We all know that link baiting techniques make for an effective plan for any website owner or blogger to improve traffic.
But what is link baiting, and how can you generate link bait content that would entice visitors to click?
Source: SEObility Wiki
Don’t worry; you don’t have to stress about it!
We have got your back!
In this article, we’ll go over everything you need to know about link baiting and link baiting techniques so you know how to make appealing hooks that will get you backlinks.
So keep reading if you want to understand how to increase blog traffic with strategically done SEO link baiting:
What Is Link Baiting?
The process of producing content with the sole intention of encouraging people to link to it or share it is known as link baiting. The purpose of backlink baiting is to generate as many inbound links to a blog or website as possible. This process, however, must be approached with caution because the content must be interesting and valuable. Otherwise, it will be regarded as spammy, which will result in Google penalties.
The greatest approach to encourage other sites to link to yours is to develop original, relevant material that naturally gains popularity in the online community.
Source: Elliance
But why is the quality of content so important in link baiting techniques?
Now that we know the link baiting definition, let’s understand why the content needs to be top-notch:
Straight off the bat, good content always pays off!
Links are editorial votes for a website. Therefore, the more useful content you publish, the more likely it is that other people will find it important for their audience and link to it.
And that is exactly what the essence of link baiting techniques is. You generate content that grows in popularity and is linked to it because of its value and fame.
Source: SMA Marketing
And, while we can define effective link baiting great content that readers actually want to link to. At the most basic level, there is more to it than that because not all types of content can be considered link baits.
As a matter of fact, the majority of link baiting tricks fall into creating one of the six major types of content:
- Long-form guides
- Interactive assets
- Data-driven studies
- Visuals and Videos
- Controversial topics (scroll down for more details on it)
- Talking-point content
Why Does Backlink Baiting Work?
Link baiting works because it leverages psychological concepts that encourage others to want to link to it. Here are some share triggers that will help you understand why people share content that is designed using link baiting techniques:
- Public: When people can see or observe another person’s conduct, they tend to copy it.
- Triggers: People on the internet share stuff that is on their minds.
- Social Currency: People share content that makes them look good in the eyes of other people.
- Emotions: Readers and viewers on the internet need to feel something from a piece of content in order to share it with others.
- Stories: Internet users do not just share knowledge or data. They also share stories with others.
- Practical Value: People prefer to share practical, valuable information with others.
Link Baiting Advantages
When executed strategically, a link building strategy can be extremely efficient in building links and increasing your SEO as well as visibility.
But what are the benefits of link baiting techniques?
Let’s go over some of the most significant link baiting advantages:
Link Baiting Techniques Increase Website Traffic
Link baiting can enhance the traffic coming to your website. This is due to the fact that people will click on the links to your blog or articles, which will direct them to your website.
Source: Ahrefs
The greater the number of people that visit your website, the more likely you are to generate leads and sales.
It is Cost-Effective
Hiring someone to create your backlinks needs substantial financial expenditure. Link baiting steps, on the other hand, only demand your time and effort (or a small monetary commitment if you opt to employ a content writing agency or a content writer).
Furthermore, link bait content is far more probable to obtain contextual backlinks from high-authority domains. When you consider how much those types of backlinks cost, you’ll see the amount of money you’re saving by applying link baiting techniques.
Effective Link Baiting Builds Useful Business Connections
It is as simple as it sounds!
Source: Best SEO 4 U
The more backlinks a site receives, the higher it will appear in the search results. As your site goes higher among the ranks, it becomes easier for potential business partners to learn more about you. Consequently, they reach out, and you make new business connections and even friends.
Link Baiting Results in Improved SEO
Link baiting can also enhance the search engine optimization of a website.
This is because the backlinks you build via link baiting techniques help you to boost the rating of your website as well as its visibility.
Source: Web Hopers
As a result, the higher your site’s position, the more probable it is that visitors will locate your website.
Backlink Baiting Boosts Social Shares
Another awesome outcome of link baiting is the increase in social shares.
How?
Well, this happens because when people on the internet share your content or articles on social media, they expose it to a larger audience. And the more people who see your content, the more likely it will be spread to wider demographics.
Link Baiting Techniques Also Improve Brand Awareness
If you follow link baiting tips, you can also increase your brand’s awareness. This is because when audiences come across your content and the name of your website, they will then share it on social media or other platforms. Subsequently, your views will skyrocket.
Source: HubSpot
As a consequence, more people will remember your brand as more individuals get to see and enjoy your content.
It Reinforces Brand Image Online
Obviously, when other reliable websites, influencers, and thought leaders cite your content, it boosts your overall credibility in the online world.
Although this link baiting guide requires resources, its potential is undeniable. It will take you some time to learn how to utilize link baiting techniques correctly, but once you get the gist of it, you will see amazing results.
