Key Takeaways
Essential Nature of Quality Content: High-quality, engaging content is critical for backlink attraction, with ‘linkable assets’ like statistical posts, case studies, and guides being particularly effective.
Effective Content Types for Backlinks: Focus on content that offers utility, depth, and practicality, such as statistical insights, in-depth case studies, user-friendly tools, comprehensive guides, and ready-to-use templates.
Strategies for Linkable Assets: Enhance content with original research, detailed analysis, practical tools, thorough coverage, and actionable solutions to become a valuable linking resource.
Optimizing Content for Links:
Ensure relevance by tailoring content to audience interests and search intent.
Address common challenges with clear, step-by-step solutions.
Be comprehensive and cite data and expert insights for depth.
Introduce uniqueness with fresh perspectives and stories.
Focus on visual appeal and readability to improve engagement and link-worthiness.
Is Content Important for Building Backlinks?
High-quality, valuable, and engaging content attracts organic backlinks from other websites which positively impacts search engine rankings and traffic.
Content not only engages users and drives impressions but also gives other websites a reason to link to your site.
Without content, there’s little to no reason for a website to source backlinks to your site.
Some content types attract backlinks more than others.
Strategically focusing on creating content that is proven to attract backlinks increases the velocity at which your site gains backlinks.
Best Content Types to Attract Backlinks
Content types that attract backlinks more than others are known as ‘linkable assets.’
Linkable assets are crafted to incorporate elements like statistics, quotes, or unique data that prompt other websites to link to them.
Creating linkable assets is often a very time and resource-intensive endeavor, which is exactly why they are so effective at attracting backlinks.
Here are some of the linkable assets that work extremely well to attract backlinks.
Statistical Posts
Why They Attract Backlinks
Statistical posts are rich with data and insights, making them valuable for writers and researchers looking for credible sources to cite.
They provide concrete numbers and findings that can enhance the credibility of articles, reports, and academic papers.
Key Elements
Original research, industry benchmarks, trend analyses, and surveys.
The more current and unique the data, the better.
Pro Tips
Aggregate existing statistics and add value with unique visuals and insights.
Case Studies
Why They Attract Backlinks
Case studies offer in-depth insights into real-world applications, strategies, and results.
They are often cited in content that aims to illustrate points with practical examples or to showcase successful strategies and lessons learned.
Key Elements
Detailed analysis, storytelling, before-and-after comparisons, and testimonials that provide a comprehensive look at specific scenarios or strategies.
Pro Tip
Repurpose interviews, testimonials, and other content into case studies, minimizing the need for new content creation.
Tools and Calculators
Why They Attract Backlinks
Tools and calculators provide practical value to users, offering solutions or insights tailored to their specific needs.
Because they are useful and often unique, other websites link to them as resources in their own content.
Key Elements
User-friendly interface, relevance to a specific industry or task, and the provision of useful outputs or calculations that save time or provide clarity.
Pro Tip
Focus on creating simple, highly focused tools rather than complex ones.
This reduces development time and makes the tool easier for users to understand and use.
If the tool is simple enough, ChatGPT can likely create it on its own removing the need for coding anything.
Ultimate Guides
Why They Attract Backlinks
Ultimate guides are comprehensive resources on a particular topic, covering it in great depth.
They are a go-to source for readers wanting to learn about a subject thoroughly, which makes them highly linkable.
Key Elements
Covers all facets of a topic, from basic concepts to advanced techniques, including tips, strategies, and best practices.
Pro Tip
Start by outlining subtopics and then tackle each one as a standalone piece.
This makes the task less daunting and allows for easier content management.
Step-by-Step Guides
Why They Attract Backlinks
These guides provide clear, actionable instructions on how to achieve something.
Their practicality and ease of use make them valuable for content creators looking to offer their audience a way to accomplish specific tasks.
Key Elements
Detailed, sequential instructions, visuals (like images, videos, or diagrams), and tips to ensure successful outcomes.
Pro Tip
Create guides based on processes you are already doing or have done in the past.
Documenting steps as you go through a process naturally can save time.
Incorporating videos, images, and diagrams can make the guide easier to follow and reduce the amount of written content needed.
Templates and Checklists
Why They Attract Backlinks
Templates and checklists are highly practical and save users time by providing ready-to-use frameworks or ensuring they don’t miss any steps in a process.
They are often linked to because they enhance the utility of content that mentions or builds upon similar topics.
Key Elements
Customizability, relevance to common tasks or projects, and ease of use.
Including a variety of options for different needs can also increase their linkability.
Pro Tip
Convert existing content into templates or checklists.
For example, a blog post about project management steps can be turned into a project management checklist.
How to Super-Charge Your Content for Link Acquisition
Small details can determine whether someone links to your competitor’s content instead of yours.
For instance, if you miss a step in a step-by-step guide, take too long to solve a problem, or your content lacks uniqueness and visual appeal, these issues can compromise your chance at securing valuable organic backlinks.
To prevent this, it’s crucial to focus on these key aspects when crafting content designed to attract backlinks.
Make it Relevant
Understand Your Audience: Conduct audience research to understand their interests, needs, and challenges. Use this information to create content that addresses their specific concerns.
Stay Current: Keep your content up-to-date with the latest industry trends, news, and insights. Relevant and timely content is more likely to be shared and linked to.
Align with Search Intent: Make sure your content aligns with the search intent of your target keywords. Content that meets users’ expectations is more likely to earn backlinks.
Solve Problems
Identify Common Pain Points: Use forums, social media, and customer feedback to identify common problems your audience faces. Tailor your content to offer clear, actionable solutions.
Provide Step-by-Step Solutions: Break down solutions into step-by-step instructions that are easy to follow. This practical approach is highly linkable.
Offer Tools and Resources: Include tools, templates, or resources that help solve the problem more effectively. Resources that provide tangible help are great for attracting backlinks.
Be Thorough
Cover All Angles: Ensure your content covers a topic comprehensively. Address frequently asked questions and related subtopics to make your content a one-stop resource.
Cite Sources: Back up your claims with data and citations from reputable sources. This adds credibility to your content, making others more likely to reference and link to it.
Include Expert Insights: Collaborate with industry experts to include their insights in your content. Expert contributions can enhance the depth and authority of your content, encouraging backlinks.
Make it Unique
Add New Perspectives: Offer new insights or take a unique stance on common topics. Content that provides a fresh perspective is more engaging and link-worthy.
Use Original Research: Whenever possible, conduct and include your own research or surveys. Original data and findings can significantly boost your content’s linkability.
Tell Stories: Incorporate storytelling to make your content more engaging. Unique stories can set your content apart and make it more memorable and linkable.
Make it Look Nice
Invest in Design: Use high-quality images, infographics, and a clean, user-friendly design to make your content visually appealing. Well-designed content is more shareable and linkable.
Use Visuals to Simplify Complex Information: Infographics, charts, and visuals can help simplify complex information, making your content more accessible and link-worthy.
Optimize for Readability: Break up text with headings, bullet points, and short paragraphs to enhance readability. Content that is easy to read and navigate is more likely to earn backlinks.