FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Search Jacking Institute Releases Free Report:

"The Government Aggressive Sales Tactics on the Internet and Their Impact on American Consumers"

GREENSBORO, N.C. — The Search Jacking Institute announced the free availability of a new public-interest report titled The Government Aggressive Sales Tactics on the Internet and Their Impact on American Consumers.

Readers may download and print the free PDF version here:

Print the PDF Here

The report examines controversial and deceptive online marketing practices, including aggressive sales funnels, manipulative website design, misleading search engine optimization techniques and what many consumer advocates call "dark patterns."

The term "SearchJacking" was described by Mark Schaefer at BusinessGrow.com as:

"When a topic gets hot, the Internet Bad People quickly catch on and capitalize by finding ways to catch the wave with their own spammy offerings."

His original discussion of the issue can be viewed at:

SearchJacking Article by Mark Schaefer

Mitchell P. Davis, a certified search engine optimization (SEO) professional trained and certified by Bruce Clay Inc, says he has expanded the term "SearchJacking" to include a wide range of unethical, manipulative and sometimes illegal online marketing practices.

"Consumers are increasingly being manipulated through aggressive digital sales systems designed to confuse, pressure or mislead," Davis said. "This report is intended to educate consumers, journalists and policymakers about the techniques being used and their potential impact."

The free report highlights numerous internet marketing and reputation-management concerns, including:

• Dark Patterns — deceptive website design tricks used to manipulate user behavior

• Aggressive online sales tactics targeting consumers

• The proposed DETOUR Act aimed at reducing deceptive online experiences

• URL manipulation and domain confusion tactics

• Reputation manipulation and search result suppression

• Search engine spam and "launch jacking" schemes

• Domain extension confusion involving .com, .net and .co websites

• Online reputation management and brand protection strategies

The report also includes links to commentary, research and social media discussions related to these issues.

Highlighted resources include:

1. Dark Patterns
   
   Dark Patterns Tweet

2. Aggressive Sales Tactics On The Internet And Their Impact On American Consumers
   
   Aggressive Sales Tactics Tweet

3. The Deceptive Experiences To Online Users Reduction (DETOUR) Act
   
   DETOUR Act Tweet

4. Threat of URL Manipulation
   
   URL Manipulation Tweet

5. How to Avoid "Searchjacking" and Keep Your Brand Above the Spam
   
   Brand Protection Tweet

6. "Searchjacking" Can Happen to Anyone
   
   Searchjacking Awareness Tweet

7. How to Avoid "Searchjacking" to Keep Your Brand Safe
   
   Brand Safety Tweet

8. .com vs. .net SEO Issues
   
   .com vs .net Tweet

9. .com vs. .co Domain Confusion
   
   .com vs .co Tweet

10. Forged Court Orders and Reputation Manipulation
    
    Fake Court Orders Tweet

11. Managing Online Reputation
    
    Online Reputation Tweet

12. Launch Jacking and Google Domination Tactics
    
    Launch Jacking Tweet

Davis encourages journalists, business owners, educators and policymakers to review the report and discuss the broader implications of manipulative online marketing practices.

Questions or interview requests:

Mitchell P. Davis

202-333-5000

ExpertCLICK.com