SEO Link Baiting Ensures More Inbound Links
Link baiting can also lead to an increase in inbound links. This is due to the fact that individuals will link to your content from their own websites or blogs.
The more inbound links your blog, business, or website has, the higher its rating will be.
Types of Effective Link Baiting
Let’s look at some of the most common types of link baiting now that we’ve covered what it is (before we jump onto link baiting techniques):
Infographics
Infographics are an excellent method to get people to speak. They’re frequently shared and backlinked, making them ideal for link bait. Make your infographic appealing to the eye and relevant to the demographic you are targeting when generating it.
Here is an example of infographics for you:
Source: Reddit
Videos
Source: YouTube
Videos are another excellent source of link bait. People enjoy watching videos, so if you can make one that is captivating, you will almost certainly produce some links. Simply ensure that you promote your video and get it to as many people as possible.
Original Research
For link baiting, original research is always a good choice.
Source: Calameo
People are always looking for new data and insights, so if you can supply some, you’ll almost certainly generate links. Just make sure your research is clear to grasp and digest.
Data-Driven Posts
Data-driven posts are another excellent source of link bait. People want data, so if you can supply any, you’ll almost certainly get links. Just make sure your data is easy to consume.
Controversial Opinions
Controversial viewpoints are usually excellent link bait. People enjoy reading them, and they frequently spark lively debate. However, you need to ensure that your point of view is supported by evidence or study.
Source: Bored Panda
So…
These are the most common types of link baiting in SEO.
Now, let’s jump to link baiting techniques and strategies:
How to Do Link Baiting in SEO?
Link baiting techniques can work wonders for you and make your website rank where you have always wanted it to rank. Let’s see what those techniques are:
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Submit Your Work to Well-Known Article Directories and Social Bookmarking Services
Submitting your content to prominent article directories and bookmarking sites is another wonderful approach to getting it in front of a broader audience. There are several of these directories and websites, and publishing your work to them can help you reach a large number of potential readers.
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Leverage the power of Ebooks
Ebooks are one of the most effective and unique content marketing means. As soon as a user or reader makes the initial encounter with a certain issue, their interest will grow, and they will desire to get more content in the future.
To address the requirement for greater information on a certain topic, the interactive digital book is one the most viable link baiting techniques.
Source: SPIE Digital Library
In the context of link baiting, interactive marketing can be beneficial for you by guiding the reader through the issues that are most important to them and about which they have questions or are interested.
For example, let’s take a look at an ebook by Debra McCarthy that covers 30 instant pot recipes:
Source: Good Reads
The ebook offers complete recipes alongside tips and techniques to help the readers make delicious and healthy diet recipes. She provides a diverse range of mouth-watering dishes that are easy and quick to make.
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Indulge in Guest Posting
Guest posting for link baiting, also known as guest blogging, has shown to be an effective way to obtain inbound links. Plus, it can make your website available to guest bloggers. As a result, you’ll get new user-generated content that is well-written and relevant. On the other hand, those guest bloggers will be happy to promote the post they created for you.
So, it is a win-win situation!
Source: Globex Outreach
You save the time spent on writing an article and double the time you can spend on promoting it.
Plus, chances are that during the promotion of the article, the people who wrote the guest post for you will certainly link to it – simply because they wrote it and are proud of it. So, you get links from there as well!
How Does Guest Blogging Help in Link Baiting?
Having guest bloggers on your blog necessitates that you reach out to them as well. If you want others to guest post on your blog, you must first guest post on other blogs. Naturally, when you guest write for other blogs, you build backlinks in your guest posts (for your site) and authority in your niche.
The most appealing aspect of guest writing is that it allows you to expand your network. You establish yourself as a good writer and contributor with a knowledgeable grasp of the issue and the ability to lay it all out with zeal on all the other blogs in your field. Other readers will recognize you. You will be recognized even by blog owners.
Source: Neil Patel
Once you and your content start gaining traction, you will be invited to guest post on many more websites. This suggests that other people will be interested in guest posting on your blog shortly because you have a lot of link juice!
Not too bad for one of the most common link baiting techniques, right?
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Work on Surveys and Market Research
Performing a market evaluation using our own resources can enable you to create credible and relevant information about the industry you work in.
Source: Power Reviews
Companies and content that use link baiting techniques are well aware of this method. Content creators produce thought-provoking surveys on different brands in their niche. As a result, they boost their niche’s development through relevant consumer data on specific enterprises in other countries.
You can use the same method and create surveys and case studies on other brands all over the world.
For example, this case study by Globex Outreach is suitable for use as link bait. This case study is an accomplishment for Globex Outreach because it profiles relevant and applicable data while highlighting their accomplishments:
Create Incentives for Internet Users to Link to Your Content
Source: Ubersuggest
Offering incentives for others to link to your material is one of the finest link baiting techniques to build links. People are more likely to link to your content if you can provide them with something of value. This could range from a free trial or a promotional code to exclusive access to new content or items.
