The internet is about one thing: exposure, exposure; exposure! Knowing how to use the internet to the fullest in essential to getting the exposure you need. One way to do this is by using link bait.
What is Link Bait?
Content is golden. That is the premise behind link bait. Link bait is content that is found on your site that others link to. You’re not asking them to link to it; they are doing so because they find the content relevant and they want to link to it. What is a hot topic today? Let’s say you take that hot topic and write a blog about it. People begin to seek more info on this hot topic and come across your blog post. The content is relevant to them and quite beneficial so they post a link on their site to your blog post. It’s adding value to their site and sending more traffic your way. It’s a win-win for all parties involved.
The goal behind link bait is to create content that is meant to go viral. They want it, you’re created it; now let’s share it. The goal is to create content so rich that people will want to share it over and over and over.
How to Start a Link Bait Campaign
Starting a link bait campaign is not difficult. Everything starts with inspiration; an idea. You’re going to create your best content when you write about something that inspires you or that you know about.
Find out about the area that interests you. Is there a hot topic in that area that needs more information? Is there a demand for facts on a specific area? This is where you can really elevate your exposure by not only writing about what you know but about what others want to know about as well.
Link Bait Campaigns Step by Step
Putting together a link bait campaign is easy to do. Follow these simple steps:
- Do the research. Find where there is a need for information that you can write on. Find the holes in the market and fill that gap with outstanding content.
- Once you’ve found the need; now you need to create content to fulfill that need. Begin by outlining the topic you want to cover. Create a first draft and review it. You may need to go through two or three drafts to perfect the content.
- Create the final draft and get it ready for publication and distribution.
- Place the content on your blog or website and distribute via outlets like popular directories like Ezine articles.
- Review your content at select intervals to see how your content is fairing. Utilize sites like SEO Moz’s linkscape to see how many links back to your content you got. Check social bookmarking results. How many people have bookmarked and shared your site?
There is a great chart at http://www.voltierdigital.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Linkbait_lifecycle_final21.png that shows you the link bait process from start to finish.
Types of Link Bait
There are various forms of link bait that you can utilize. These include:
- News Link Bait – the news is hot. People want to know what’s going on right now not tomorrow. Creating content related around what is happening now in the news is a great way to get your name out there. Staying on top of this market can easily establish you as an expert. However, this is also an area that is literally changing minute by minute so it can be quite time consuming to stay on top of.
- Debate Link Bait – debates always spark interest. There are always two sides to every story so gaining exposure is relatively easy to do. Even if someone doesn’t agree with your side there is still a level of respect and you can often still get a link to your work. The down side to this is that there are two sides to every story so you need to present a strong case or you can literally get ripped to shreds.
- Attack Link Bait – this is just as it states. You’re basically attacking something (another blog, an article, a hot topic, a belief, etc.). The upside is that there is always interest in controversy. So you are sure to get relevant links back to your content. The downside is that you are also sure to make enemies and that often is not a good thing.
- Resource Link Bait – this is a great way to make your presence known. When your content is a resource for others then you are giving them a highly valuable tool and the chances that your content will be linked back to is high. However, staying on top of these resources can be time-consuming.
- Humor Link Bait – providing humorous content is a great way to get people interested in your light hearted content that will surely tickle their funny bones. However, it can be hard to be taken seriously with the big boys in the game.
- Ego Link Bait – We all love the sound of our own voice. The same is true for the content we write. We love plugging our expertise and knowledge. However, an over-inflated ego can come back on you and sometimes have the adverse effect as people begin to avoid your content.
Writing great content doesn’t insure that it will become great link bait. There is no specific golden rule that will guarantee that you get awesome link bait results. What we can tell you is that you simply need to just practice, practice; practice. Find what approach works for you. With practice and dedication you’ll find a system that works and thus increase your chances of your content becoming great link bait.
Jeff is an internet marketing consultant and a part time blogger. He writes mostly about blogging, internet marketing, Pay Per Click Strategies and Search Engine Optimization techniques and best practices.
