What is Link Baiting: Ideas to Create Link Baits + Examples

Build great link baits and allure others to link to your content naturally. Here’s how to create great link baits.

Backlinks are valuable and you know that. Don’t you? It’s like people on the internet are pointing to your site and saying – go to this site, this has some really great content on what you want to learn about. 

But do you know how to earn high-quality backlinks in a sure-shot manner? 

If you are searching for such a proven way then link baiting is the answer. 

Link baiting is a powerful content creation technique that involves curating content so valuable that people want to link to it willingly. 

Good link bait doesn’t just earn a few links here and there. It can earn you hundreds or even thousands of high-quality links. 

This is achieved by creating content that are so useful or captivating that people want to link to it and you earn links naturally.

So, how to do link baiting in SEO? What types of content can be used as link baits? Are there some techniques for creating content that makes them good link baits? 

Let’s learn. 

What is link baiting

Link baiting, as it sounds is a way to bait or allure other websites to link to your content.

It’s quite the opposite of what you usually do to earn links. What you normally do is continually create content pieces and develop an outreach campaign to earn links from sources that you consider valuable. 

But in link baiting, you create a highly valuable piece of content that can earn high-quality links naturally. Many think that creating a controversial piece will do. But in actuality, it’s not just that. It’s about creating a content piece that is really useful. 

It’s a one-time affair if you want to see it like that. Thus it may sound easy or less troublesome than creating multiple pieces of content continuously. 

However, it is not as easy as it sounds. Creating link baits requires you to create very high-value content that users find really beneficial. 

In other words, it has to be exceptional. 

That requires research, creativity, expertise, and a deep understanding of your target audience. 

Often, it requires expertise that you may not have in your team. So, you may need to hire people with the required expertise to do the work for you. Thus, it may also be expensive. 

But the return it gives when you consider the number of backlinks it generates or how much it increases the authority of your site, creating a link bait can be a wise choice after all.

Purpose of link baiting

Link baits, i.e. creating super valuable pieces of content that naturally attract links work in three ways – increase the value of your website, get more organic traffic to it, and rank higher. 

First, content with more high-quality backlinks is more valuable to Google. It’s like word-of-mouth promotion but in the online world. It’s like people are saying – go to this website, it has a really valuable content piece. The reason why, it attracts more backlinks in the first place. And, as Google considers high-quality backlinks as a ranking factor, the content piece naturally goes up in ranking. 

Second, people who find your content valuable (who want to link to it and who want to find information) will naturally visit your website. This will automatically draw more organic traffic to your site. 

Third, you can build internal links to your website to spread the link juice of your link bait content to other content pieces to increase the authority of your website.

Why does link bait work

There are some psychological factors that link baits take advantage of that make people want to link to it. These principles are called “share triggers” and were coined by marketing professor Jonah Berger in his book Contagious. 

They are:

• Social currency: People share things that make them popular in their social circle. 
• Triggers: People share things that are on top of their minds. 
• Emotion: Strong emotions usually make people share something.
• Public: People tend to share what’s trending and are shared by many.
• Practical value: People share those things that offer practical value to others.
• Stories: People like to share stories, not bland information. 

Link baits created with these engaging factors in mind are more likely than not to allure users to link to them and thus they become a link magnet.

5 Link baiting real-world examples 

Here are our favorite five real-world link baiting examples that really clicked and worked great in acquiring high-quality and volume backlinks and continue to do so today. 

1. How Y’all, Youse, and You Guys Talk – The New York Times

This NY Times Dialect Quiz not only attracted tons of backlinks but also led to widespread discussions on various platforms. Since it was published in 2013, it gained 118k backlinks from 5.5k domains. The numbers speak for themselves in telling how widespread popularity it got.

Why it works:

This one of a kind of quiz analyzes users’ regional dialects in the US. Engaging users about something personal, it became what you call the talk of the town. Its shareability led to widespread discussions and it quickly became a cultural phenomenon. 

Even now, it continues to attract significant traffic and backlinks, enhancing the publication’s online presence. 

2. How Long Does SEO Take to Show Results – Ahrefs Study

This in-depth Ahrefs study is a testament to the fact how much people want their common questions answered. Since its publication, the blog earned 4.6k backlinks from 709 domains. 

Why it works:

This comprehensive study provided valuable insights, making it a go-to reference for industry professionals. 

The unique data and authoritative analysis attracted numerous backlinks from blogs, articles, and forums discussing SEO strategies.

3. Emoji Language Report – Duolingo

This unique and interesting trend analysis by Duolingo studied the use of emojis across the globe. Being a fascinating analysis, it immediately attracted the attention of internet users from all across the globe. Since it was first published in 2022, it attracted 200 backlinks from 86 domains. 

Why it works:

By analyzing global emoji usage trends, Duolingo tapped into a universally relevant and lighthearted topic. The engagement of the content was so high that it encouraged sharing and discussions across various platforms.

