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A lot of people are saying that the Web is going to
Hell in a hand basket and it’s things like link baiting that’s
taking it there.
Link baiting, if you’re not familiar with the term, is the latest
SEO trick that involves creating startling or controversial content
that is so outrageous that people will naturally create back links
to it in their blogs, e-zines and other web-based watering holes.
It’s called link BAITING because it’s all about creating a hook that
draws back links like rotten fish heads attract crabs.
Now there’s nothing wrong with creating hooks, mind you, and link
baiting could certainly be classified as a white hat SEO tool if it
weren’t for the fact that so many people are abusing the concept.
Good hooks include humorous items, new items, articles and content
about valuable resources and things like that.
But “Matt Cutts Devours Babies?”, that’s something else again. Who
is Matt Cutts and why is he eating kids to begin with? Run his name
through Google and you’ll come up with this:
“Matt Cutts works for the quality group of Google, specializing in
search engine optimization issues. He is well known in the SEO
community for enforcing the Google Webmaster Guidelines and cracking
down on link spam.
He certainly doesn’t sound like a cannibal, but when that headline
appeared on Threadwatch recently, no doubt posted by someone who
wanted to annoy Google’s Chief of Link Baiting Police, the back
links started flowing like cheap wine in a hobo camp.
And what was the end result? A lot of buzz and pages of links in
Google all pointing back and forth to every web site that took the
bait and discussed their opinion of link baiting.
And Matt? He doesn’t really eat babies.
What’s the future of link baiting? It’s going to keep on happening
and it’s up to us to self police. If you get taken in by a link
baiting headline, don’t give it more publicity by discussing it on
your blog or sending it out to your e-zine subscribers. That’s just
as bad as forwarding those stupid “Bill Gates will send you $1,000”
emails that come from YourFriend@AOL.com.
Be different. Be smart. Engage in link baiting but make it white hat
and you’ll keep your self respect and your credibility.
About The Author:
http://www.websoph.com
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