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Publish News and Articles With Updates
To begin, select a current topic (such as AI writing tools) that is relevant to your expertise and be among the first to publish news or content with your expert comments.
This type of link baiting strategy works only if you know how to swiftly discover authentic information.
Source: F1000 Blog Network
By doing so, you may pique people’s interest in something new and position yourself ahead of the competition when it becomes popular.
For example, let’s consider the famous game Flappy Bird that came onto the horizon years ago. It transformed the internet as everyone got to beating each other’s high scores a few years ago.
Source: Google
Those who were the first to write about the game and its tricks had numerous mentions and shares.
This is also a frequent tactic utilized in more specialized economic sectors.
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Use Crowdsourcing for Backlink Baiting
It’s not easy to pick the brains of the top minds in your niche, no matter what it is. You’ll probably have to email all of them one at a time and wait for their responses. It’s an outstanding ability to be able to deal with people and keep them interested in your content even when you’re not offering them anything of value in return.
However, this is the only skill you are going to need to compile crowdsourced link baiting techniques and content.
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Use Videos to Attract Viewers
91% of consumers desire to see video content from brands they support. Videos accounted for over 60 percent of global monthly IP traffic in 2019.
Videos have a tendency to go viral better than other forms of content. If they can keep the audience’s interest, they have a better possibility of collecting quality backlinks. You will need to generate unique content centered on your business, its services, and its message while putting your target audience at the forefront of your efforts.
Source: Ahrefs on YouTube
If you can use videos to achieve that, go for it!
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Put Your Photography Skills to Use
Although a picture is worth a thousand words, a well-captured snapshot can also garner thousands of links. Photos of your services, products, personnel, workspace, and clients that are well-executed can attract both visitors and links.
Source: Whole Foods Market
Take your own images and, if required, employ a photographer. Improve the searchability of your photographs by including keywords, relevant titles, captions, and alt-texts. You may also provide an embed code for quick linkbacks. This is truly one of the easiest link baiting techniques.
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Utilize Maps for SEO Link Baiting
Maps?
Yes, you have read that right! We are talking about maps.
Maps are the new trend for naturally obtaining backlinks. Although they look similar to infographics, they are not the same thing.
Source: The Train Line
The image size is small enough that viewing it in its full size does not require much scrolling, allowing the user to concentrate on the key facts on the map. This style is easy to understand and recreate. You can find a few instructional examples online and take inspiration from them to create your own maps.
Because this form of content is not oversaturated, it is an exciting opportunity to achieve exceptional outcomes. In other words, maps are one of the newest kinds of link baiting techniques.
Google News’ COVID-19 feed is one example of a map that has received a lot of backlinks in the recent past:
Source: Google Blog
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Create Widgets for Users
Widgets are difficult to build because they are typically little programs that users can interact with. A good widget usually has a valuable application, such as a Bmi calculator or currency converter widget, which you can embed in any website to make it available. What most people don’t realize is that these widgets contain chunks of code that will link back to the creator’s preferred webpage.
Source: Groove HQ
Since there are so many of them online, widgets are hardly utilized as link baiting techniques any longer. Nonetheless, if you have the ability to design a useful widget of your own, it is certainly worth trying out.
Source: Automators
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Use Social Media Networks to Reach a Larger Audience With Your Content
Social media networks are an excellent approach to reaching a larger audience with your content. You can reach a large number of potential readers who are interested in reading your content by sharing links to it on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and other social media sites.
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Run Contests Online to Get People Piqued
Running an online competition is not cheap. And it is not easy as well. You have to look over a lot of factors.
Source: La Carene
However, it does not have to be prohibitively expensive. Online contests are a commonly used and excellent source of link bait. You can try to conduct a contest of your own. For example, you can give the winners a free sweater or SEO software or coupons.
You can set specific rules for your content. For instance, in order to participate, people need to write a blog about why they want to win the goodie or the coupon and how it can benefit them. Of course, they will have to link back to your website and the sponsor of the content.
Source: Erudite
Needless to say that we’ve got some pretty good links, and the winners got their hands on great SEO software that will help them in their SEO campaigns. It didn’t cost me much – just the effort to haul in contestants and contact the sponsor.
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Create Viral Content That People Would Want to Share With Their Social Circle and Followers
Creating viral content is one of the most effective link baiting techniques to generate links. People are more inclined to share your material with others who follow them if they are interested in it.
Source: Fractl
You may get a lot of links and visibility for your website by creating content that is likely to be shared.
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Make and Share Gifs and Memes
GIFs and memes are not a passing phenomenon. They remain topical, and people enjoy sharing them on social media and including them in their blogs.
