Black hat marketing includes every method of search engine marketing that is considered cheating by search engine and human standards -- and the truth of the matter is that internet searchers do not appreciate it any more than Google, Yahoo or MSN. The few sales black hatters make and the information they peddle by using devious tactics do not justify the means.

Black Hat Marketing - Annoying and Ineffective

Black hat marketing can include such things as:

1. Pop-up windows that are notoriously hard to close because of confusing wording and/or programming that literally keeps them from closing.

2. Forum postings and blog comments that are automated and/or lend nothing of value to the conversation. These postings are considered spam.

3. Poorly written articles that are stuffed with keywords but make very little sense -- the tactic of “get the person there at all costs.”

4. Sites that take the viewer from the page they wanted to see, directly to the page the black hatter wants them so see, regardless of their personal preference. Black hat redirects are different from honest redirects. An honest redirect is not placed to fool the visitors.

5. ANYTHING that is underhanded or spoken of in the internet world as spamming, cheating, or spying.

There are areas of black hat that are considered “gray” by some standards, but even these are less than reputable.

The use of keyword phrases that have little or nothing to do with what you are selling may be seen as a gray area. Some people resort to using keyword phrases they feel are more likely to catch the attention of users searching the engines than their chosen niche. Sometimes this is done because the marketer feels desperate and has not yet figured out how to determine appropriate keywords. Sometimes this is done because they are simply too lazy to put work into a reputable site.

It IS possible to build a site around AdWords and affiliate marketing; and have great, informative content at the same time. Choose a niche that works and build your pages accordingly -- with content that people want to see and read. Encourage them to click on ads and/or buy a product because you have piqued their interest with the content on your site.

Another seemingly gray area is pulling in people with free items in exchange for their email address. Most of the time, the offer comes with a newsletter subscription. I am not knocking newsletters. The problem is that many of the emails that pass as newsletters have nothing to do with anything of real interest to readers. More people end up unsubscribing than purchasing. Why? Because the newsletter that was supposed to give them something of value is not a real newsletter at all. It is an ad -- one great big ad that may or may not try to lure them in with promises of riches or scare tactics. Sure, a few sales may be made that way…

But just imagine the sales you could make if you impressed them with your knowledge of the niche itself. Loyal readers turn into trusting readers. If you provide your subscribers with something real, you will get real sales and more importantly, you are much more apt to get repeat sales -- and word of mouth referrals that turn into loyal customers.

Do not even get me going on the third party small print. Most people do not read the small print and that is something black hatters count on. Selling email addresses is one way of making money. It is also one way of making sure people want to have nothing more to do with your business.

From there, let’s talk about getting opt-in lists as a “third party”. While black hatters would love to pretend that these people really want what they have to offer, the truth of the matter is that these people would more than likely “check the interest box” in order to get a great deal on something else. Little do they realize they will end up being bombarded with junk mail from people and companies of which they have never heard -- and most delete it right away.

Of course, online business owners don’t like to think of their emails as “junk mails” but that is what these are when the recipient has not specifically asked for a particular mailing. Is it a great way to get your ads out there? Yes. Does it work? A few out of thousands will click. A few out of those will buy.

Black Hat Marketing is Ultimately a Loser’s Game

Why waste time doing something that will get you very little in terms of customers, especially when it really is not even polite?

It is better to do your own SEO and get your newsletters and ads focused on the people who have asked for your specific product because they like what you have to say. Again, this is about happy customers and the referrals they bring in. Does any honest person really want an unhappy customer?

White hat marketing can bring success. Over the long term, white hat techniques will build your business into something that is respected and trusted. Trust goes a long way toward inspiring customer loyalty. I cannot stress that enough.

Black hat marketing will get visitors to website(s). However, black hat tactics will not keep them coming back for more.

• Choosing a good keyword domain name
• Using keywords in the title of your site.
• Sufficient keyword density and good keyword placement.
• Social bookmarking
• Writing your own articles or purchasing limited-download PLR and submitting to article directories.
• Creating backlinks by taking the time to read blog posts, respond according to content, and provide a link in your signature that relates to the subject (comment in your own niche).
• Creating your own blog for free and bringing customers in with meaningful posts.
• Taking advantage of free marketing on Facebook and other social networking sites.
• Free reports, eBooks, or coupons with subscriptions to newsletters with quality content.