When it comes to driving qualified traffic to your website I personally find that Wikipedia is great. Aside from being #1 for almost every term on the planet until Google tweak their algo’ to bump Knols up there, Wikipedia gives you the ability to research and rapidly deploy link bait under a wide variety of niche topics.
Step 1. Do Your Research
Hit every keyword you can think of and look through the wiki content that appears in Google. Then specifically look at the resource links at the foot of a page. This will tell you what information other people are linking to.
Step 2. Don’t Reinvent the Wheel
Now go back to your client and ask "do you have any information like this lying around". I typically find that 9 times out of 10, there’s a tonne of documents that with a little tweaking can be put to use.
Step 3. Think Resource
Following standard blog link bait strategies, simply compile top 10 lists or lists in general of software, service providers etc around complimentary products and services.
Step 4. Don’t Sell
I repeat, don’t try and sell your product or service as part of this information. Users can sniff advertising a mile away so when you’re writing the content don’t be tempted to use it as a platform for selling a product or service, even if you’re reviewing/comparing a product. Be impartial!
Step 5. Time to Convert
Now you’ve got some meaty link bait written it’s time to think about conversion. Remember Step 4? This doesn’t mean that you can’t add advertising for internal products and services alongside the information, or write a hook at the foot of the content that wraps it up and directs people back into the site, or even better, use selected links within the document text to key products and services (don’t overdo it).
How have i made best use of this link bait idea?
- Added lists of open-source applications for complimentary software solutions with accompanying adverts targeted at solving issues for each niche
- Created product reviews for competing hardware
- Created network diagrams and technical solution walk-throughs for technology concepts
… its as easy as that.
Oh and by the way. I’m still looking for a new job.
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