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Link Bait: Content created specifically in a manner to grab a person’s attention with the hope that they will share it with others.
I’d like to take a moment to discuss link bait. Though the aforementioned is a very basic definition of link bait, it’s something that stands to provide immense SEO (Search Engine Optimization) value. As I’ve noted previously, link-building is one of the most important aspects of SEO. If you happen to recall from previous articles of mine, the more links you have pointing to your site from other sites, the more important your site appears to be to search engines (there are many more factors to take into consideration here, but that’s the basic gist of it). That very facet plays a large role in how well you rank on the Web. With that in mind, one of the fastest ways to naturally get links pointing to your site is to garner a lot of attention through creating content that others will find interesting/entertaining and endeavor to share with others.
The concept of link bait borrows from a core function of marketing: Generating buzz. That’s all it boils down to. Think of the latest commercial you saw that made you laugh. Right there, the very thing that — at the end of the day — is an advertisement through-and-through, has managed to win you over through laughter. Old Spice, anyone? Their latest campaign was nothing short of genius (though I personally feel it has run its course by now)! It went viral (meaning that it spread around to a *lot* of people *very* quickly) and instantly had people running around mimicking this guy. Anyway, it’s not the exact technique I’m pointing out here; just the type of reaction you should be shooting for when link baiting.
Now I’d like to ask you why you decided to read this post. What made you decide to click on it? Maybe the title of this post snagged your attention or maybe it didn’t. Maybe you just subscribe to the RSS feed and you saw the description and figured, “okay, I’ll click.” Maybe you’re in a rough financial position and a mild sense of hope took hold; or perhaps you’re just money-hungry and ran out and bought some clay pots and filled them with soil in preparation for what this article might contain. Whatever the case may be, I tried to coax you into clicking this link regardless of whether you actually wanted to or not. With that said, I want to go over 5 methods to take into consideration if you’re planning a link bait campaign.
5 Things to Consider With Link Bait
1 - Mindset, Ideation, and Goal: Three very important steps to take into consideration are mindset, ideation, and goal. Think about what you’re shooting for and think about what type of reaction you want to garner from other people. Remember, the goal is to get people to WANT to share your content, but what is the catalyst you’re going to use to deliver the content and how are you going to make it accessible? What is your goal if/when the masses *do* come and your link bait goes viral? Which emotional context do you want to place your viewership in to get them to share your content: Humor? Horror? Amazement? You have a vast playground where that’s concerned, so let the creativity flow.
2 - Written Content: This is perhaps the most accessible option to use as a catalyst for your link bait campaign. Put simply, this option involves good old fashioned pen/pencil-pushing (or keyboard clackity-clack-clacking). If your content is strong enough, make sure you also make it engaging. You can have the most interesting story in the world, but if you don’t capture the attention of your audience from an early point in the article, you may lose out on a great opportunity. Right now, the most popular type of content-based link bait is the “X number of ways to do Y” posts. For example: “20 of the Funniest Spam Comments Ever” But you don’t have to use that formula by any means. Just make sure your content is compelling, engaging, and entertaining.
3 - Images: This can be one of the most fun and instantaneously rewarding types of link bait! The idea is to cast your message via a photo. How you go about it is completely up to you, but one of the greatest I’ve seen in recent times is the hoax where the girl quits her job on a dry erase board. Sheer genius and the true essence of link bait! Another good example is the image below from a very popular Internet meme called “lolcats,” which is essentially when you take a picture of a cat and interpret it in your own way to try to make it funny.
