How-To Information is Great Linkbait
April 11, 2008
I teach people about linkbaiting in SPL and ASC on a fairly regular basis. Commonly people will try to stump me and throw out what they think is the most boring, un-linkbait-able niche in the hopes that I will give up preaching that just about everything is linkbait-worthy if there are people online who want to know more about something.
Well, I think I can put an end to the linkbait debate today. If the how-to video below doesn’t prove that you can create how-to information on any conceivable topic of interest to someone, then maybe I will have to give up.
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Meet My Longtime Friend And Kick Boxing Trainer Jason Calacanis
April 28, 2007
Most of my readers are completely unaware that Jason Calacanis and I are life long buds.
We met in Brooklyn, Jason’s native land, in 1987 at a World Poker Tour tournament. Most people know Jason as the former GM of Netscape, but he’s also known by the “in crowd” as a former Editor of Silicon Alley Reporter.
(By the way, Netscape is pure genius.)
These days Jason is busy writing ground-breaking pieces on his blog like this one on linkbaiting, probably the most important piece ever to be written on the topic and sure to go down in history as the missing link in the quest for blog supremacy.
He does it all with his trusty bulldog Toro by his side.
It was last week that cemented Jason as the most forward looking, deep thinker on the web of our time. We were sparring in the ring and as he threw a blistering fast roundhouse that nearly took off my head, he mentioned his latest post on Fatblogging.
The depth of consideration of the major issues facing humanity in that post alone speaks volumes about my friend’s uncanny ability to take normally mundane issues and put them on a world stage to blow people’s minds around the globe.
Laying on my back in the ring I looked up at Jason and thought “He would make an incredible Ambassador to Ecuador if it weren’t for his penchant for double-dipping at parties!”
After fully regaining my wits after the third knockout of the day (I’m sure Jason didn’t see me struggling with my mouthpiece and looking in the other direction when he landed what could only be called the most perfect uppercut ever thrown) I realized that I was possibly the luckiest guy on Earth to have Jason Calacanis as a friend, mentor, and AA sponsor.
I know this weekend I will raise a glass to the man, the legend, the only person to ever win back-to-back World Bear Wrestling championships.
Tags: jason calacanis, linkbait, linkbaitingRequired Reading: Linkbait Tactics
February 8, 2007
Andy Hagans has done what I was too lazy to do.
He’s posted a complete guide to linkbaiting top to bottom. And he did a damn fine job of it.
So I am going to make his post required reading for all FTR subscribers.
Whatever you are doing now, stop.
Go find out how those of us who never fully explained linkbaiting use it to get a lot (A LOT) of traffic.
Still here? GO ON…GIT!
(Thanks, Andy, for taking the time to write it out. I knew someone eventually would and I could just push all my traffic to them and look like a hero without having to do it myself!) 
Getting Links!
November 6, 2006
Below are some extremely valuable resources you can read up on to increase your targeted traffic.
These links are from very respectable experts who know how to drive traffic. If you cannot get more traffic after reading the resources below, you can feel very safe in choosing to give up marketing your site, for you will have literally tried everything!
Share this page with friends or associates who need this information!
The tactics below work best on the Content Desk Publishing System.
Problogger:
- The Whole Problogger Link Baiting Series!
- Linkbaiting With Attack
- 8 Reasons Why Lists Are Good for Getting Traffic to Your Blog
- 7 Ways to Get to the Top of the del.ico.us Popular Page
SEO Book:
Seth Godin:
Priya Shah:
Copy Blogger:
Lee Odden:
Matt Cutts:
Mark Daoust:
SEOmoz:
Rohit Bhargava:
Got some other great links to share? Post them below!
Tags: getting links, internet marketing, link bait, linkbaiting, targeted traffic, Website PromotionBlog Marketing Tips
October 23, 2006
It’s about time you showed up here. I’ve been waiting!
So you want to know about [tag]blog marketing[/tag]? Got a sudden urge for more links, better search engine results, and more traffic?
Here are a couple sure-fire tips to keep you up past bedtime tonight…
Say Important Stuff!
Blogging is all about being interesting, informative, maybe controversial, helpful, and concise.
If you are trying to blog in order to get more prospects clicking on ads, buying recommended products, or buying your own product or service, you simply must spend time creating content that satisfies.
Most marketers-turned-bloggers have a terrible obsession with bland content and in-your-face marketing tactics that simply do not work in the [tag]blogosphere[/tag].
To garner rabid readers you have to care about them. Sincerely. Not Fakely. (Don’t run to your dictionary, I just invented that word.)
Give them good, topical, helpful things to read and let them decide if they want to click an ad or buy something in your sidebar.
