How to Build Back Links to Your Web Site - Master of Lists
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Lists are addictive. Just think of how popular David Letterman’s funny “Top 10” lists became, and how frequently they were imitated. They deliver easily digested bites of information, suitable to the shorter attention spans one often finds on the Internet. There are several different kinds of lists you can create; while you might find that some of the ones I’m about to describe are more suitable to your industry than others, you should be able to adapt any of them to your purposes.
A good place to start is the “101” list. It’s not really a list per se; it’s more like a comprehensive introduction to a topic. For example, if you own a web site that helps high school students and their families with choosing and applying to a college, you might have a concise but thorough article that explains what to look for in a college, or the various steps of the college application process, or how to apply for scholarships and student loans. Such an authoritative document is ripe for being linked.
If you’d rather take a page out of Letterman’s book, top 10 lists of other sorts are popular. Do you have a site dedicated to auto enthusiasts? You could put together a list of the 10 most important things to do to keep your car in top running condition. Look at your field, figure out something that visitors to your site would find useful in helping them achieve a goal, and organize it into this kind of list. They’ll come back, and tell their friends.
Interesting facts are another good candidate for a top 10 list. I’m not talking so much about trivial “did you know?” lists. Everyone likes to feel smarter than someone else, so put together a list of the top 10 myths in your field. This is the kind of list that can be funny and entertaining as well as informative – and depending on your field, it could even win bar bets or help save lives.
Speaking of useful lists, how about a list of resources? These don’t need to be other web sites, though of course they can be. Depending on your field, you can have a list of stores that sell appropriate equipment; instructive books and/or videos; trade magazines and trade shows, and more. Don’t just organize the information into a list, however. Next to each resource you list, include a few sentences on what your visitor can expect to get from it.
When you make up a list of resources, don’t neglect gurus or experts in your field. Talk about their expertise and link to their web sites, and you might find them thanking you, linking to your site, or even granting you an interview (which is another good piece of linkbait). Sure, it may seem a little shallow, but flattery – as long as it’s sincere – can be a good way to start a relationship with an authority in your industry.
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