In the era where content reigns supreme, link bait stands as the ultimate emperor. Defined as content crafted to encourage sharing across social platforms and linking on personal blogs or websites, successful link bait often embodies qualities such as utility, timeliness, visual appeal, or humor. Well-crafted and strategically distributed link bait can serve as a powerful tool for link building, significantly enhancing website traffic. Let’s delve into some effective link bait examples that have successfully driven traffic and raised awareness for their creators.
[Image: The Beginner’s Guide to SEO]
With 1,564 likes, 2,599 tweets, and 1,590 +1s, this guide from Moz has garnered considerable attention. Despite being published on Moz’s platform, it stands as a prime example of successful link bait. It ranks as the first organic result for many Google searches, including “seo for beginners,” aiming to be the go-to resource for SEO novices. Many other guides link to this comprehensive piece, which is updated regularly to reflect industry changes, earning over a million reads as of 2014.
[Image: The Noob Guide to Online Marketing]
This Moz guest post, featuring a massive infographic and a six-month internet marketing course, has accumulated 393 likes, 2,665 tweets, and 131 +1s. Its extensive resourcefulness, simple formatting, and bold graphics make it an attractive and shareable piece of content.
[Image: Color Infographic]
Our own infographic on color has garnered 2,157 likes, 2,341 tweets, and 789 +1s. Its evergreen nature and relevance to web designers have contributed to its viral potential, packed with valuable information in a single image.
[Image: Copyblogger Codex of Content Marketing]
Copyblogger’s comprehensive guide to content marketing, compiled from 52 existing posts, has been shared 56 likes, 687 tweets, and 90 +1s. It offers a solid foundation for beginners and serves as an invaluable resource for those looking to learn about content marketing.
[Image: Link Building Strategies: The Complete List]
This Point Blank SEO article, featuring a detailed list of link building strategies, has received 292 likes, 1,412 tweets, and 659 +1s. Its all-encompassing nature and wealth of information make it a go-to resource for SEO professionals.
[Image: Video Upworthy]
Upworthy’s hit post, which received powerful links from reputable sources like Forbes and Time, has accumulated 14,627 likes, 120 tweets, and 755 +1s. This example showcases how link bait can also serve a greater purpose, raising awareness for Zach Sobiech’s story.
[Image: SEO Guide to Creating Viral Linkbait and Infographics]
Our in-depth guide to creating viral linkbait and infographics has garnered 129 likes, 967 tweets, and 342 +1s. It serves as a valuable resource for those looking to understand and implement effective link bait strategies.
[Image: Is Nate Silver a Witch?]
This microsite, which asks if Nate Silver is a witch, has garnered 17,722 likes, 5,614 tweets, and 166 +1s. Its brevity, timeliness, and humor have contributed to its success.
[Image: 100 Ways to Conserve Water]
Water Use It Wisely’s list of 112 ways to conserve water has received 2,331 likes, 1,211 tweets, and 12 +1s. Its visually appealing design, simplicity, and practicality have made it a widely shared piece of content.
[Image: War Casualties]
This interactive map of the War on Terror’s casualties has accumulated 9,871 likes, 955 tweets, and 16 +1s. Its stark black and white maps and interactive features have made it a powerful and widely cited piece of link bait.
[Image: “1945-1998” by Isao Hashimoto]
This video by Isao Hashimoto, mapping out all 2,053 nuclear test explosions between 1945 and 1998, has garnered 1,274 likes, 7,627 tweets, and 45 +1s. Its unique approach to visualizing historical data has made it a valuable resource and an effective link bait.
[Image: National Public Toilet Map]
This map of public restrooms across Australia has received 912 likes, 243 tweets, and 10 +1s. Its practicality and integration of Google Maps’ API have made it a useful and shareable piece of content.
[Image: How Die]
Bloomberg’s data visualization on causes of death has accumulated 3,317 likes, 2,520 tweets, and 337 +1s. Its morbid and somewhat depressive topic has contributed to its viral potential, as it visualizes data that may otherwise be overlooked.
[Image: Music Evolution]
This interactive piece of data on the evolution of Western music has received 40,029 likes, 13,241 tweets, and 1,610 +1s. Its unique approach to visualizing historical data has made it a valuable resource and an effective link bait.
[Image: Buffer Linkbait]
Buffer’s blog post on the science behind social media sharing has accumulated 56,279 likes, 6,845 tweets, and 1,626 +1s. Its evergreen nature and valuable insights have made it a popular and shareable piece of content.
These are just 15 examples of great link bait that we’ve found online. Feel free to share your own in the comments!
