Black Hat SEO Digest

Black Hat Experimental – Polls / Hot Trends

Black Hat Experiments is a new section on the blog where I talk about ideas I (or someone else) had that seem like a good idea.  I haven’t scaled them, tested them, or really done anything – I just think it’s a good idea.  Here is the link to the category section where you can “see” them all.  Black Hat Experiment Category.  Side Note: Guest posts are welcome to BHD right now – either for this section, script contributions, or discussions. It’s a great way to get some exposure to your blog, service, etc…  I don’t charge for guest posts, and I won’t take ones that just promote some service.  Contact me if you are interested.  I won’t post another one until we get a few comments (good or bad) on each volume.

Polls and Hot Trends – Using Auto Blogs to Clean Up!

FIrst what’s up with hot trends?

I’m sure by now you are aware of Google Trends.  If you aren’t – or don’t quite get it,  google trends provides you with the top search terms for the recent couple of hours.   If you are autoblogging using these terms you show up in googles blog search and get traffic.  You also get links back from *(via trackbacks) from other sites on the same hot topic bringing you in more traffic.

Why mess with a poll?

Many marketers use polls as a way of “tricking” folks into signing up for a CPA ad.  I’m sure you’ve seen those lovely ads that say things like:  “Is Madonna Really Sleeping with the Lakers?” Click here to vote and win an ipod.

It then takes them to a fake poll, and then they fill out the cpa offer for a free ipod.

The marketer gets a couple bucks and life goes on.

How to bring it all together and have it make sense.

So most people using hot trends to auto blog use polls but they only use one per site.  With a little coding you can easily have your poll ads match what’s going on.  Let’s see what’s “hot” right now:

1. cash for clunkers qualifying cars

2. charlie foxtrot

3. clunker program

4. luke french

5. jarrod washburn

6. chris dodd

7. shuttle landing

8. erin andrews videos

9. omer bhatti pics

10. deltalina

So let’s say you use a plugin to allow PHP in your posts (phpexec I believe), and a plugin to put something at the top of every post (can’t remember which one – generic header I think).

You’ll have to be posting with just the “keyword” as your title – and nothing else.  So let’s pop in a little php code to the top of every post:

Do you think everyone else is searching for <?php the_title(); ?> right now?  Click Here to Vote for a Chance to win a FREE Ipod!

Let’s be honest and admit that you will have some “Duds”.  There are hundreds of variations you can do — such as:

Our last  <?php echo rand(15, 50 ); ?>visitors have also been curious about <?php the_title(); ?>.  Do you think you have something in common with them?  Fill out our “Profile” form for a chance to win a free mustang convertible.

Then take them to a page where they fill in a form about their age, weight, hobies, etc…  after they submit it send em on over to the CPA offer for the mustangs.  Make sure you grab their e-mail as well and dump em into a newsletter.

(note:  you could just hack into singlepost.php and do the same thing with out all the plugins – easier that way)

Basic little hacks to wordpress with some very basic PHP coding and you have a little more content on each page, a “new” User experience…. and a way to monetize crap traffic to a auto blog

This can’t last forever

Auto blogs that scrap for google trends get burned pretty quickly.  Here is how you protect yourself a bit.

1.) Install a plugin that “hides” categories from the front page.  This will help you pass any human reviews.

2.) Have “real” posts that do show up on the front page.

3.) After running it as an autoblog for a few weeks/few months turn it off – and make it real.  BURY that category so it doesn’t show up in the sidebar at all.

4.) You can always use something like power up wordpress to manage your real posts for all your autoblogs.  Bury that spam in a flurry of “legit” posts

Cash in on your Competitors’ Work – SpyFu Ad History

Popularity: 1% [?]

NSS 2 and BlackHatDigest COLLISION imminent unless you stop me!

Well I’m officially frustrated and it’s time to do something about it I think.  I’ve gone and roped myself into making a new series of training videos, and I’d LOVE to do more teaching than with NSS 2 than I do now.  You can read about me getting roped into things here:  (wow – I’m stupid).  In a nutshell though I’ve commited myself to giving a bunch of new training video’s to NSS 2 members.

First the background so this makes sense for everyone.

I started nss 2 as a way to give out code, scripts, and tools.  Blackhatdigest was created just for the folks in NSS 2.  So now I’ve got two sites to maintain – one free (black hat digest), and one paid -  NSS 2.  So much stuff overlaps that it’s nuts.  NSS 2 let’s you join other membership sites that I maintain, etc…  I go crazy   If I get a little confused I know that you do as well.

So what can we do to change this?  (well what can I do to change it?)

For the next couple weeks, nothing is going to change.  In some respects nothing will change at all.  NSS 2 will still be there.  Blackhatdigest will still be here.

The bootcamp will be new and whatever we “do” in there will be totally self contained.  No jumping off to other sites for things, no driving me (or you) crazy.

Cash in on your Competitors’ Work – SpyFu Ad History

Popularity: unranked [?]

Recommending E-cigs will kill you!

I’ve gotten A LOT of flack from a few subscribers and regular readers because I was pushing for you all to check out affiliating with them.   I’ve gotten some crazy crazy e-mails from folks who thought I was trying to do one of the following:

• Harm their immortal soul because smoking is a sin.
• Push a scam product.
• Have them sell something that doesn’t work.
• Have them sell something that hurts people.

Honestly I’m fearing for my life – The crazies are out to get me for talking about e-cigs.

I smoke – I’ve been smoking 2 packs a day for a long time, a pack a day before that, etc…  I started when I was 13.  Luckily I don’t have any of those negative side effects like lung cancer yet.  About 12 months ago I quit.  Started up a month later – and finally had to admit to myself that I really didn’t want to quit.  I started chewing the “nasty gum” that they sell because it let me cut down.  I’d go whole days with out smoking – etc… but I always ended up smoking again. Usually more than before I’d stopped.

Bumped into a guy one day smoking one of these “electronic cigs”.  I figured he was literally just full of it.  Came home and did some research…. and found a lot of folks were using these e-cigs.

My guess though is it’s only 1 percent of the smoking population.  That’s a HUGE market I thought.  Made the original post about it here:  E-cig Affiliate.

At the time I hadn’t tried them yet.

Since the time I made that post though – I’ve almost switched all the way over to them.  I’ve saved a ton of cash — and I feel great.  I’m not getting any of the crap in my lungs except the vapor – like a humidifier of nicotine really.

The good news?  I’ll be re-ordering on a regular basis and making the person who reffered me a good chunk of change.

If you decide to affiliate with this you aren’t stuck to just doing it on-line.  Take a few minutes and hand out some flyers, drop em off in front of a tobacco shop, go to the bar.  This is a great way to make recurring income – from simple little things.

If you’ve never got off your rear end and promoted anything — this is the time to do it.  The market is going to keep growing.  I’m looking at about 400 a month in recurring income right now.  I’ve spent more time helping you guys out than I have working on my own network (really don’t have one – just a single domain I redirect through).

You need help – speak up.  I’ve got a few ideas I’ll be glad to share with you.  In the comments on the original post I link off to a e-cig wordpress template as well.

Want to try them:   Lowest Cost Luci Cigarettes.   They don’t allow affiliates to use their own link – so this is a good way to get a break on the cost.  If you smoke – I’m pretty sure you’re going to like it.  It’s a little different, but not in a bad way.  Your throat won’t burn,  and your lungs will feel better.  It’s like smoking with out the bad stuff.

Here is where you sign up to be an affiliate:  Affiliate for Luci (it’s the original luci post on this blog – let’s you affiliate).

Cash in on your Competitors’ Work – SpyFu Ad History

Popularity: 1% [?]