When you catch a fish, you use bait. You cast your line into the water hoping the fish will grab your bait so you can reel it in.  Like fishing, linkbaiting uses the same strategy. You need a hook to capture your audience.  Linkbaiting helps visitors find your site through a variety of avenues– websites, blogs, social networking sites, instant messages and emails.

Linkbaiting is a SEO (search engine optimization) technique that can help you achieve big marketing results. The concept may sound complex but it’s easier than you think. You just need to know how to implement linkbaiting so it works correctly. The ultimate goal is to attract a lot of visitors and backlinks to your website.

Another way to utilize linkbaiting is through social bookmarking. For example, by tagging content in Digg you expose your content to more online users. As a result more visitors are likely to read your articles, follow your website and/or tag it.

Some tricks to keep in mind are to keep headlines short and don’t make the subject headers vague. These are the five common “hooks” attributed to linkbaiting:

1. News – Newsworthy information will always draw visitors. Be an expert in your field and offer the latest scoop first. Controversy wins every time – expose a fraudulent story related to your niche and it’ll spread like wildfire on the Internet.
2. Contrary – This hook can be a bit tricky, but if you know your subject well enough you can pull it off. Take an opposing viewpoint against a fellow competitor. Debate a hot topic in an industry-specific forum. Think outside the box!
3. Resource – The resource hook offers condensed information (such as reports) in an easy-to-read format. Offer comprehensive guides and tools in your niche that benefit readers. Write a unique Top 10 List that would benefit your specific industry.
4. Humor – Humor is a great way to grab a reader’s attention. Funny stories, videos or quirky pictures will draw in traffic. Post funny jokes but keep them clean (so you don’t offend readers).
5. Attack – This hook is controversial and there is both good and bad associated with this particular style of linkbaiting. It takes the contrary hook one step further. This hook could be more harmful than good so proceed with caution. Remember to respect boundaries and don’t take it too far. You could receive negative attention and hurt your reputation, especially if you attack a well-known expert in your niche.

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