Link baiting is a new vibe tactic for getting back links for your website. The main idea is to provide extremely attractive content that other people will want to link to. First, I will tell you why you need link baiting. Second, I will provide ideas for good link bait.

Importance of Link Baiting

Before SEO was quite easy. You could just submit your websites to directories and see the ranking of your site grow in search results. Now it is not that easy, because search engines have algorithms for finding out which links have true value.

Search engines prefer organic and natural links, that have different titles. You can try to fake it but it is very hard. You must change your inbound link titles all the time, link to inner pages etc. By creating link bait you can seduce people to link to your articles and create links naturally. Search engines will love it.

Ideas for Link Bait Articles

1. Be the first with the Article
Simply be the first to write about something. The first one at something gets always the most links. The article will often be thought as the authoritative article although other articles may have better content.

2. Hold a competition (”Worlds fastest Tweeter competition”)
Hold some sort of a competition and offer a prize for it. People find it irresistible to link to these sites and repost links to them.

3. Offer awards (”Best blog of the year”)
Start giving out awards for websites of some sort. Many are intrigued by awards and will happily link to sites giving awards. The best thing is that many sites that get awarded will link back to you.

4. Give stuff for free (”Free download something”)
Are you an SW-engineer, can you code? If you can, then create some sort of useful software that you distribute for free.

5. Write a controversial article (”Airbags kill more people than they save”)
Write an article with a twist. Do not take the normal side in opinions, twist things around. Disagreeing with authorities seems to work great.

6. Interview a celebrity or an authority (”Interview with Darren Rowse, PROblogger”)
People are always interested about celebrities. Even I like to read interviews of authority people on the areas that I am interested

7. TOP 10 or Similar Lists ( “TOP 10 Link Building Schemes”)
TOP 10 lists are a great way to get readers for your articles. These lists are easy to read an follow. Just look at digg and find out how many of the featured articles are TOP something lists.

8. “The Truth About” – Articles ( “The Truth About Internet Addiction”)
Give people the truth about something. You use something familiar and a normally given fact and tell the truth about it. The truth should be something different than what was expected.

9. Test or review something new. (”New Iphone gadget reviewed”)
New ideas always interest people. By testing something new or reviewing you are going to make a big hit.

10. Humor
Funny stuff is always nice to read. The fun stuff can be pictures, text or anything you like.

11. Attacking or  accusing  someone  (”PROblogger blackmails their writers”)
Accuse an authority about something. Blame them for scamming and provide some sort of evidence for it. If you make an accusation you must have proof for it or your long term success will be in danger.

12. Create Fears (”Swine Flu will kill 30% of all children”)
Fear is big motivator and articles of this type are often linked to. Again, you should provide good evidence for your ideas.

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