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Ethical Linkbait: When Have You Crossed the Line?

Save Toby gabs, moderator of the Search Engine Roundtable Forums, discovered a blog posted by an individual who apparently lost not one but two Labradors in the same day. He finds that there's a lot of potential for linkbait opportunity with these blogs, but there's a definite question about whether it's moral to do so.

The link baiting potential is massive but so unethical..

Would you cross that line ?

After all, he asks, if it is successful, the media coverage would invite others to do the same thing.

If things are retrieved (fake/real) then a so called blog network would make a national story would it not?

"blog networks recovers lost dogs"

There have been a number of fake linkbait articles. In 2004, a divorced husband sold his ex's wedding dress on eBay, which was an auction that had over 50,000 views. The reality is that it happened, but his ex-wife declined to speak about the gown and the man who sold it never admitted to the gown even being hers.

A few years ago, there was also the Save Toby rabbit campaign. The truth of the matter is that the whole Toby campaign was a hoax, but even I remember visiting the site during the time due to its popularity.

When have you crossed the line?

Forum discussion at Search Engine Roundtable Forums.



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posted Tamar Weinberg in Link Building at May 16, 2007 10:35 AM Comments (1)

Comments

I think it has to do with if you're telling the truth or not. To make up a story, embellish a story, or otherwise do things in a deceitful way just in an effort to gain links, then you've crossed the line in my book.

Posting something that is true, but not necessarily your's to post about, such as posting some controversial story about the Virginia Tech shootings from the safety of your cabin in North Dakota, then I think you've crossed the line.

But if something truly "baiting" has happened to you, be the news happy, sad, or just plain weird, I see nothing wrong with posting it.

 

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