I am getting this question asked of me more and more.
Will you set up a link bait campaign for me?
What is link baiting and what is its core attraction?
Well we salespeople at the heart of it all, love shortcuts. If we can get hundreds of links for a little effort then let's rock n roll.
However it isn't always that easy.
What is linkbaiting?
Matt Cutts from Google calls it, "Anything that catches someone's attention." Well that narrows it down. It is commonly seen and thought of as a trick to get people to link to your site. However, this I think is where most fail in understanding what link bait really is.
It is simply something on your page that someone find useful enough that they will link to that page. These definitions are not filled with as much intrigue as the mystique.
So what is linkbait then? It is a sexy word that someone came up with that will cause someone else to pop an href over your way.
This is how I led with my last linkbait inquiry:
My first question is why?
I imagine the answer is links.
I imagine the reason for your desire is that it is a seemingly easy, tricky way and effective way to get links.
Like most things yes and no.
My blog is a giant link bait farm. I get links daily without request.
Why? Hundreds of hours of time spent to create first rate content and advice. Unseen anywhere on the net. (forgive me if I am arrogant and perhaps delusional)
Link Bait as most define it is doing something viral or promotional and thinking the links will come. Gimmicks hardly ever work. And they usually backfire for most businesses. In other words you probably do not want to do a video that headlines check out Pamela Andersons B**bs! on Youtube and it actually being a video of a virtual tour. But that is often what happens in attempts to bait for linkage.
As an example, I witnessed a client fashion a rather complete history of Halloween and movies. I am not sure if anyone linked to the page. However, if they did the relevance would know doubt be about movies or Halloween. Not real estate or the locality where he is a Realtor.
I have often thought if we spent the time on our blog writing good strong content that is useful for our clients, then the links have gotta come.
Wikipedia says that many try to divide link bait as hooks in your writing:
Informational Hooks - Provide information that a reader may find very useful. Some rare tips and tricks or any personal experience through which readers can benefit.
News Hooks - Provide fresh information and garner citations and links as the news spreads.
Humor Hooks - Tell a funny story or a joke. A bizarre picture of your subject or mocking cartoons can also prove to be a link bait.
Evil Hooks - Saying something unpopular or mean may also yield a lot of attention. Writing about something that is not appealing about a product or a popular blogger. Provide strong reasons for it.
Tool Hooks - Create some sort of tool that is useful enough that people link to it.
Again, isn't this just rules of good copy and blogging?
