There are numerous types of content: blog posts, articles, white papers, eBooks, listicles, videos, photographs, case studies and more.
But not all types of content are link-worthy.
It makes sense — different content should serve different purposes (awareness, education, conversion and so on). Therefore, if links are a goal in your marketing strategy, you should have content planned to secure links.
Creating content alone isn’t enough. You can’t build it and expect the links to come. You need a link strategy.
The first step to creating linkable content is to understand why people link on the web. Then, when you’re planning your next piece of content, ask yourself the question, “Why would anyone link to this content?”
People typically link to content because they find the content useful, entertaining, unique, insightful or valuable.
Another important aspect of link-worthiness worth remembering (that doesn’t necessarily pertain to content format or type) is site, brand and publisher reputation.
Google uses links as a signal of trust in their algorithm because people tend to link to trusted authorities online. Authoritative sites also typically have larger audiences and visibility, making it easier to acquire links. If your site is relatively unknown, you may need to devise a strategy to tap into someone else’s audience to aid your link development efforts.
With that being said, some content formats are more linkable than others, lending themselves more easily to citation, reference and endorsement.
Original data earns links because it provides unique information that cannot be attained anywhere else. This means any time a website wants to cite information from your study, they have literally only one source to link to: you.
Research is inherently linkable because it is backed by data rather than opinion, making it a natural source of citation (links) from others. As you plan your content strategy, you should consider a new study or test.
Of course, unique research shouldn’t be done for the sake of content and links alone. The research should serve a greater purpose: revealing insightful information for your company, providing value across your entire industry and/or answering questions vital to your audience. Research projects are more than a content initiative; they’re a business investment.
Obtaining original research and data isn’t easy. Gathering the necessary information can take months to complete, so you need to have a firm list of goals and KPIs attached to your study before you begin research.
Courtesy of SearchEngineLand
