Anyone who searches Craigslist for cars or (even worse) for car parts knows about keyword spam. The seller is trying to unload a beater 1985 Corolla, and he throws in the name of every car manufacturer he can think of, plus every year between 1960 and 2008, plus magic words like "turbo" and "gas saver" in the description. This means that you'll find that '85 Corolla ad when you search for a '64 Alfa Romeo or a 2006 BMW. Oh sure, you could specify a "Title Only" search, but many unclear-on-concept Craigslist sellers put something like "$$$$$CAR 4 SALE!!!!!!!!" in the title and include the make/model/year only in the description, and you'll miss their ads. Sometimes the keywords are put right out in the open, and sometimes they're hidden using text the same color as the background. I emailed some of these sellers, asking why they used keyword spam, and most responded with threats of violence… but one seller responded "I include those keywords to make it easier for buyers to find what they're looking for." I hadn't thought of that- what if I don't even know I really want a '91 Achieva instead of the Toyota pickup I thought I wanted? Make the jump and weigh in on this pressing issue!
OK, let us know how you feel. Bonus points for commenting with links to the most egregious CL keyword spammers you can find- we'll form up a posse to flag 'em out of existence!
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