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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.