Note: This is an excerpt from my upcoming book, SEO & 80s Movies: An Old School Approach to SEO and Content Marketing.
Unless you’ve been under a rock for the past few months you’ve probably heard of Matt Cutts and his doomsayer attitude towards guest posting for SEO purposes.
On January 20, 2014, he put up a post on guest blogging, complete with videos. In it he lays out what he sees as the problems with guest blogging, but also what can be acceptable.
Now, unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably also seen the blogosphere, Facebook, Google+ all manner of other SEO hangouts just explode with back-and-forth on this subject.
But you haven’t been living under a rock, have you? No, you’ve just been living like the Captain and his fifty-six men in the film Das Boot.
Just like them, you’re aware of the trends going on out in the wider world above you, but you just might be a little too cut-off from reality to know the whole story.
So what do you need to know? We’ll cover the following points in this 3,000 word chapter:
So can Das Boot teach you about SEO? Let’s dive down deep and find out.
On January 20, 2014, he put up a post on guest blogging, complete with videos. In it he lays out what he sees as the problems with guest blogging, but also what can be acceptable.
Now, unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably also seen the blogosphere, Facebook, Google+ all manner of other SEO hangouts just explode with back-and-forth on this subject.
But you haven’t been living under a rock, have you? No, you’ve just been living like the Captain and his fifty-six men in the film Das Boot.
Just like them, you’re aware of the trends going on out in the wider world above you, but you just might be a little too cut-off from reality to know the whole story.
So what do you need to know? We’ll cover the following points in this 3,000 word chapter:
- Das Boot the Film: Let’s take a look at the box office performance, director Wolfgang Petersen, filming techniques, the actual Type VIIC U-boats, and the recognition the film received.
- Das Boot and Blogging Authority: When it comes to guest posts, you’re trying to get more traffic to your site. Does this give you more authority, or does it actually take it away? Let’s take a look at how the film establishes authority, questions it, and transcends it.
- Das Boot and Your Site’s Users: You want your site to accommodate as many people as it can, and that’s why you’re reaching out for more users with your guest posts. Is this helpful, or is it just alienating your current users? Let’s take a look at how the film treats its crew.
So can Das Boot teach you about SEO? Let’s dive down deep and find out.
Das Boot at the Box Office
Das Boot was released on February 10, 1982. It opened in just two theatres, taking in under $27,000.
Original Theater Poster
Now, it’s quite unusual for a movie to open in so few theatres, but not unheard of. That same year Gandhi was released in just four theatres on its opening weekend, and The Verdict starring Paul Newman was released in just three. But those movies also made $131,000 and $100,000 on those opening weekends, respectively.
The beauty of opening so early in the season is that you have all year to get going, and that’s exactly what Das Boot did.
By the time the year was up, the film was ranked #65 for the year, with a gross of nearly $11 million, or what would be around $28 million in 2014 dollars.
In Germany the film was a runaway success, and it still enjoys widespread acclaim and attention. In 2007 the Has der Geschichte (Hose of German History) put on an exhibition in Bonn. Das Boot was highlighted, as well as the real U-96 that the film was based on. More than 100,000 visited over four months.
All in all, it made an additional $70 million in the worldwide box office, bringing the total to just over $80 million for the year, or around $220 million today.
The beauty of opening so early in the season is that you have all year to get going, and that’s exactly what Das Boot did.
By the time the year was up, the film was ranked #65 for the year, with a gross of nearly $11 million, or what would be around $28 million in 2014 dollars.
In Germany the film was a runaway success, and it still enjoys widespread acclaim and attention. In 2007 the Has der Geschichte (Hose of German History) put on an exhibition in Bonn. Das Boot was highlighted, as well as the real U-96 that the film was based on. More than 100,000 visited over four months.
All in all, it made an additional $70 million in the worldwide box office, bringing the total to just over $80 million for the year, or around $220 million today.
Wolfgang Petersen Takes Charge of Das Boot
Das Boot got its start in 1973 when Lothar-Günther Buchheim published his semi-autobiographical novel of the same name.
Lothar-Günther Buchheim
Buchheim served as a war correspondent on German subs, and that experience made his novel a hit, so much so that the production company Bavaria bought up the rights. By 1979 they were looking for directors, and settled on Wolfgang Petersen.