The report garnered backlinks from tech blogs, news outlets, and social media, enhancing Duolingo’s visibility and authority in language trends.

4. VR Video Campaign by Charity Water

This virtual reality campaign by the Source immersed viewers in the journey of a young girl collecting water in Ethiopia.

Since it was launched in 2016, it earned 1.3k backlinks from 274 sources. 

Why it works:

This video piece worked because it tells a compelling story about water scarcity using VR. It was innovative and immersive, but most of all, it was emotional which triggered millions of users to link to it. 

The campaign received extensive coverage, leading to backlinks from humanitarian blogs, tech sites, and news outlets, raising awareness and funds for the cause.

5. Exploding Kittens – Kickstarter

This unique card game concept by Kickstarter offered users a fun and engaging way to spend their leisure hours. Since it was launched, it has managed to earn 78.2k backlinks from 5.1k sources. 

Why it works:

The creators leveraged their existing audience and offered a unique and humorous card game concept. The campaign’s entertaining presentation and record-breaking success made it highly shareable. 

The project became the most-backed Kickstarter campaign at the time, attracting media coverage and backlinks from gaming and news websites.

Best practices for creating link baits

Ready to create great linkbait content? 

Here are the best practices to create successful link bait campaigns to attract more backlinks naturally. 

Try to incorporate at least one or two of these into your link bait so it stands the highest chance of success. 

1. Create high-value content

High-value content are the likes of detailed guides, how-to articles, or data-driven research. They work because they focus on offering unique, in-depth, and actionable information that solves problems or provides insights.

A good example of a high-value content is:

Backlinko’s “SEO Trends in 2024 and How to Adapt”

This is an example of high value content that provides in-depth, up-to-date, and actionable advice that appeals to marketers and SEO professionals. 

The comprehensiveness makes it a go-to resource, encouraging others to reference and link to it in their own content.

2. Use strong visuals

Visuals attract users like nothing else. They engage users because they are easy to follow and convey information in an easy-to-digest manner. Also, they are pleasing to the eyes, so that adds another dimension to it. 

A great example of a visually appealing content piece is: 

Venngage’s “How to Make an Infographic in Under 1 Hour | Easy Guide (2024)”

People love to follow infographics. A good infographic can attract thousands of backlinks because of its easy shareability and because it can convey complex information easily. 

They also attract backlinks because people often embed them while linking to the source for attribution.

3. Leverage Emotional Triggers

People love to feel emotional. And, content pieces that evoke strong emotions are favored by people of all ages. They want to share it in their circle willingly. Because of the connection and empathy it fosters, they lead to high engagement shares. 

A good example of an emotional piece of content is:

Humans of New York stories that highlight deeply personal and inspiring narratives.

This type of emotional content works because when people resonate with a story, they are more likely to link to it in articles, blogs, or social media posts.

4. Offer Exclusive Tools or Resources

Tools are a great way to engage people and thus they are great link baits. A good tool solves immediate problems and is highly shareable within communities that need it. 

Being interactive and useful, they are favored by industry professionals to solve problems they usually face. They also drive traffic and backlinks from websites recommending the resource to their readers.

5. Focus on Controversial or Trending Topics

Write about hot topics, debates, or offer a unique perspective on a trending issue. This approach can attract discussions and shares.

A good example of such a content is:

BuzzFeed’s  “People Are Sharing Their Controversial Pop Culture Opinions”

Sparking a controversy or debate is a good way to garner attention among readers. By addressing contentious viewpoints, it encourages engagement, sharing, and discussions, leading to increased visibility and backlinks.

6. Collaborate with Influencers

Featuring influencers increases the credibility of the content and motivates them to share it with their audiences. This creates a ripple effect of visibility, driving backlinks from both participants and their followers.

A great example of such a content piece is:

Chipotle’s collaboration with drag artists Trixie Mattel, Kim Chi, and Gottmik.

How to find good link bait ideas

The smartest way to find good ideas for link baits is to get an idea of what’s working for your competitors. 

Here’s how:

Step 1: Enter your competitor’s domain into Ahrefs’ Site Explorer. Here we have used Neil Patel’s website as an example. 

Step 2: Go to the Best by Links report on the left hand panel.

Step 3: Now, see which types of content are working for your competitors. 

For this example, you see that a particular tool is working the best for them. 

You can try and create a tool, but be more unique and create a really useful tool that people would look forward to using. 

Conclusion

Link bait is a great way to attract backlinks naturally. They entice users into linking to them because of the value they provide. 

However, for a link bait to attract most links, you must have a combination of well-crafted content and a well-executed promotional plan. 

It doesn’t amount to anything if people do not know that you have a great piece of content. 

If you are facing any hassles in creating backlinks for your site, you can always contact us for the finest link building services.

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