People trust you faster if you don’t have your hand on their wallets the very second they land on your blog!
Link Baiting
If you were in my niche and you put up a helpful post about internet marketing tactics, blog promotion tips, or something on effective list building, I would likely want to link to your post to save myself some writing and to look good to my readers for providing a great resource.
As you can see in my other posts, I do this a lot. My readers want me to filter the mass of information out there and present them with tips and resources that matter to them so they don’t have to be up at 4 a.m. like I am now.
People link to my stuff and I link to them. Far from the old days where we hid links from our visitors, we now openly link to each other and take part in a larger discussion, knowing we will get traffic back for our efforts.
Good Link Bait
Lists rock. Do the work of researching a good list of sites, recommendations, posts on a certain topic, recipes, resources, or anything else that your readers will appreciate and there’s a chance other bloggers will link to your resource too.
Just so’s they can look like heros to their readers without having to work.
Here is a sample of one of my most successful link bait pages.
People love that list. People just love lists. Don’t you?
Kill Them With Content
Don’t over do it, but write often. Many of the top bloggers write 3-5+ times per day, and that’s ok.
You got something to say on a few topics today? Say it!
Just never let too much time go by where you don’t get something new on your site.
With blogging, especially on a system like I am using, every post is a new entry into the engines for new keywords and phrases.
And every post is possible [tag]link bait[/tag].
Those should keep you busy for awhile. I post these things all the time, so make sure you are subscribed to the Friday Traffic Report Ezine for reminders and special email-only articles and how-to’s. Subscribe above - big yellow box on right - can’t miss it!
Tags: Blog Marketing, Blog Marketing, blog promotion, blog tips, blogosphere, link bait, linkbaiting, linking, linksLinkbaiting. How Hard Is It?
September 8, 2006
Editor’s Note:Linkbaiting is a major authority site tactic. Good content begets lots of voluntary links from other sites looking to impress their visitors with relevant, cool places to visit.Find out how [TAG]linkbaiting[/TAG] is done below…
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Linkbaiting is a big topic for discussion lately. Everyone wants and needs links. We can ask for links, buy links or create articles and submit them for one way links. Linkbaiting is about getting links without doing any of these. Linkbaiting is essentially baiting people in by creating something they want to link to. So, what could we use to bait people into linking to you?
Podcasting: Creating a podcast that discusses news, tips or information on your industry is great baiting tool. Making your podcast unique and consistent is the key to steady stream of new links.
Interviews: These are great. If you could interview someone well known in your industry, that would certainly be worth linking to. For an added boost, do the interview on your podcast and then transcribe it.
Awards: Awards are another way to bring in traffic, though you can’t (or at least shouldn’t) simply make up an award. It has to have criteria, high standards and most importantly, meaning. If you give awards to everyone who applies, your award will seem insignificant and unimportant. The upside is you can gain a lot of traffic and one way links from award winners.
Tools and games: These will always be popular. Create a new tool for your industry that is legitimately helpful or develop a game related to your industry that is either informative or amusing. Firefox or wordpress plugins will bring steady traffic for a long time.
Content: Content is the easiest of all to create. Articles and blog posts are a great way to go about linkbaiting. You need to use your imagination to make your post compelling. Keeping on top of news and current affairs will help you pick a topic that people are already interested in. There is nothing wrong with piggy backing on some top stories if it relates to what you do.
Video: The is becoming one of the fastest forms of link baiting, in my opinion. Creating a funny or informative video can create quiet a buzz.
Giveaways and contests: These are great for a quick boost in traffic. However, these are also short lived. Giveaways need to have an associated monetary value. Contests, unless they are monthly, will die along with the links after the contest is over.
Blogs and forums: These are usually overlooked as a form of linking baiting, but they are one of the earliest forms of link baiting. Nothing says “link to me” more than a forum or a blog. Proving they have something of interest for the readers.
Guest appearances: This is one I like to use. I like to exchange writings, interviews or ideas with other bloggers and podcasters. Let me post a post on your blog and you can post on mine for a cross promotion. It’s a great way to get a link as well. If you have a podcast, exchange advertisements with other casts along with a link on your podcast page.
Lists: List are very popular. Why? Well, because they are a list of something of value that people want, all in one place. I have a list of over 200 article submission sites to submit articles to, directories that you can submit your podcast to for free and free directories to get your site listed on. These are always my most often viewed posts.
Where to set your bait: Press releases and social networks are the best places to cast your line. Make an enticing headline and real in some hefty traffic.
If you try once a week to do some form of linkbaiting, by at least writing a topical post or putting together a lengthy list that readers will find useful, you will see a steady increase of traffic and hopefully links.
About This Author
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