How to create Link Bait to boost your SEO

Submitted by david on Tue, 10/28/2008 - 06:32.

Natural Search

How to create Link Bait

Linkbait is any content or feature within a website that somehow baits viewers to place links to it from other websites. Matt Cutts, Head of Google WebSpam and an authority voice in the SEO industry, defines link bait as anything "interesting enough to catch people's attention." Link bait can be an extremely powerful form of marketing as it is viral in nature. The quantity and quality of inboundlinks are two of the many metrics used by a search engine rankingalgorithm to rank a website.

Link bait creation falls under thetask of link building,and aims to increase the quantity of high-quality, relevant links to a website. Part of successful linkbaiting is devising a mini-PR campaign around the release of alink bait article so that bloggers and social media users are madeaware and can help promote the piece in tandem. Social media traffic can generate a substantial amount of links to a single web page. Sustainable link bait is rooted in quality content.

Types of link bait

Although there are no clear-cutsubdivisions within link bait,many attempt to divide them into typesof hooks. This is a short list of some of the most common approacheswith brief descriptions:

Informational hooks - Provide information that a reader may find very useful. Somerare tips and tricks or any personal experience through whichreaders can benefit.
Example: www.ipodhacks.com
Info: Asite that provides all the latest hacks,modifications,tips andtricks for iPod owners.	Number of External InboundLinks: 111,168

Example: :

Newshooks - Provide fresh information andobtain citations and links as the news spreads.
Example: www.perezhilton.com
Info: Sincelaunching in 2004,PerezHilton.com —originally namedPageSixSixSix.com–has become one of the leading go-to sitesfor celebrity news.	Number of External InboundLinks: 1,850,610

Humo urHooks - Tell a funny story or a joke. Abizarre picture of your subject can prove to be excellent linkbait.
Example: http://www.searchingforbigfoot.com/
Info: In August 2008,two men in the US stateof Georgia said they have found the body of a Bigfoot,thelegendary ape-like creature. The news went round the world and thelive ‘autopsy’was advertised on their site whichattracted thousands of links.	Number of External InboundLinks: 6,425 (likely to be have beenmuch higher before hoax was uncovered) –Although this isconsidered a low figure the hoax received links from highauthority news sources such as the BBC and National Geographic

Toolhooks - Create some sort of tool thatis useful enough that people link to it.
Example: http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/reclaim/bank-charges#step2
Info: Martin Lewis created a high profilecampaign against bank charges in the UK. This is a step-by-step guide,including templateletters,on how to force your bank or building society to repaythe last six years' charges for going beyond your overdraft limit,or for cheque and Direct Debits bouncing.	Number of External InboundLinks: 271,982

Widgetshooks - A badge or tool,that can beplaced or embedded on other websites,with a link included.
Example: http://www.w3.org/
Info: TheWorld Wide Web Consortium (W3C) develops interoperabletechnologies (specifications,guidelines,software,and tools) tolead the Web to its full potential. W3C is a forum forinformation,commerce,communication,and collectiveunderstanding.	Number of External InboundLinks: 1,774,746