Link Bait

SIlhouette by mzacha, sxc.hu

I have heard of the term "link bait" a few times but never bothered to look it up. I know that it is some sort of SEO technique and automatically assumed that it is black hat. I mean, we all know what happens to fishes when they take the bait, right? So, links using such a technique would automatically be frowned upon and definitely not worth considering if you are in this for the long haul.

Anyway, I did promise to do a series of hubs about basic SEO techniques in my hub about Anchored Backlinks, so I looked up the term on Google. It turns out that linkbaiting is a legitimate SEO technique and is widely used to get backlinks to your hub, website or blog.

In short, link bait is simply content that encourages surfers to bookmark your site, or webmasters to link to your site - without asking. :)

There are many different types of link bait but in general, they can be divided into the following categories:

Humour

This is one of the more common types of bait. The idea is to write or present something so funny that your visitors will thank you for writing it because it made their day.

An example could be my hub about how to make a lot of money on the Internet. It is a humorous look at scams on the Internet and should strike a chord with those who have spent some time trying to make an income on the web.

Resource

A resource bait is always a good idea. It can be something along the lines of a list of websites in a common category or a how to guide or simply, great content.

My hub that lists sites that pay you to write might qualify as a resource bait.

Tool

An online tool is always a good bait. You know, the kind of tools that calculates your BMI, or converts a .doc file to a .pdf file, or converts between metric and imperial measurements. You will definitely get some links if you host such tools.

Controversy

Such content never fails to get attention, debate and ultimately, backlinks. But do be careful not to cross into territory that could land you in court, and cost you a lot of time and money.

Conclusion

Setting up your web site and web pages as link bait is as much an art as it is a science. And your ability to generate and attract traffic is unique to you, your personality and your resources. Spend a little time trying out the various linkbaiting techniques and see what works best for you. And then do more of that.