If you've spent any amount of time in the internet marketing world, regardless of its many incarnations, affiliate marketing, e-commerce or whatever you no doubt have seen a site where the guy or girl is labelled a guru. Often times this happens on the first site you visit if you do a Google search on making money online.

How though does one get to be called a guru? Do they call themselves that? Is there some bench mark of income that allows someone to say they're a guru? Does it come from how many people they've taught how to build really good incomes? Or is there some internet marketing board that bestows the title on them?

This is why you should be wary of this title as often times their income comes from selling the course that they teach you. Screen shots of Click Bank income can be photo shopped into appearing to have an awesome income.

I remember from training in martial arts most of the time you have to earn the rank you get. Masami Tsuruoka, aka the Father of Canadian Karate was awarded a tenth dan rank by the National Karate Association in 2006.

Dan Inosanto, a student of Bruce Lee, has the title of Guru but this is after well over 30 years in martial arts training and teaching. And it was a title that was awarded to him.

So how exactly is someone a guru in the internet marketing industry? If Dan Inosanto gets the title after over 30 years of martial arts teaching (including Chuck Norris) is there any real way an internet marketer can get that title considering our industry hasn't even existed for 30 years?

Be very skeptical of the title. Do the famous google search of the person who you are looking to learn from and see what comes up. But remember to also take any negative reviews with a grain of salt as the one giving the negative review might be trying to promote their own course.

Internet marketing can be a great fun and rewarding career. But there are so many people who pretend they're something they're not. With Wealthy Affiliate University you get people who are very helpful to getting you to your goals.

No one calling themselves a guru or an expert, although there are some who probably qualify for being an expert.

There are many places to learn internet marketing from. If someone on their site has the title guru my extinct is to say "says who?"

Go out and enjoy your internet marketing career and make it a great day.