documented contestsmulti-engineFR · EN
Latest challenges & communities 2024–2025
Branding Astral
Organised by Neurchi SEO in 2024: 30 participants, structured phases, massive backlinks and narrative strategy.
2024Concours étudiants SEO (SUPINFO, Excelia, INSEEC)
WordPress and SEO challenges run by SUPINFO Lille, Excelia and INSEEC to build a portfolio and a network.
2025Keywordkönig
SEO contest 2025 · Recent contests
2025Flumberico
SEO contest 2025 · Recent contests
2025Linkavista Giveaway
SEO contest 2025 · Recent contests
2025The big eras
Pioneers
Between 2002 and 2005 the first SEO contests appeared on forums and directories: an invented keyword, zero Google results and a deadline to rank…
2002–2005Golden age of SEO contests
Blogs, directories, link exchanges and black-hat techniques: the golden age sees contests flourish, with ever more absurd keywords and a genuine…
2006–2010Post-Penguin
After Panda and Penguin, artificial links and thin content become risky. The archive lists only four contests for the period: organisers and entrants…
2011–2015French excellence
A structured French scene driven by players such as Wix (SEO Hero) and the Qwant search engine (Qwanturank, €50,000 in prizes and anti-spam…
2016–2019Recent contests
Students, Discord communities, absurd keywords and multi-platform scope (Google, TikTok, ChatGPT): recent contests pave the way for the GEO…
2020–2025SEO contest archive since 2002
Toolbox & best practices
Preparing an SEO contest
Goals, invented keyword, rules and timeline: the basics for preparing a fair, measurable SEO contest.
Creating and launching an SEO contest
Official page, Discord community, Event markup and first backlinks: launching a visible SEO contest.
Running an SEO contest
Regular SERP snapshots, moderation, anti-cheat and transparency while the contest runs.
Optimising to win an SEO contest
On-page, link building, indexing and structured data: levers proven by entrants, from PageRank to GEO.
Analysing SEO contest results
KPIs, tools (Search Console, Ahrefs, Majestic, Semrush) and post-mortem: learning from an SEO contest.
GEO / AIEO
Tomorrow’s contests also measure citations in ChatGPT, Gemini or Perplexity. Discover GEO →
Frequently asked questions
What is an SEO contest?
An SEO contest is a competition in which participants optimise a site to rank first for a specific, usually invented, keyword before a deadline. It tests ranking strategies under comparable conditions. Learn more →
How do you run an effective SEO contest?
Set SMART goals, choose an absurd keyword, use Discord for the community and measure positions with Google Search Console and a rank tracker. Learn more →
What are the benefits of SEO contests for digital marketing?
They earn natural backlinks, boost organic traffic and strengthen multi-platform visibility. Learn more →
How do you choose a keyword for an SEO contest?
Pick an invented, absurd keyword for a neutral, fair competition, and check that it has no exact-match results before launch. Learn more →
Which tools should you use to track an SEO contest?
Google Search Console for performance, Ahrefs, Majestic or Semrush for backlinks and a SERP rank tracker. Learn more →
Are SEO contests suitable for students?
Yes: schools such as SUPINFO, Excelia and INSEEC use them to build portfolios and network. Learn more →
What is a GEO contest?
A GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) contest measures a content’s visibility in the answers of generative AI such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity or Google’s AI Overviews, rather than SERP positions alone. Learn more →
What is the oldest SEO contest in the archive?
According to this site’s archive, the oldest listed contest is Schnitzelmitkartoffelsalat (2002, Germany). Learn more →