The old, illicit ways of “link building” have been strewn aside for what’s now more commonly referred to as “link earning”. Paid directory submissions and shady backlinking practices are now being replaced by genuine, interest-based backlinking that better serves as a testament to link quality.
But actually gaining that genuine engagement from viewers is easier said than done. People share certain types of content for a variety of reasons, and piquing their interest enough to encourage a link has its advantages (in SEO and beyond).
Image from John Morgan (changes made), licensed under CC Attribution 2.0
So let’s talk about why people love linking to certain content, and what you can do with your own content to make it more link-worthy.
We’ll concentrate on three key factors that influence content engagement, and how they subsequently affect backlinking: Who you are, what you produce, and how you present it.
The Who
Certain publishers get more links to their content largely because they’ve established authority on a given subject. Think Wall Street Journal or Scientific American, for example. These are two popular publications that have been around for a long time, and their expertise in their given fields is trusted and well-known.
These are extreme examples of specialized authority – after all, we’re not all huge, world-renowned niche brands.
But many of us have something to offer in the way of knowledge and experience. If you’re trying to encourage more backlinks to your content, take your own skills and proficiencies into account first. Focus on topics that surround what you know best, and tie in unique experiences of your own to demonstrate your abilities and impress viewers.
Anything you can do to flaunt your authority will increase the likelihood of link-backs. Now onto the meat and potatoes.
The What
What you write about is often going to be the first thing that captures viewers’ attentions, making this a big part of why someone chooses to link. The substance of your content is what sparks interest and gives people a clue into its value.
If you haven’t done so already, determine who your readers are and what makes them tick. Subject matter can run the gamut, but squeeze into your audience’s heads before you designate what you’re writing, illustrating, shooting or crafting content for.
If they’re going to link to it, your content needs to be something they actually want to read about, watch or interact with. A few questions that will lead you to the right topics:
- What do they care about, more than anything?
- What bothers them, and what do they struggle with?
- What’s popular in current events?
- What’s timeless and undeniably fascinating?
- What makes their emotions flare?
- Are there any random affinities that could be incorporated into the content?
That last one is important to link-earning because it overlaps interests that would make someone want to link to a post. If you’re having trouble connecting with your audience, read more about random affinities and how they can help catalyze link appeal.
But what about the presentation? When you’re looking for links, does it matter how you present that brilliant content?
The How
It’s how you present your content – both stylistically and by medium – that will impress the right people and ultimately garner links to your content.
You could write a piece about an important current event or compelling hot topic, but no one is going to care for it if it’s nothing but boring blather.
Viewers are far more likely to link to something unique, and these are just a few ways to spin solid subject matter into content that begs for links:
- Be clear and concise: Beating around the bush won’t encourage readership, and it certainly won’t encourage backlinks. When the message is easy to digest, viewers are more eager to get involved.
- Stir the pot: Creating or defending controversy with your content breeds eager, opinionated readers and subsequent backlinks. I’d personally advise anyone to stay tasteful and level-headed in their controversial creations to get links of value and avoid criticism of their own.
- Be hilarious and/or witty: People love humor, and I can easily say it’s one of the most link-worthy types of content out there (just look at a site like Buzzfeed and how much action they see). But being funny isn’t always easy, and it’s worth re-mentioning that staying in good taste is advisable.
Also consider THE MEDIUM! What do the analytics tell you? Does your audience historically link to more blog posts, infographics, or videos? Do they eat up ebooks, plug your photos, or share your white papers? Figure out their favorites and stick to the mediums that work to get more people linking back to your content.
Any questions or tips of your own to share for making content more link-able? Let us know in the comments.
