Backlinks have always been an important ranking signal for Google and other search engines.
A recent Backlinko study of 11.8 million Google search results showed that top-ranking pages have more backlinks than others.
In fact, on the search result page (SERP), the #1 result had an average of 3.8X more backlinks than #2 to #10 results. Backlinks indicate that other websites find your content credible and authoritative; hence, they want to link to it or share it.
But despite knowing the importance of backlinks, the same study showed that 95% of all pages in the SERPs have zero backlinks.
Why? Because most businesses wrongly think that more backlinks equal higher ranking.
Though backlinks are critical for ranking, not all links are equal. We need to consider factors like content quality, the reputation of websites linking to the content, and more.
These and other link-building mistakes and misconceptions can weaken your link-building strategy, thereby pulling down your authority score.
If you don’t have the expertise or bandwidth to handle link building in-house, working with an SEO reseller can be an effective solution. They can help you scale your link-building efforts while ensuring the quality and relevance of the backlinks you acquire.
How to avoid mistakes in link building if you don't have sufficient expertise?
If you work with clients and need to consistently build links, you can outsource to another agency, for example, using a white label method.
In this post, we will focus on one of the key ways to acquire high-quality backlinks, namely sharing informative and engaging content with the target audience.
We will discuss the top content types that can immediately fetch you authoritative backlinks. This will establish you as the thought leader in your domain, increasing traffic to your site, and generating qualified leads.
Top Content Types That Naturally Attract Links
1. Original research
When it comes to building links, nothing beats original data or research in a particular niche.
While it may seem like low-hanging fruit, everyone values some useful data from a survey or analysis. When a site wants to add credibility to its content, it will naturally cite your research and link to it every time.
Notice what I did at the beginning of this post?
I linked to Backlinko’s original analysis of millions of Google search results. The go-to resource on SEO is always conducting some research or the other.
Check out what we see when we look for the term ‘Backlinko research’ on Google.
Several pages talk about the immense research done by Backlinko in their niche. The result?
Source - Taken from the Ahrefs dashboard
Hubspot is yet another brand that shares a sea of original research-centric content in the marketing domain.
Check out how their original research - Not Another State of Marketing Report 2021 is performing in terms of backlinks.
Source - Taken from the Ahrefs dashboard
Publishing original content isn’t a tough task.
Find a question people have in your niche or a pressing problem they’ve been seeking answers to. You can easily get this by engaging in social listening or by getting active on platforms like Reddit or Quora.
Next, work on answering this question with data, analysis, or a survey.
2. Free tools/Guides
Does your audience constantly look for an easy way to get around their tasks?
If that’s true for your industry, sharing a free tool or guide can be the golden ticket to boosting traffic and earning quality backlinks.
Quicken, a personal finance software company, shared a budget calculator for its audience to help them build their budget with ease.
Similarly, SmartAsset offers this easy-to-use income tax calculator that allows its customers to calculate their taxes and refunds.
Such resources (another example of which would be a VA loan calculator) are bound to earn them precious backlinks from websites sharing content on financial planning or tax management.
As long as your tool is simplifying a task it will be a great success with your audience and other websites who will want to link to it. Just make sure you add adequate instructions on how to use the tool and an FAQ to answer users’ top concerns.
3. Webinars or courses
A great way to highlight your knowledge and experience in a particular domain is to conduct a webinar or share a crash course.
This content type will not just earn your content backlinks but also position you as a thought leader/ subject matter expert in the domain.
Webinars and courses allow you to be there as a problem solver for your community and share the invaluable knowledge you possess on a subject.
This type of content also allows you to create further different content forms.
An online seminar or course, for instance, can be shared in to form of a video, podcast, blog post (with top highlights), or a slide presentation.
Notice how Venngage, the professional infographic maker partners with influencers in the content niche and shares interesting webinars that guide businesses in the content marketing industry.
Their blog also shares information on free online training sessions.
Sharing webinar content or a course is also a great way to draw and nurture qualified leads.
Most small businesses leverage webinars to nurture mid-funnel relationships with their customers. This allows them to capture lead information through gated content.
Here are quick tips to consider when conducting a webinar or sharing a course.
- Address a lingering audience pain point.
- Get creative! Partner with an influencer in your niche to earn more credibility and backlinks (but be extremely selective of who you feature!).
- Include clickable links to your webinar, allowing viewers to actively participate and interact with your content.
- Share surveys after your webinar or course to assess if your content benefited your audience.
- Promote your webinar on social channels and through emails.
4. White papers
White papers are premium content pieces covering complex ideas and subjects in an industry. Publishing white papers can fetch you backlinks from major industry publications and leading blogs.
Though this content type takes time to be published and requires quality sources and data it has a high chance of being linked. It offers you a chance to showcase your expertise and offer a real understanding of a subject.
Simply put, white papers are an authoritative piece of content that can position you as a thought leader and earn you precious backlinks. When creating white papers remember the following -
- Focus on solving problems
- Add relevant data to back your claims
- Keep it crisp and concise
- Make it accessible and readable for your audience
- Have a balance of copy, images, and graphs to boost its readability
Check out how this white paper by Infosys, shares insights related to the insurance industry while keeping it simple and crisp for their audience.
5. Infographics
Infographics are visually-stimulating content forms that help get the most complicated message through. They are not just easy to digest but also easy to recall. No wonder, they make great linkable assets for any industry.
For creating infographics, you need an expert graphic designer who can use their skills to best present data in a visually appealing format.
Check out Ivan Cash’s website that creates this stunning infographic after analyzing 49 other infographics. Now, this is link-worthy content!
Creating and sharing infographics can power your content strategy, thus improving your brand reach and earning your links. So, go ahead and create attractive and value-adding infographics for your target audience.
6. Videos
Videos make an excellent link-worthy content type because they increase a user’s time on the page, a critical indicator of page experience. When creating video content to acquire backlinks, consider the following tips.
- Remember to talk to the audience
- Share a story. A narrative makes the video relatable and click-worthy
- Offer a complete transcript
- Add a catchy title, meta description, and file name. This will not just improve your video’s reach but also boost the chances of being linked to it.
7. Interactive content
Interactive content like games, quizzes, interactive maps, and animated infographics attract a lot of links because this type of content enhances UX and creatively presents data.
Further, it gives you a chance to deliver a responsive asset that looks as awesome on a variety of devices. This piece of content not just educates, it entertains and informs.
Check out this creative piece of interactive content shared by Podio. It shows the daily routine of the famous creative people using the toggle on and off or hover-over controls.
Embed Interactive Content - https://podio.com/site/creative-routines
The content seems to have earned thousands of backlinks.
Source - Taken from the Ahrefs dashboard
Conclusion
Gaining links from other websites gives search engines the vote of confidence that the website (and hence the brand) is trustworthy and authoritative. This significantly contributes to a better ranking in the SERPs.
However, getting a backlink from authoritative publications and sites isn’t an easy task. The task seems all the tougher for small businesses that are still trying to build their online presence and authority.
We are sure that the insights shared above will help you create awesome content that proves to be a link magnet. Go on and start creating the top content types shared in this post to improve your site’s backlink profile.