Wolfgang Petersen
Petersen was just 37 years old at the time, and had actually been born in the year the novel takes place, 1941. He’d gotten his start in films with Einer von uns beiden (One or the Other of Us) in 1974, which was also based on a novel. Jürgen Prochnow was chosen to star in the film, which was his first film as well.
Next up Petersen directed Die Konsequenz (The Consequence), which, you guessed it, was another film based on an autobiographical novel, and which starred Jürgen Prochnow. The film profiled author Alexander Ziegler’s homosexuality, and was seemingly so far out there that Bayerischer Rundfunk (Bavarian Broadcasting) turned off its own transmitters rather than airing the film.
Next up Petersen directed Die Konsequenz (The Consequence), which, you guessed it, was another film based on an autobiographical novel, and which starred Jürgen Prochnow. The film profiled author Alexander Ziegler’s homosexuality, and was seemingly so far out there that Bayerischer Rundfunk (Bavarian Broadcasting) turned off its own transmitters rather than airing the film.
The thing with Wolfgang Petersen is that he he’s a hybrid. On the one hand he tends toward commercial projects and attempts to “ingratiate” himself with Hollywood. On the other hand, he’s a risk taker, and that appeals to a wide-spectrum, garnering his films attention they might not otherwise receive.
That was the kind of filmmaker Bavaria was looking for in 1979, and they allowed Petersen to make Das Boot on his terms. And what terms they were!
That was the kind of filmmaker Bavaria was looking for in 1979, and they allowed Petersen to make Das Boot on his terms. And what terms they were!
Filming Das Boot
The film took two years to finish and principle filming with the actors stretched over a year, something Petersen was adamant about. After all, he wanted the men to age naturally, grow real beards, and get sick of one another from all the time they spent in those confined spaces.
And the spaces were confined, just as they would be in a real German U-boat. The reasons Rolf Zehetbauer’s production was so real was because Petersen commissioned the original manufacturer of U-96 to make two full-size mock-ups of the Type VIIC class sub. These were used for interior work, and three additional models were made for special effects work and surface shots.
And the spaces were confined, just as they would be in a real German U-boat. The reasons Rolf Zehetbauer’s production was so real was because Petersen commissioned the original manufacturer of U-96 to make two full-size mock-ups of the Type VIIC class sub. These were used for interior work, and three additional models were made for special effects work and surface shots.
U-995, Marinemuseum in Laboe bei Kiel
The Type VIIC was the backbone of the German U-boat force, and U-69 was the very first commissioned. A total of 568 of the subs would be made, the vast majority of which had a range of 6,500 nautical miles and were powered by two supercharged Germaniawerft, 6-cylinder, 4-stroke M6V 40/46 diesels, which gave them 2,800 to 3,200 hp while on the surface. Underwater the boats used two AEG GU 460/8-276 electric motors, which gave them 750 hp.
In other words, these suckers could move, and they did so to devastating effect. Still, they couldn’t get too far out into the Atlantic without coming back to port for more fuel. This is a problem we see in the film, and something most crewmen look forward to – coming home.
In other words, these suckers could move, and they did so to devastating effect. Still, they couldn’t get too far out into the Atlantic without coming back to port for more fuel. This is a problem we see in the film, and something most crewmen look forward to – coming home.
Cinematographer Jost Vocano used a hand-held Arriflex camera with a special gyroscopic mount for 90% of the film. This was a very early version of a steady-cam, and there were really few other alternatives in such confined spaces. But it’s hard to imagine the film any other way, especially in the scenes where men are rushing about the sub in panic, even while their rock-steady commander calls out for proper progress reports.
Petersen was proud of the models, saying “every screw” was just as it was in the original boat. To get that level of realism the film had to have a large budget, and it was originally set at DM 25 million, or around $12 million in the US, which made it the most expensive German film ever produced at that time.
Remember, it went on to make more than $80 million that year.
Petersen was proud of the models, saying “every screw” was just as it was in the original boat. To get that level of realism the film had to have a large budget, and it was originally set at DM 25 million, or around $12 million in the US, which made it the most expensive German film ever produced at that time.
Remember, it went on to make more than $80 million that year.
Das Boot Starts Slow, But Gets Moving
And it worked. The film may have started slow at theatres, but it picked up steam with audiences, and won over critics early. It would go on to be nominated for six Academy Awards, a Golden Globe, and a Director’s Guild Award in 1982, as well as a British BAFTA in 1983.
