Ever since the introduction of Panda and Google’s new focus on the vague measurement of “quality” in their search results. It’s been harder and harder for SEOs to use their old tricks and get the same results. The writing is on the wall, Google is getting more complex and harder to “game,” so we have to go out and get links the old-fashioned way-actually making compelling content that people want to link to. One of the best ways to do this is to create linkbait.
Linkbait is content that is specifically engineered to be clickable or sharable in order to build links and traffic to your site. Generally, you want your content to be so good that people will not only Tweet about it but also link to it from their website. So how do you build that type of content? What exactly is it that people find awesome enough to link to?
In my experience as an SEO and content specialist, each web community has its own idea of what is cool or linkable. However, there are a number of underlying principles and qualities that contribute to the success of linkbait campaigns no matter what community they are targeted at. How can you make your linkbait better? Here are some ideas.
Perhaps the best strategy for creating great, long-lasting linkbait is to make it useful. No matter if your linkbait is an inforgraphic, an article, a downloadable PDF, or anything else. If people find it useful, they will link to it, bookmark it, and share it with their friends. So when you are in the brainstorming process, think about ways to fill a need in a specific community. If you create a great resource, you can’t fail.
People listen to NPR and watch the nightly news because they are informative. They tell us about things that are going on in the world and give us perspective on current events. If you create something informative, that presents a current topic with an interesting perspective, you’ll be much more successful than if you just rehash the same information everyone has seen before. Be a leader, not a follower.
(For example, check out this Doctor Who timeline infographic, it’s informative in a way that no other resource has been, and it’s been a huge success as a result.)
No one wants an infographic or an article that tells them something they already know or gives them information they’ve already heard from a number of other sources. Instead of looking for ways to keep the status quo, don’t be afraid to go out on a limb and create something entirely new. Again, look for a need and fill it with something that’s never been done before.
Don’t have the time and energy to make something useful or informative? Why not try and make something that is entertaining. But be careful—the internet is filled with funny videos, memes, and cute pictures of cats, so it can be extremely hard to break through the noise. If you want to be entertaining, a blog post is probably a much better route to go than a graphic. You may not get as many links to a blog post than a hysterical video, but your chances of getting a handful of links is higher than being the next Rebecca Black.
One of the reasons memes like Socially Awkward Penguin, Success Kid, or Scumbag Steve have been so successful is that they hold up a mirror to our own insecurities and experiences. For example, Socially Awkward Penguin resonates with us because it lets us know that we’re not the only ones who feel awkward from time to time. If you can create some content that resonates with our shared human experience you might have some linkbait gold.
Have you been to Cracked.com recently? These guys are some of the masters of well-researched, informative, and entertaining linkbait articles. Most of their articles are on interesting subjects with unique perspectives, and they are usually well-researched by the writers. They give great examples, and cite obscure and unique resources for their work. When you endeavor to make linkbait that is going to blow the socks off everyone, make sure you check all your numbers, get your sources right, and go deep with your research. All it takes is one user comment that your data is wrong, and your linkbait can fail miserably.
Instead of brainstorming cool linkbait ideas in a vacuum, instead try to look for a need you can fill. Depending on the niche of your website, look into the community it is involved in and search for holes in the resources and tools. Maybe they need a resource or a how-to guide. Maybe they need a specialized blog widget that you could attach your link to. Whatever it is, make something to fill that need and you should have no problem getting links.
No one wants to link to a graphic that looks like it was made in Microsoft Paint. Although lo-fi graphics can be successful from time to time, if you create something that is visually amazing as well as informative and unique, you substantially increase the chance that your linkbait will go viral. When you’re done with the linkbait, ask yourself: Does this content deserve links? If you can’t wow yourself, what makes you think anyone else will be wow’d by it either?
A picture is worth a thousand words - and could be worth a high number of links to boot. Graphics and pictures are easy to understand, digest, and share. They illustrate, add meaning, and explain information very quickly and easily. Infographics are great, but even when you are creating linkbait articles, make sure you include relevant pictures and illustrations. The chance that your article will be shared increase if you are able to illustrate your message in compelling ways.
One of the best ways to get people to share your content (and link to it) is to create something that questions conventional wisdom or encourages people to look at a topic from a new perspective. For example, take a look at this infographic about Twitter (below). It’s a great example of a way that statistics can be twisted to say just about anything—sometimes with humorous results. A graphic like this is great for sharing because it causes people to think about it, laugh about it, or get mad about it. All great emotions that get people to share content.
Lastly, people only share content that is easy to share. Make sure your social buttons are prominent and that you include a call to action encouraging people to share your awesome content. And if you want people to easily post your graphics or videos on their site, make sure to include an embed code so they don’t have to do anything but copy and paste in order to put them on their site.
Google and other search engines will never stop fiddling with their algorithms. As technology and the web keep shifting the way people search online, search engines will continue to shift the way they measure quality web content. But people will always like good content. So, as an SEO, if you focus on creating good content rather than chasing algorithms you’ll always be one step ahead of the game and you’ll be future-proofing yourself against dramatic shifts in the web landscape. Use these principles to create great content and web users will naturally link to you and-as a result-you’ll do well in the serps.
Author Bio: James Ged is an SEO and content specialist for CableTV.com, where he creates awesome content and writes about TV. You can follow him on Twitter: @JamesGed
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