Source: Hire Digital
Memes are clever and funny illustrations that convey your idea while also entertaining the audience. GIFs are the same way! These two or 3-second films are sufficient to pique the viewers’ interest and drive more traffic to your website. GIFs and memes are both extremely shareable and linkable.
Memes are used by top brands and companies such as Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 team and Gucci to attract visitors and customers to their websites and boost the likelihood of receiving links.
Source: Twitter
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Give Out Testimonials
Giving out testimonials for another company’s service or a blog demonstrates your authority over that particular product. When you provide a testimonial for something, you are putting your name on the line. So you’d better believe in the thing you’re putting your name to. Otherwise, you might find yourself in a pickle.
Source: Enchanting Marketing
One advantage of providing your testimonial is that you will almost always receive backlinks for it. You can use different tools when working on link baiting techniques to reduce the work you have to do. For example, Scribe SEO can help you with on-site optimization so you do not have to do all of the legwork myself.
Source: App Sumo
If you have good authority in your niche, companies might approach you on their own to request feedback as a testimonial for their product. You can leverage this and give them a testimonial in exchange for a link and the goods they deliver.
Some Link Baiting Examples for You to Take Inspiration
Link bait that is well-designed and distributed can be an effective method of link building that can significantly increase the traffic to your website. Let’s look at some useful examples where link baiting techniques bore fruit to create traffic and raise recognition for their creators.
The Noob Guide to Online Marketing (With Giant Infographic)
Source
This huge post, which was originally a guest post for the Moz blog, is obvious link bait. It not only has one of the most comprehensive infographics ever created, but it also includes a six-month online marketing course as well as access to more resources. Everything is presented in simple formatting and lists, with bold images and connections to other resources.
Source: Ahrefs
All of these factors combine to make it an appealing resource that encourages readers to contribute their knowledge.
Color Psychology: How it’s Used in Marketing [Infographic]
Source
Trying to make an infographic go viral is like trying to catch a genie in a bottle, but WEB Fx appears to have succeeded with this one!
Source: Ahrefs
The evergreen nature of their infographic is the secret to its continuous success (and links). Color will always be important, especially for site designers. It also helps because this single image contains a lot of information.
Link Building Strategies: The Complete List (2023)
Looking for inspiration for link baiting techniques done right?
This example by Backlinko is one of the most popular posts on Point Blank SEO. It has a complete list of link building tactics, with hundreds of different ideas thoroughly discussed. Who would bother trying to compete with such a comprehensive guide?
Source
Why reinvent the wheel? Instead, simply link to this. It is effective link bait since it lists a large number of concepts, organizes them, and gives resources for many of them.
Source: Ahrefs
Furthermore, when it was first released, there was a contest to come up with new suggestions, which inspired visiting SEOs to provide further tactics in the comments.
10 Simple Things You Can Do Today That Will Make You Happier, Backed By Science
After looking at this example, you might think that this is just a normal blog post. You are right. It is just a blog post. However, it is one of the best examples of link baiting techniques delivering amazing results.
Source
Buffer is a social media sharing service, and they love publishing articles with findings backed by real data, research, and science. From the time it appeared on the Internet, this post became an instant sensation. This post has proven to be an evergreen item for Buffer, garnering links from WordPress.com as well.
Source: Ahrefs
That number will only grow as more people learn about Buffer and their (excellent) blog. Although you might think that you need a comprehensive guide, infographics, or other “out of the box” articles or content, a simple blog post like this one may still be quite a powerful link bait. It all comes down to knowing your audience, what they’ll find intriguing, and what type of information they’ll want to share.
The National Public Toilet Map Part of the National Continence Program
Source
This is a map that highlights all the public toilets in Australia. It makes excellent link bait because it benefits literally anyone with a bladder (read: everyone).
Source: Ahrefs
It uses the Google Maps API to generate an interactive map that pinpoints the precise location of public bathrooms around the country.
Wrapping It Up
We hope that this guide on link baiting techniques provided you with everything you were looking for. Link baiting techniques can give your website the visibility, credibility, authority, and engagement it deserves.
Let’s go through some of the main points that you must adhere to when doing backlink baiting:
- Conduct an in-depth study of the niche you wish to enter.
- Define the goal, format, and type of content that will be created.
- Create your buyer persona.
- Create valuable and distinct content.
- Don’t forget about interactive content.
Finally, don’t be scared to experiment. It is not easy to pique the public’s curiosity, but there are numerous approaches. If you are creative and original, you will surely achieve the goals outlined in your marketing plan.
And do not forget, in addition, to link baiting techniques; you can also utilize other powerful link building strategies. It is no secret that the combination of both makes one of the most powerful and valuable SEO duos in the world of digital marketing.
