Linkbaiting is a communication strategy that consists of generating viral content so that users come to your website instead of you coming to them.
What is linkbaiting?
The word is composed of the terms "Link", join, link and "Bait", which in English means bait. That is, use a bait to create a link. The important thing about this link, the link that is generated, is the address. It does not come from within our page, but from other pages to ours. It is about getting other websites, profiles, media or individuals to share a link that leads to our website or include the same link in their websites, posts, messages, etc
It offers great benefits to the company, as visits from other IPs to our page is one of the SEO variables that search engines take into account to classify the results. However, quantity is not enough, quality is also important.
Linkbait and linkbuilding should not be confused. The difference between these two strategies lies in the direction of the links. Both seek to get traffic to their websites, but the latter makes an active effort, called "push", so that others come to your website. It is an active strategy, which moves to generate visits. Linkbait, on the other hand, makes no effort to reach others. It lets the virality of the content generate the publicity itself. Examples of linkbuilding strategies would be, for example, promotion on social networks, advertising, spam emails, etc. Other types of actions that generate web traffic.
Therefore, it is necessary that the content generated is very interesting, new and leaves no one indifferent. Virality can be achieved by the novelty of what is being talked about, or, among others, by the interest.
One of the most important requirements of linkbait is that there is a link, a tool capable of connecting the content that has been created with the website to which I belong. And it will be that link that other people send or include on their websites. Of course, fake news is an example of linkbait, but not the most ethical or the most appropriate for the reputation of your company. Any entry on your website can be shared through the URL but, in terms of linkbait, it is useful to generate a format that is insertable and shareable, such as videos, for example, which can be included within other articles or entries.
To create content with such a high value that it can be sold and shared on its own, you need to know your audience very well. In other words, linkbait requires a strong research strategy on your target audience and their interests. This research strategy on the audience must also be accompanied by another on the market. It is important, of course, that the viral content is related to the subject matter of your company, otherwise the strategy will not be effective.
The formats that work best for linkbait are the most visual, dynamic and entertaining. The strategy consists of generating content that is liked by as many people as possible. Therefore, graphics, lists and videos are the generic formats that work best.
Tools for linkbait
More in depth, here are some ideas for a good linkbait strategy:
- Free offer: Always in line with the theme of the website, one of the most effective strategies is to offer a product or service for free. The most common example is an ebook, or a very discounted offer. With this free gift you will get more traffic to your website and, in addition, other pages or sites will make reference to this offer, offering your link to, in some way, offer it to them as well.
- Lists and rankings: This is juicy, interesting, entertaining and entertaining content. The only requirement is that it really must be a novelty. Make lists of any content that is related to your company: sustainable clothing brands, best places to travel in summer, gluten-free dishes... They offer a wide variety of content, readers often discover new brands or get ideas and, in general, this type of article generates great curiosity.
- Guides and tutorials: Very similar to rankings and lists, they offer varied content that groups together different topics and options and therefore capture the attention of various market segments. Both these types of entries and lists are perceived by customers as a job well done, saving them the trouble of researching different options to find the best solution. In addition, they always have the guarantee that they have been prepared by an expert in the field, which instils confidence in them.
- Infographics: They are visual, dynamic and work very well as a linkbait strategy. They also have the advantage of not having to search for the information to talk about. Choose, for example, a relevant, new report that has not yet been summarised. Create an infographic that summarises the most important information in a visual way and introduce it in a summary of the report, in an article, a post on social networks... It is a very shareable and useful tool. Always remember to include your brand as a signature at one end of the image so that your name is always visible wherever it is shared.
- Videos: They work as well as infographics, although with a different motivation. The opportunity offered by videos is the wide variety of topics and styles that can be used. They can be similar in style to infographics, as a graphic summary of a theoretical issue; an animation, an interview with a reference, a research...
- Create tools: This is the most useful strategy, but also one of the most expensive. It consists of designing an online tool that is related to the subject of your website, and that can be useful for many other people who will access your website just to use it. For example, a conversion tool, or a calculator with a subject, such as carbon footprints, how many litres of water a piece of clothing consumes, tools that measure savings, etc.
