A form of computer hacking that is unethical, malicious or unlawful, and usually committed for personal gain without regard for others. Usage in the internet marketing community generally misapplies the term (which otherwise might be called greyhat), to include legal but overtly aggressive marketing tactics including artificial manipulation of search engine results.
Understanding blackhat techniques can be helpful if studied from an ethical point of view to protect innocent marketers – from click fraud in solo ads for example, or in a greater general understanding of what might be possible in their legitimate efforts.
While this website does not condone truly blackhat or improper greyhat behavior, it does observe that some non-mischievous activity is endemic in the internet marketing space and encourages others to find an ethical balance where these terms might be misapplied as absolutes.