Ethical Linkbait: When Have You Crossed the Line?

May 16, 2007 - 10:35 am 1 — by
Filed Under Link Building

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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