Link bait is like a game of darts…aim for the sweet spot. Image Courtesy of Richard Matthews (Flickr)
There are so many forms of website content out there. Link bait is, by far, one of the most attractive, exciting, entertaining, and engaging varieties. Link bait is a blanket term that encompasses eye-catching web content, infographics, memes, and much more. It typically incorporates written text, graphics, and multimedia, combine with an attention-grabbing presentation. The subject matter is diverse and some of them can get…a little racy… anything goes! Link bait projects are original in concept, but often put a new spin on existing material to make it more interesting and attractive for eyeballs and backlinks.
In some cases, the subject of a link bait piece is tangentially related to the website hosting it. For example, a website that sells car parts may choose to do infographic link bait about the cost of different makes/models over the lifetime of a vehicle, complete with images and maybe a comparison chart. The same site could also try to push the edginess envelop and do a piece consisting of graphic images and text snippets or the top ten most horrific auto accidents that could have been avoided – maybe discretely tying in the importance of proper vehicle maintenance.
In other instances, the subject matter may have nothing at all to do with the subject of the hosting website and is derived solely from past successes and a knowledge of what the “linkerati” gravitate towards – subject matter be damned, the goal is that social attention and viral-ness.
10 Extraordinary Examples of Effective Link Bait from Moz (2012)
“Link Bait is a dart board; players aim their ideas (darts) towards the “linkerati” (dart board) and try to hit that sweet spot (bullseye) in order to score big!” – QG Heather
Regardless of its form or presentation, all link bait needs to attract the “linkerati”; a diverse subset of Internet users that are attracted to amusing and outrageous content. They share, like, repost, retweet, and otherwise spread the content they find; eventually rocketing the content to the far corners of the Internet and beyond.
The hope of any linkbait project is that the content will go viral; to do that, it needs to be seen by thousands of eyeballs. Reddit.com & Digg.com are two of the main hubs through which link bait is transmitted – Check them out for some great examples of material gone viral and caught the attention of the “linkerati”.
The success of any link bait ultimately comes down to what will the “linkerati” love and link to, and how far the hosting website is willing to toe the line of relation to products/services offered and propriety.
Why is Link Bait an Effective Form of Content Marketing?
- Boosts traffic & visits to a website
- Reaches a wider audience – beyond a website/ business’s target market
- Generates social media activity (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc.)
- Naturally encourages people to link to it
Getting Involved in Link Bait
QualityGal is running a link bait contest!
Check your email for more information on how you can participate.
Check it out, get creative, and explore new content creation possibilities with QualityGal!