It won none of them, but it did win the hearts and minds of theatergoers everywhere, and the American TV mini-series version did win an Emmy in 1985. After all, no other foreign film had been nominated so much.
German critics hated it, however. Michael Schwarze, writing for the Frankfurter Allgemeine, said it was a pity Petersen had “made such a bad film.”
It won none of them, but it did win the hearts and minds of theatergoers everywhere, and the American TV mini-series version did win an Emmy in 1985. After all, no other foreign film had been nominated so much.
German critics hated it, however. Michael Schwarze, writing for the Frankfurter Allgemeine, said it was a pity Petersen had “made such a bad film.”
Establishing Your Blogging Authority
In regard to SEO, Das Boot is all about showing your followers and supporters that you mean business. You will get angry for them, you will go to untold depths for them, and you will in the end die for them if that’s what it takes.
In Das Boot we know right away that Kapitänleutnant, the Captain (he has no name in the film), is clearly the man in charge. After all, he’s driving the car down the road at the beginning of the film, and he’s also one of the only men not drunk. In fact, we see the Captain drunk at all in the film.
Well, that’s not quite true. He’s drunk on many things over the course of this film, but they’re sure not alcohol.
You’ll notice how the Captain keeps his cool during the film’s first scene, in the nightclub. Here his followers are letting loose, making fools of themselves, and generally tarnishing his own reputation. I mean, they piss on his car as he’s driving there!
But he lets them, for he knows what they’re about to go through for him. And his men trust him for it. Can your site say the same?
In Das Boot we know right away that Kapitänleutnant, the Captain (he has no name in the film), is clearly the man in charge. After all, he’s driving the car down the road at the beginning of the film, and he’s also one of the only men not drunk. In fact, we see the Captain drunk at all in the film.
Well, that’s not quite true. He’s drunk on many things over the course of this film, but they’re sure not alcohol.
You’ll notice how the Captain keeps his cool during the film’s first scene, in the nightclub. Here his followers are letting loose, making fools of themselves, and generally tarnishing his own reputation. I mean, they piss on his car as he’s driving there!
But he lets them, for he knows what they’re about to go through for him. And his men trust him for it. Can your site say the same?
Questioning the Blogging Authority of Others
In one scene of the movie when the boat docks in Vigo (part of neutral Spain, which still leans toward the Axis-powers) and the men head up, we see something that can serve as a warning for your site.
When the time to meet and greet comes along the 1st Watch Officer steps forward. The main military brass on the SS Weser thinks he’s the captain, which elicits quite the reaction from the other men of the U-boat present. The captain is simply at a loss for words.
You can tell the small dinner party on the Weser really gets on the Captain’s nerves. There’s good food there, but they give him the worst orders and also rescind his earlier orders allowing to men to go ashore.
The captain gets angry when those in high positions are stupid and don’t see what’s plain for all – that he’s the captain and no one knows what to do better than him. And it’s the truth.
Don’t let your site follow silly lines of reasoning from those that know nothing of what they’re talking about.
You can tell the small dinner party on the Weser really gets on the Captain’s nerves. There’s good food there, but they give him the worst orders and also rescind his earlier orders allowing to men to go ashore.
The captain gets angry when those in high positions are stupid and don’t see what’s plain for all – that he’s the captain and no one knows what to do better than him. And it’s the truth.
Don’t let your site follow silly lines of reasoning from those that know nothing of what they’re talking about.
Showing Your Followers Your Authority is True
With guest posting we see blogging authority slipping, mainly because you’re letting someone else step forward for you. We also see your own ignorance turning off those that are coming to you for help. They realize that any help you’re offering is backed by BS and perhaps more of a burden to them long-term.
See, guest posts say to Google that you need help driving traffic to your site, which by its very nature undermines your authority, showing it’s not absolute. The Captain hated going to Vigo, but he needed to resupply and get orders.
Why the Captain allows others to step forward for him in this scene is beyond me, but it could be a sign of the incredible strain he’s under. Blogging can be tough, and we’ll often try to take shortcuts, usually when they seem the most convenient to us.
See, guest posts say to Google that you need help driving traffic to your site, which by its very nature undermines your authority, showing it’s not absolute. The Captain hated going to Vigo, but he needed to resupply and get orders.
Why the Captain allows others to step forward for him in this scene is beyond me, but it could be a sign of the incredible strain he’s under. Blogging can be tough, and we’ll often try to take shortcuts, usually when they seem the most convenient to us.
