Continuing from my previous post ”Use Social Networking to build Web Presence for your site“, another good way to drive traffic to your site is through Linkbait. In a nutshell, Linkbait is the act of creating content to a website with the aim of attracting links from other sites, improving incoming traffic and site authority. There are many ways where you can create linkbait content ? create unique downloadable tools/applications e.g., widgets, wordpress plugins, wordpress theme etc, breaking news story, well written article or posting controversial image or video.
Putting together a good strategy for get links to a site is one of the hardest parts of linkbait. Too many people jump right in to trying to get people to link to their site, without knowing the benefits of linkbait. Once you understand the importance and benefits of linkbait then they should be taking the time to lay the proper groundwork in place to have a link worthy site.
Benefits of Linkbait
- Site Authority
Linkbait helps to build more incoming links (links from other Web sites) drive more traffic to your site by increasing the number of paths to your site. In addition, they help you at the search engines. An incoming link is seen as a “vote of confidence” by search engines and will improve your ranking. - Direct Traffic
Linkbait also benefits you by way of getting direct traffic to your website. Incoming links from other websites would surely pay high dividends, as users are likely to click on that link and visit your website, thus bringing you direct traffic. - Improves PageRank
PageRank is Google?s formula for determining the value of a Web site based on the relevancy and importance of its incoming links. Each Web site receives a ranking, based on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest. The higher quality and quantity of your incoming links, the higher your PageRank - Deep Indexing
If you work on getting links pointing to different pages of your web site, the search engines will index those pages faster than if you just have links pointing to your home page. Other pages within your site that are linked from this web page will then get indexed and improve their rankings also. - Links Establish Your Site in ?Communities?
No doubt, links help you to establish connections with other bloggers, web developers and many more. Since a link basically serves as an online recommendation of services, site owners have to be willing to stake their own reputation on what their users will find after the click. That’s why good link building goes beyond simply putting together great content or a great product. It focuses on securing a relationship between two individuals so that the link follows naturally.
Creating a linkbait
You can write it yourself or hire a content producer to create linkbait contents. If you?re creating a tool, you?ll need some developing skills or a developer. What kind of content has been effective linkbait in the past?. The best linkbait contets are contents that provide comprehensive list of a large collection of resources such as lists, tutorials, case studies, interesting pictures, useful tools, well-researched pieces, humorous writing, controversial content, attacks on well-known industry people, and breaking news that may attract people to link your website. Tips for creating a successful linkbait:
- Create great headlines to grab attention
Within the first three seconds of a new encounter, your post will be evaluated? even if it is just a glance. Many readers will see your headline, and in the early phase it?s critical that they follow your link and help to spread your message. A good headline means success or failure for your blog entry. If you don?t grab readers’ attention, you won?t ever get to tell them your story. Check out posts by Performancing and CopyBlogger for tips on how to write great headlines that really work, here and here.Bob Bly of the Copywriter’s handbook sets forth eight time-tested headline categories that compel action and rake in sales:
- Direct Headlines
- An Indirect Headlines
- News Headlines
- The How to Headline
- A Question Headline
- The Command Headline
- Reason Why Headline
- Testimonial Headline
- Cover what is “HOT”
One of the proven ways to attract readers is to cover breaking stories on the various social networking sites e.g., del.icio.us, digg, netscape as well as Technorati. Your linkbait post should cover things like a really cool tool, unique news story or article that people would really love to read about.Nick Wilson of performancing, mentions 5 linkbaiting ?hooks? in order to bait a link:
- News hook
- Contrary Hook
- Attack Hook
- Resource Hook
- Humour Hook
- Create great content
I can’t stress enough on the importance of content. Content is the KING and the best promotion and linkbait tool for your blog. With great content, all you need to do is to promote it, and then more links will be coming your way. - Understand your reader
Typically, content in your site is written with certain targeted readers in mind. These are people that would want to know more about your products, services or content. It is about the same for linkbait, instead of specific targeted readers, you need to create linkbait content that is appealing to an entirely different audience?one that can help your site achieve mass appeal in the niche that you select. Again, covering what is “HOT” is good way to start. - Leverage on the power of social networking
Social Bookmarking/Networking sites like Digg, Reddit, Netscape, StumbleUpon are a great sites to promote your content to the mass audience as well as attracting visitors and links. - Build your reputation in the blogosphere
Creating a reputation is an important part of making linkbait successful. At the initial stage, it is difficult promote your site if no one knows your site. You got to spend more time in the blogosphere by building more contacts, make more friends through social networking sites. - Develop a content syndication plan
Here you can broaden your thinking even further. The concept here is to write high quality articles and give them to other web sites for placement on those sites. You only do this type of work to get very high quality links. But you can get some awesome links this way. - Be prepared for long and winding Process
Linkbait is part of link building. As you might know by now, link building is not a start up activity, it’s a permanent one. It is an ongoing cost to your business that never goes away.
Good luck!!. I hope I covered enough for everyone to know about linkbait. If you have any suggestions or comments, please share them with me.
My suggested reading List :
- DoshDosh ? The Resource Linkbait - Using Lists to Build Authority, Traffic and Links to your Website.
- Matt Cutts ? SEO Advice: linkbait and linkbaiting
- SEOBook ? How to Identify Different Types of Linkbait
- TropicalSEO ? Andy Hagans? Ultimate Guide to Linkbaiting and SMM
- Packim - Seven Long-term Link Building Mistakes
- Darren Rowse - 20 Linkbaiting Techniques
