Building Backlinks With Contests?

[Lincoln]

I'm currently running a contest to help promote my site and build some backlinks (but mainly so I can boost my rankings in Technorati and thus looking more appealing to gullible...uh I mean very sensible and wise advertisers).

This seems to be how John Chow got started, but I've read that it's also what led to his getting penalized by Google. Recently another blogger who specializes in logo design ran a contest and ended up getting penalized by unwittingly causing Google bombs by requiring evcontestant to link back to his site using the same anchor text (he thinks it was also for having paid links though).

As long as I don't specify how people should link to my site, is this still a relatively safe way to build backlinks?

[Debra]

Looks like it for the time being.

[Lincoln]

Hope so, these days it seems I'd get smacked by Google just for having brown eyes.

[TradeShowGuru]

Brown eyes huh....I sincerely hope you're not left handed! Google won't recognize your existance. LOL.

[Lincoln]

Originally Posted by TradeShowGuru

Brown eyes huh....I sincerely hope you're not left handed! Google won't recognize your existance. LOL.

I wish the cute coworker at my job at least recognized my existence.

[TradeShowGuru]

LOL Lincoln. But yeah Google has definitely cracked down on the links after their most recent big google dance. Good luck with the contest!

[theawristocrat]

That seems like a better and natural way to build links. Google would love that.

[cpr]

This sounds like an excellent idea! A contest or similar event is very marketable and news outlets seem to have a regular demand for these types of stories. I think this idea has a great deal of potential... please let me know if you need any help with drafting the release or sending it out.

[seg_cost]

Yes, the idea looks great...

[Webpreneur]

Is this method still valid as at today? Please I am curious. I'll appreciate if someone can give an update. Thanks in advance.