Articles and linkbait – a win win situation

Even Google considers linkbait with some good will. Matt Cutts, Google SEO specialist thinks that if good content catches people's attention then that doesn't have to be a bad thing. He carries on to say that articles may have great data or insights, can be creative or be controversial to generate discussion.

The key here is the word content. In order to attract good quality and natural links back to your site you will need to create high quality content. Here are some ways to go about it.

Hand out some good info

Everybody is looking for good information that helps them with whatever they are doing. Content that provides a relevant list of resources will attract interest and links back. Readers are in particular interested in lists on how to do things, where to find stuff and in general the short form of info sharing.

Tickle the vanity spot

It's a rare individual who doesn't want to read about themselves. So create an opportunity to interview people and write a great article on it or even just post the transcript if it's a video you've posted on YouTube for instance. Interesting and famous people will attract a lot of attention and will bring links back.

People love to associate with celebrities in the hope that some of the fame will rub off on them. Linking back to your article on a famous person or an interview with an important person whether in the entertainment world or in your niche, will create natural interest and links back to your article.

Tread on some toes

Nothing stirs up the blogospere as much as a little bit of controversy. Put out a thought that will make people think and consider their personal position and you will find that not much will get a heated debate going.

Most often folk tend to argue themselves into a position of strong opinion, which they might not even have had at the beginning of the argument. Provided everybody stays polite, and the trolls can always get deleted off the comments page, a raging debate can attract a fair number of link love.

Get a laugh

Be funny. Or share something funny that you have spotted somewhere else. Everybody, well most people anyway, enjoy a chuckle. It lightens the mood, it makes the happy endorphins jump around and make you feel better. And happiness is contagious, so a Harvard study maintains.

Linkbaiting somehow sounds like a bad thing. But it isn't. If you use your articles to create content that people are really interested in, stimulate debate, make them have a laugh and even strokes their egos a bit and it gives you links from other sites - then it's a win win situation for all.