
7 Best Link Bait Strategies for Massive SEO Growth
Link building is an uphill challenge. It requires dollops of discipline and copious amounts of creativity. But link bait works. And if you want to succeed in a highly competitive internet marketplace like the one we have right now, you need every advantage you can muster. We talk a lot about different link bait strategies and techniques on this blog, but it’s impossible to be successful at building links if you don’t have the link building fundamentals in place. At the foundation of every successful strategy is a focus on content. More specifically, there’s an emphasis on link bait content that attracts inbound links and leads to a surge in search rankings, traffic, and credibility. What the Heck is Link Bait? You’ve probably heard the term before, but do you know what link bait is? And, how does link bait work? As you can infer from the name, it’s content that’s designed to attract links. Think of yourself like a deep-sea fisherman tossing out big hooks affixed with chunks of bloody meat. These meat-laced barbs attract sharks and other big fish so that you can reel them in. The more hooks – and the better the bait – the more fish you can bring on board. In the world of SEO and marketing, content is your link bait. The more high-quality content you have – also known as link bait – the more authoritative backlinks you’ll attract. Here are three of the most common types of successful link bait: We’re all familiar with listicles. (You’re reading one right now!) They’re commonly used by marketers in all industries and niches – and they work! The number in a listicle headline is comforting, reassuring, and direct. It sets a clear expectation and promises an easily digestible piece of content that will deliver tangible value. People love visual content and they love data. Infographics fuse the two together for a compelling piece of content that’s highly informative and shareworthy. They’re also a natural fit for social media, which makes them even more versatile. Over the past decade, there’s been a swift and significant shift towards video as a digital content medium. Fewer people are taking the time to read long-form content, while millions are flocking to snackable video content. Other examples of link bait include guides, ebooks, interactive content (like calculators), quizzes, and roundup posts. Depending on your industry and/or desired outcomes, certain types of link bait may work better for your link building efforts than others. But regardless of whether it’s a listicle or an interactive calculator, a successful piece of link bait starts with strategic content creation. Creative Link Bait Examples Below are 7 best link bait strategies that you should consider for your blog/YouTube account if you want to increase traffic levels. via GIPHY 1. Repeat link bait strategies that already work You don’t have to reinvent the wheel here. While there’s nothing wrong with trying new things, there’s something to be said for studying what’s already working and rolling with it. As you do your research, you’ll find that people tend to share content that: Supports the beliefs they already hold Makes them feel a powerful emotion, like anger, happiness, awe, etc. Is relevant to what’s currently happening in their lives. Offers practical value they can apply immediately. Has already been shared by a ton of other people. There are plenty of ways to study digital content as a whole, but try drilling down to what type of link bait is working in your specific niche. If you’re a personal injury lawyer specializing in car accidents, find out what other car accident lawyers are already posting. In the case of competitive niches like lawyer SEO, mimicking competitors’ strategies can be a great way to play the proverbial game of catch-up in the SERPs. Which articles get shared the most? Which types of content populate the top Google search results? Which piece of link bait has the most backlinks? All you have to do is find what’s working and create content that’s better. If someone has a blog post titled 8 Ways Auto Insurance Companies Try to Rip You Off, write a post titled 44 Ways Car Insurance Companies Rip Off Drivers and include a sleek infographic in the post. Find what’s working and make a better version. That’s the quickest way to develop link bait content that generates a high ROI. 2. Use Ogilvy’s Headline Writing Rule Headlines are critically important. It doesn’t matter if it’s print or digital – they are specifically designed to attract backlinks. Advertising legend David Ogilvy once said, “On average, five-times as many people read the headline as read the body copy. When you have written your headline, you have spent eighty cents out of your dollar.” This is precisely why he believed in dedicating a massive portion of the content creation process to crafting link bait headlines. As a general rule of thumb, Ogilvy’s rule says that you should spend half of the time it takes you to develop a piece of content on the headline. Thus, if it takes you three hours to write a blog post, you should spend 90 minutes coming up with a headline. It’s that important. Compelling headlines generally consist of a few common traits. They need to communicate something shocking, unbelievable, or amazing. Each piece of link bait should be specific and relevant. They should contain your target keyword. Numbers, questions, and controversial claims all work well. However – and this is what differentiates white hat link bait from black hat clickbait – it needs to be genuine and true. Spammy headlines might earn you clicks, but they’ll rarely generate backlinks or brand trust. 3. Make a video, with links to your website. If you are interested in creating a truly viral post that millions of people will watch, share and chat about, then you should consider doing a video of some subject related to the post that you can use to get backlinks to your