A Few Link Bait Building Tips

Writing by Nick Stamoulis Tweet

If you are operating an online business then you have an opportunity to create content that is not only of value to your readers, it can be an effective SEO resource to develop links.

Build a Resource Directory
If you are going to build a resource directory then you need to be sure it really is a resource directory and not just a list of links. A list of useless links will do more damage to your sites credibility and provide nothing of value to your readers. From an SEO perspective, all links in your directory should be to related sites in your niche.

When creating your directory, spend some time and do properly. A list of site names with links, while providing a resource to visitors, is no different to a blog roll. Good directories that will encourage others to link back needs to be informative and provide value. Include the following information in your link directory:

link to their websites
contact information
a map and street directions to their off line business
brief summary of services

It may take 20-30 minutes to create each link in the directory, however, once completed your directory will look very professional, provide a wealth of information for your visitors, and prove to be the perfect link bait for other sites. If you limit the number of links to only the best sites, you will suddenly find other related businesses requesting inclusion as part of their SEO program. You are in a position then to dictate the terms of your links.

Create an Industry News Section
If you stay up-to-date with all the news in your industry, provide a page or series of pages that publish all the latest information. Try to keep your reporting unbiased be sure to only publish facts. If the information is based on rumor then be sure to clearly state that it is a rumor.

If you are publishing news on a regular basis, others from within your niche will comes to recognize your pages as a one-stop-shop for industry news. With this reputation will come links particularly as others start using your news articles in their content (with links of course). News articles can also be useful to promote on social media sites.

Many businesses utilize a blog to publish directories and industry or business news. While the blog is a perfect tool for these tasks, it can be done through standard web pages. From a search engine optimization point of view there are pro’s and con’s to both. If you have the time and resources to maintain a blog then there are opportunities to publish information on a wider scale. Whether it is a blog or through your web site, effectively done, these two tips can really boost your search engine optimization link building strategies.