Link baiting: 10 ideas

If you want to build backlinks to your site or blog, link bait is one of the best ways. Link baiting will help you to get organic backlinks from a variety of sources. The basic idea behind link bait is to create quality content that will attract readers on its own merit. As such content will be useful for visitors and get them interested, people will want to link to your content without any coercing. In other words, your quality content will act a s a bait to get backlinks from others.

Though the idea of link baiting sounds good on paper, getting a write up on an interesting topic to entice readers is not an easy job. However, if you are able to churn out content that has the potential of getting backlinks, your link bait will have effective results.

To create a successful link bait, you can use the following 10 ideas:

• Pick recent news: If you select a news issue that’s recent and popular, it will get more people interested. On the flip side, this will also mean stiff competition.


• Help your readers:  Usually people link to guides and tutorials on almost any topic. So, writing some helpful tips can do the trick for you.


• Share a list:  You can share a list on any helpful topic like “my favorite free image sites”, “the most active web design forum”, etc. As long as the list is of good quality, it will get backlinks for your site/blog.


• Offer a free tool:  People like freebies. So, you can create and offer some application software, design templates etc for free.


• Share your images:  Many people use pictures and art pieces that are available for free online. If you are using a creative commons license, you can ask for a backlink to your site in return of giving people the right to use your image.


• Top 100/50 list:  Such lists are effective link baits. You can compile a list of the best resources, ways to promote a site online etc. If you link out to other blogs/sites, chances are high that will reciprocate by linking back to you. 


• Be humorous:  Try to have a touch of humor rather than all serious stuff. This is applicable especially in case of some video content.


• Share your code: You can even do this for your source code.


• Polarize:  It is a good idea to create a thought provoking article. This will help you get links from both those who agree with your opinion as well as those who oppose it. If you can generate a controversy, all the better. But remember not to overdo it.


• Help improve the work of others:  On the Internet, there are many plugins and themes that are free. You can create a better and modified version of these themes and plugins.