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Doing search engine optimization (SEO) is just like playing a massive multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG) ' without the spiffy graphics. SEO's concept, in comparison to MMORPGs like World of Warcraft, Anarchy Online, Lineage, etc. are so similar. This is coming from a MMORPG player whom has gone from one game to another. My previous game was Anarchy Online (a couple years back). Today, I am addicated to the game of SEO.

The World
In SEO, the world consists of the major search engines: Google, MSN, Yahoo. The smaller worlds (Ask.com, AltaVista, AlltheWeb, etc.) struggle to gain more interest and popularity with the players. They have yet to offer enough incentive or loot to play there yet.

The Character
Playing the game of SEO, your character is simply you playing in the online virtual world.

The Levels
Leveling up in MMORPGs is like moving up the ranking positions in the search engines. In order to level up, you must participate in battles and gain more experience points. You can also gain experience points by completing missions and crafting. Once you are at a high level, it is much easier to generate a good amount of loot.

The Weapons
Your websites are your weapons. If you have to fight in battles, you will need a weapon. Your websites help you fight your way through directories, back links, etc.

The Battles
In the MMORPG, you usually battle against other characters or auto-generated monsters. SEO, you are battling against other websites using the same search term. Competing for that keyword is the actual battle.

The Missions
Completing missions in SEO is relatively simple. All you have to do to complete the missions is get listed in directories, get back links, etc. You gain more experience points each time you complete a mission.

Crafting Skills
Something that is useful when participating in battles is crafting. Crafting is building links in order to help your website win battles. The objective is to make a good product. For example: if you achieve a back link on a page with 25 outgoing links and barely any content related to yours, you are not better off than a craftsman whom achieved a back link on a page that is related in content with few outgoing links.

Social Importance
It may be important to you, it may not. Having social importance in the SEO world can be a great advantage when dealing with other webmasters just like you. If you are a ganker (someone that kills weaker players than them), it's black hat. If you are good ol' regular player, it's white hat. Having a good reputation in webmaster forums like Digital Point, V7N, NamePros, DNForum, etc. will help you with the game. If you have built up trust among other players, you are able to buy things cheaper and just have an easier time doing business with other players.

Addiction
SEO is addictive. Once you start playing, your addiction grows larger and larger. Unlike the actual MMORPGs, SEO never runs out of missions or things to do. You keep at it as your portfolio of websites and web income grows bigger.