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Link bait is interesting or noteworthy content that is specifically designed to attract attention, links and mass-sharing among social networking users. 

=== What Problem This Solves  ===

Your website isn't attracting enough traffic, especially from new visitors.

=== When to Use This Pattern  ===

Use this pattern when you can naturally create new content that is surprising, interesting, funny or controversial, and you need to quickly attract an influx of new visitors.

=== What's The Solution?  ===

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Link_bait Wikipedia lists] the following types of link bait: 
<blockquote>
*Informational hooks - Provide information that a reader may find very useful. Some rare tips and tricks or any personal experience through which readers can benefit. 
*News hooks - Provide fresh information and obtain citations and links as the news spreads. 
*Humor hooks - Tell a funny story or a joke. A bizarre picture of your subject or mocking cartoons can also prove to be link bait. 
*Evil hooks - Saying something unpopular or mean may also yield a lot of attention. Writing about something that is not appealing about a product or a popular blogger. Provide strong reasons for it.
</blockquote> 
And [http://contentini.com/link-bait-and-why-it-should-be-part-of-your-editorial-strategy/ Contentini advises]: 
<blockquote>
*Link bait needs to be relevant to who you are and what you do. If you are a web consultancy with no interest in pop culture, it probably doesn’t make a lot of sense for you to write a puff piece about the television show Glee and then vie for the attention of Perez Hilton. The titles of your posts are important, but you will do damage to your reputation if you lure people to your site under false pretences. The same rules apply to link bait as to your other content – don’t be phoney and don’t waste people’s time. 
*Timing is everything: what's happening in the news? 
*Apart from keeping up with news and pop culture, always with a mind to how you can add value to mainstream hot topics, you may want to occasionally check in with the [http://www.google.com/trends Google Trends tool], which allows you to view a list of the most popular search terms in real-time. [http://search.twitter.com/ Twitter trending information] is another great barometer for measuring what people are talking about. 
*Knowledgeable and conscientious promotion of your content is essential. Although there are never any guarantees, if you write something that is highly relevant and you promote it knowledgeably through the right channels, there is a decent chance that someone will pick up on it. 
*It’s crucial to be well read and to keep up with bloggers and websites that publish content relevant to your niche. Make a list of the top twenty websites you want to be featured on and make sure to include their special interests and the names of writers who tend to cover the kind of content that is most relevant to you. When you are planning your upcoming posts, consider which, if any should be promoted to these top twenty, keeping in mind that you may gain speedy entry to the spam folder if you regularly send submissions that are off point. Although few things beat a great mention and link from a website you admire, it’s also important to share your content on Twitter, Facebook and various relevant forums like LinkedIn; take every honest action you can to ensure your content gets eyeballs on it.<br> 
*There are two ways to improve your odds of creating content that gets attention: say something over-the-top, rude or contentious and risk your readers and potential customers thinking you are an out-of-touch ass, or invest time and energy in creating content that offers something new and valuable. 
*Unless you really are a jerk and it’s part of your brand, don’t act like one. 
*Plan to prolong the connection. With some hard work and a bit of luck, you may suddenly see a huge influx of new visitors on your website. They will come and quite quickly they will move on, and likely they’ll forget all about you and your brilliant content. Make sure you are providing the right cues that encourage people to form a lasting connection with you and your site: how noticeable is your subscribe button?; is your call to action prominent?; is it easy for people to find links to your social media profiles?; is it easy for them to share your content? These elements should be considered well in advance of a link bait related boost in visitors. How do you convert first time readers to regular visitors?</blockquote>
<br>

=== Why Use This Pattern  ===

Although link bait may attract a (significant) short-term increase in visitor numbers, the real long-term benefit is the number of new incoming links created to your page. The search engine ranking of your website and web page is heavily influenced by the number and variety of incoming links; therefore if your link bait article results in numerous new websites linking to you, this has important SEO benefits.

=== Examples Gallery  ===

[[Image:Theoatmeal-linkbait.png|thumb|left|theoatmeal.com specializes in link bait]][[Image:Ok-cupid-linkbait.png|thumb|left|The OK Cupid Blog uses sought-after data to create link bait]] 

=== Categories ===

[[Category:SEO_and_Marketing|SEO and Marketing]]
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