When you think of topics that have been making the rounds in the Internet marketing blogosphere a lot lately, what comes to mind?  Google's numerous snafus as of late?  Yahoo's ups and downs?  The "SEOs are evil" debate?  You've seen them all.

Another popular topic of discussion as of late has once again become link bait.

What exactly makes something link bait varies depending on who you talk to.  Some say it's any content worth linking to.  Others say it's any content created specifically for it's likelihood to get linked to.  You'll hear some people tell you it's a valid form of online marketing.  And you'll hear some say it's a black hat practice.

Here's a prime example of link bait:  Shoemoney's "Anna Nicole Smiths Baby Daddy".

Posted shortly after the announcement that the controversial celebrity had been found dead, the poll asks in an obviously mocking manner who readers think the father of her infant child is.  The choices given include a couple of folks who could genuinely fit the bill and a couple that are obviously jokes.

First, look at the obvious reason to post something like that - traffic.  It never fails.  When someone famous dies folks start searching like mad for information on either the celebrity themselves or juicy gossip about the nature of the death.  When all of those curious Internet searches start looking for information on Anna Nicole Smith they'll fun across the timely and aptly named post at Shoemoney.

Someone didn't like Shoemoney's posting of the poll and left their opinion in the comments:

Others had a good time with the poll and offered up more suggestions for possible candidates.

But the other purpose for posting something like this is the possibility that it will get linked to (like I've done here).  Keep in mind that links help search engine rankings.  So in that regard, link baiting works well for some people in some instances.  Even a controversial move like this poll could help 1) if people link to it and 2) they understand that you're joking and 3) think the subject matter is equally humorous.

So if you're willing to tread on shaky ground, link baiting with stuff like this can work.  But it can also backfire.  You might get a lot of links to something like a baby daddy poll.  But you might also alienate or otherwise turn off your readers.  I think the majority of Shoemoney readers are used to Jeremy Schoemaker's sense of humor.  But new readers might not be.  And even some loyal readers can take things personally if they feel you've gone too far.

Be careful with how you bait your site for links.  If your readers are used to a certain tone, sense of humor, or character… stick with it.  Otherwise, think carefully before link baiting.  A ton of incomings and a high search engine rank don't mean a thing if people are so turned off by your content that they don't stick around.

Oh… and before I forget… since it seems like just about anyone is a possibility for title of Anna Nicole Smith's Baby Daddy, I'd like to publicly remove my hat from the running… it wasn't me.