There is something in the realm of link building called \”link baiting,\” a process whereby links appear by themselves. You don\’t ask anyone to link to your webpage, you don\’t submit your site anywhere, but new inbound links appear every day.
How is that possible? Below are some ways to make this happen for your own site.
One of the best ideas for link baiting is to create an extensive resource list for something specific that your visitors will find most useful. Think about what that could be, do your research, and create that resource list.
Another similar idea is to create a \”101\” list for your particular topic. These kinds of lists are doing pretty well in social network marketing; they too generate linkbacks easily.
If you have some programming skills or have the opportunity to hire someone who does, then you can develop some unique and useful tools for your audience. In return, people will love to link to your tools and even suggest it to others in related forums or blogs.
Who are the gurus in your field? How about making a list of these gurus with their bios and descriptions? They might link back to you from their authoritative sites, and thus you might gain quite reputable links.
Similarly, you can write about the most important websites in your field. Don\’t be shy, and include your competitors; if they are really good, they do deserve it. Being open and honest is more important and will result in more links – and will increase the value of your website for the online community.
Ten, 20, or 50 \”how to\” tips: Tips are convenient to read and are very useful for those who are looking for short, quick, and valuable pieces of information. Create great tips for your visitors and expect trackbacks (trackbacks are the linkbacks to your posts/articles from other resources or blogs in which they refer to your article from theirs).
Run surveys, conduct research, create guides: This stuff works very well to generate links naturally.
People usually talk about what \”should be done\” to achieve certain results, but some readers are looking for tips on what \”shouldn\’t be done,\” or \”how to avoid trouble.\” So write about the most common myths or mistakes in your field.
Funny stuff always works. If you have a good sense of humor, or know someone who does, then create something very funny that is also targeted to your area. People will link to your website without you knowing. We all love to laugh, don\’t we? Just make sure it\’s witty and funny. You don\’t want to look stupid or offensive.
This next idea is a bit risky but it works very well: Create something provoking or even shocking. Create a reason for people to discuss the issue you raised.
Track who links to you, thank them for doing this, and offer them something more. That will result in more links from the same resources in the future.
Talk about what you already wrote in both your other articles and in external resources, which can multiply the link baiting effect.
Cover the hottest news of your industry, and always be first to talk about what\’s happening. This idea is probably the most effective of all.
All the above ideas would surely increase the link baiting effect for your website. Good luck!
Shavkat Karimov
Director, Online Marketing
mobileStorm, Inc.
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