besnette - 9:17 pm on Feb 11, 2013 (gmt 0)

@Simsi - well put - I do think these sites have a shelf life...I've just been noticing more of it in my niche lately..
My strategy will always be long-term, and it is definitely risky to model these types of sites.
@claaarky - I found myself again on one of these sites this morning..leading me on a 5+ click adventure to get to promised information that was to never be. I'm no dummy, but if a site promises more information, I would like to trust that if they are well ranked, I'll get the info.

You mention "Breaking up a blog article into several pages could actually make the whole article more digestible and less daunting, which is an improvement for the user. " - in some cases, yes - but to obscure a 10 digit phone number and force someone to click on it to 'get it' but instead get blasted by a huge referral form, and a barely visible link at the bottom of it to 'close out of it' to actually get the number is manipulative and unnecessary - and becoming a common practice. Or, listing other business names and addresses, but nothing else all over your page to 'fish' people into your site, and then 'click for more info' again coming up with 'submit your information' to find out more...is another manipulative tactic..

I think in a tech/internet/saavy niche, or website (like this one) - most of the time we can spot a questionable site. However, there are millions of people out there who are not tech/seo/internet superstars (seniors...for example) who often times place too much trust in what they come across on the web...

@Robert Charlton - yes, I think it is very tricky to detect these sites. I think we all agree that it is a risky thing to do. My hopes by posting this was to see if others were seeing this too - it's good to see I'm not alone or just 'seeing things' that aren't there.

I appreciate everyone's input and feedback. Interesting comments from all...!