In this case the Captain was feeling tired, dulled, and just didn’t want to go through with all the pomp and circumstance that this dog and pony show on the Weser was all about. His 1st Watch Officer, that dreaded Nazi so caught-up in party propaganda, stepped forward and it inadvertently caused a problem.
If you continually allow others to step forward for you, showcasing your content with the simple goal of getting through something fast and easy, eventually you’re going to have problems. The Captain realized this, especially when his orders allowing two men to go overland were rescinded. The death mission they next send him on through the Strait of Gibraltar sure didn’t make anything better.
The Captain had a problem here, and that’s almost like the WWII version of a Google penalty. Let that be a shot across the bow to you, and nothing more – be careful who you have representing you, and be extra careful of taking orders from those that exhibit ignorance instead of intelligence.
The last thing you want is for Google to have you in their sights and raining down depth charges on your site.
If you continually allow others to step forward for you, showcasing your content with the simple goal of getting through something fast and easy, eventually you’re going to have problems. The Captain realized this, especially when his orders allowing two men to go overland were rescinded. The death mission they next send him on through the Strait of Gibraltar sure didn’t make anything better.
The Captain had a problem here, and that’s almost like the WWII version of a Google penalty. Let that be a shot across the bow to you, and nothing more – be careful who you have representing you, and be extra careful of taking orders from those that exhibit ignorance instead of intelligence.
The last thing you want is for Google to have you in their sights and raining down depth charges on your site.
Using Anger to Cement Your Authority
You see the Captain flip out a few times in Das Boot. This anger cements his authority to his crew, many of whom may have begun to doubt it.
We see him get angry early when silly propaganda continues to come through. Where is it coming from? Mainly from the radio.
At one point the Chief Engineer gets so upset with it that he shouts for it to be turned off. No one objects.
We see him get angry early when silly propaganda continues to come through. Where is it coming from? Mainly from the radio.
At one point the Chief Engineer gets so upset with it that he shouts for it to be turned off. No one objects.
But it’s not just the audio that’s annoying, it’s also the rare written correspondence that comes through. While they may come through in code, they are put on paper and read. And they nearly always make the Captain angry.
Be careful with what kind of podcasts, videos, or other audio forms of SEO you’re putting out there, especially on other people’s sites. Really, why aren’t you putting it on your own site?
And when you do put up a blog post – they are becoming exceedingly rare on the big sites – will it be the best content you can deliver, or will it be second-best?
After all, if you want to get all those good links from big sites with your guest post, you’d better put your best foot forward on those sites.
It’s clear the Captain is not going to buy that nonsense, and he doesn’t want his followers believing it either. This man knows the truth, and your site needs to cut through the BS just like him.
So then what happens to your site when you put your best foot forward on another? What about your users? How many feet can you put forward?
Be careful with what kind of podcasts, videos, or other audio forms of SEO you’re putting out there, especially on other people’s sites. Really, why aren’t you putting it on your own site?
And when you do put up a blog post – they are becoming exceedingly rare on the big sites – will it be the best content you can deliver, or will it be second-best?
After all, if you want to get all those good links from big sites with your guest post, you’d better put your best foot forward on those sites.
It’s clear the Captain is not going to buy that nonsense, and he doesn’t want his followers believing it either. This man knows the truth, and your site needs to cut through the BS just like him.
So then what happens to your site when you put your best foot forward on another? What about your users? How many feet can you put forward?
Das Boot’s Crew and the Heart of Your Site
While on the Weser, we never see the men down in Das Boot, the real heart and soul of that U-boat, the crew.
The crew of Das Boot is just like your site’s users. They’re there each and everyday, doing the hard-lifting, reading your latest article, driving up your on-site time, and ensuring that new content is seen and catalogued by Google.
Perhaps they come from all over. There are many men on Das Boot, and we know that they don’t know much about the others. Even though they’re all good German men, they hail from different parts of the country.
We see this when Leutnant Werner is looking at the Chief Engineer’s photos. It’s clear from his expression that that could be his home, wherever it is. Your users come from all over the place and don’t know much if anything about the others. But they work together to get the job done. And that job gets done on your site.
Perhaps they come from all over. There are many men on Das Boot, and we know that they don’t know much about the others. Even though they’re all good German men, they hail from different parts of the country.
