JCPenney's links, of course, used anchor text carefully chosen to match search terms like "dresses" or "home decor," and they were placed on a large number of sites, albeit poor-quality ones.

A much better approach is to stick to .

4. Communicate Your Intent

Make it known to everyone involved in your online efforts that you will not tolerate the use of unscrupulous SEO tactics. That's doubly important when you're in the hiring process. Individuals can be tempted by the prospect of winning their employer short-term results, so it's up to you to make sure that temptation doesn't overpower your corporate goals.

5. Keep Tabs