More about Link Bait
For a long time, the SEO world has been talking about the importance of active link building to build site authority and, hence, increase ranking in the search engines. Link Bait is a new term, coined by link builders, to describe the creative ways in which they are gaining inbound links. What does this mean for PR? In addition to building site authority and increasing search engine ranking, link bait also has a lot in common with viral public relations campaigns. Before the name "link bait" was ever invented, the concept was being used. Remember Burger King's Subservient Chicken? Burger King was very successful in promoting their new chicken sandwich via the subservient chicken gimmick, which has become a widely used example of viral marketing. How many times did someone write about the subservient chicken and then include a link back to the website? The connection between viral marketing and link bait only stands to strengthen my assertation that public relations practices must be taken online. Further than simply evolving with the times, I believe that online communications is the secret to better public relations.
Link baiting (or linkbaiting) is the latest buzz word in the SEO world and has come to be the preferred way to natural link building.
It means to create something that naturally attract backlinks for your web page by getting people to talk about it, discussing it on forums, blogging about i, posting it on del.icio.us/Furl/Digg/Shoutwire and linking to it from their sites. It also attracts a lot of visitors.
Here is an excellent article: The Art of Linkbaiting and Linkbaiting for Fun & Profit.
Here is a list of ideas:
- Build a useful tool
- Make a valuable resource (lists, special reports, history of, how to, etc.)
- Write an interesting article
- Run a newsworthy ‘event’ such as a contest
- Test something new that has not been done before
- Be the first in doing something on the internet
- Write something controversial
- Be the first to write the latest news in your niche
- Be the first to expose a scammer
- Disagree with an authority
- Write some funny humor
- Make an interesting picture
- Be the first to research and document something
- Make a theme, plugin or piece of software
- Make a tool that others can put on their sites but that links to you
- Make a joke about a known person
- Make a resource that is just in time for a major event
- Write an outrageous theory and back it up with logics
- Write useful comments on something that is happening
- Give something valuable for free
- Coin a new acronym in your niche and get people to talk about it
- Become an expert in your niche and write valuable information
Useful resources on Link Baiting (many of the tips above taken from here):