We see this when Leutnant Werner is looking at the Chief Engineer’s photos. It’s clear from his expression that that could be his home, wherever it is. Your users come from all over the place and don’t know much if anything about the others. But they work together to get the job done. And that job gets done on your site.
Can You Accommodate More Users?
Das Boot can only hold so many men, 56 in total, although the usual number was 45 to 48. Your site has an infinite capacity as well, or at least as much as your servers will allow.
We see quite clearly how important other visitors and users are to Das Boot in the scene where the Allied soldiers from the British tanker ship are trying to swim to the U-boat.
We see quite clearly how important other visitors and users are to Das Boot in the scene where the Allied soldiers from the British tanker ship are trying to swim to the U-boat.
The Captain can’t allow this, and he backs-off, much to his disgust. He wants to take them on, but he knows they would be more of a burden, and might well spell his own destruction. What’s more, he’s under orders to take no prisoners.
Those link backs you’re getting from those guest blogs are much the same. They might seem good now, but deep down you know that taking them on will only hurt you long-term.
Those link backs you’re getting from those guest blogs are much the same. They might seem good now, but deep down you know that taking them on will only hurt you long-term.
If you’re putting guest posts out there simply to take advantage of this cheap traffic source (bombing your competition for their users is never good) then you’re going to suffer because of it, and your boat might end up at the bottom of the ocean of sites floating about out there.
Oversights From Your Trusted Authorities
After the Captain spots the U-boat commanded by Thomsen in the Atlantic he becomes angry. It’s not because of the man’s penchant to see through the road to tragedy that Germany is on, but instead the idiotic superiors that sent the both of them there.
Why, in such a huge sea, where there are only 12 German U-boats, is he spotting his comrade? When orders from on-top are hurting you more than helping, lashing out so your supporters can see is a good thing.
When the incompetence of those you’re working against actually hurts those working for them, you should lash out, point it out, and draw attention to it. This will only help you in the eyes of your own followers.
When the incompetence of those you’re working against actually hurts those working for them, you should lash out, point it out, and draw attention to it. This will only help you in the eyes of your own followers.
Perhaps the reason Matt Cutts is so upset about guest blogging, and warning serious sites away from it, is because he knows that sites engaging in it don’t have their users’ best interests at heart.
And when you want to get to the top of Google, having your users’ best interests at heart is the absolute best thing you can do.
So is all guest posting bad? No, not if you’re going for exposure, branding, increased reach, or to make existing communities stronger. And multi-author blogs also aren’t an issue.
The only sites that have anything to worry about are those like the German high command in the film Das Boot – ignorant, egotistical, and always wanting the easy way out.
But that’s not you, is it Captain?
And when you want to get to the top of Google, having your users’ best interests at heart is the absolute best thing you can do.
So is all guest posting bad? No, not if you’re going for exposure, branding, increased reach, or to make existing communities stronger. And multi-author blogs also aren’t an issue.
The only sites that have anything to worry about are those like the German high command in the film Das Boot – ignorant, egotistical, and always wanting the easy way out.
But that’s not you, is it Captain?
Notes
Ebert, Roger. Roger Ebert’s Four-Star Reviews 1967-2007. Andrews McMeel Publishing: Kansas City, 2007. p 184-5.
Haase, Christine. When Heimat Meets Hollywood: German Filmmakers and America, 1985-2005. Camden House: New York, 2007. p 71-9.
Helgason, Guðmundur. "Type VIIC". U-Boat War in World War II. Uboat.net. Retrieved 2 April 2014. http://www.uboat.net/types/viic.htm
Turan, Kenneth. Never Coming to a Theater Near You: A Celebration of a Certain Kind of Movie. Perseus Books Group: Cambridge, 2004. p 308-11.
Ebert, Roger. Roger Ebert’s Four-Star Reviews 1967-2007. Andrews McMeel Publishing: Kansas City, 2007. p 184-5.
Haase, Christine. When Heimat Meets Hollywood: German Filmmakers and America, 1985-2005. Camden House: New York, 2007. p 71-9.
Helgason, Guðmundur. "Type VIIC". U-Boat War in World War II. Uboat.net. Retrieved 2 April 2014. http://www.uboat.net/types/viic.htm
Turan, Kenneth. Never Coming to a Theater Near You: A Celebration of a Certain Kind of Movie. Perseus Books Group: Cambridge, 2004. p 308-11.
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