The secret to having a successful, frequently visited website may be content, but this doesn’t mean that one should simply load their website with random content. In order to make the desired impact, your web content needs to provide value to readers in such a way that they not only return for more, but they want to share your content with their friends. This means that you need to create more than just high-quality content, you need to create a linkable asset that either meets or exceeds readers’ expectations and is useful to them and others. This type of content will attract lots of backlinks, reaching readers that may not otherwise encounter it on their own.
Creating Quality Linkable Content
In order to create quality linkable content, you need to first understand the types of content that are most often linked to, why content is usually linked to and where linkable content can be found on websites. Once you understand the demand, you can work to fill it.
The type of content that individuals link to most often is articles, which can provide them with the valuable information, answers and solutions they are searching for. The second most linkable type of content is visual content. This type of content, which contains infographics and other data visualizations that are created from research, are engaging and interesting, and therefore more appealing and more shareable. Video content, such as a tutorial, a webinar, a product review, a demonstration or an explanation, is also highly linkable as it can share a large amount of information in a quick, easily understandable way.
There are several reasons for why someone may choose to link to external sources. The most common reason is to cite or reference a source, followed closely by the fact that the external source being linked to is considered valuable because it provides readers with additional information should they desire it. Additionally, people will link to external sources when they feel that the information being shared is coming from a respected, trusted authority, and when they feel it is relevant to the content they have on their website and therefore even more valuable to their readers.
Linkable content is most often found in website blogs, where it is especially useful in supporting what is being discussed and in providing readers with more information. Linkable content can also frequently be found on website resource pages.
Filling the Need
Now that you understand the most common type of linkable content, why content is most likely to be linked and where it is normally found, you can work on creating it. This should begin with determining your exact target audience and what these readers most want to know. By understanding the needs of your target audience, you can address specific pain points and deliver that much more value.
A well-researched, unique article that provides valuable information, answers and solutions will attract positive attention. To be safe, these articles should avoid heavy-handed promotion of your company’s products or services, as these tend to make readers wary and disinterested. The length of the article is also important, as those that are too short can be highly dissatisfying when they fail to deliver a full message to readers and those that are too long can become redundant and fail to hang on to reader attention. Each article should be started with a very specific message to communicate or goal to achieve, and the rather than the length of the article being dependent upon a specific word count, it should be dependent upon whether it has done what is intended.
Over time, you will learn which articles attract the most backlinks, and you can then focus your efforts more on generating similar articles that likewise attract backlinks. As your authority and expertise grow, so will your dedicated readership grow.
