How To: Create and Promote Link Worthy Content
Tuesday, January 26th, 2010If you know a thing or two about search engine optimization then you are likely aware of how important creating link worthy content is (and probably know how hard creating it can be as well). Recently our founder, Arnie Kuenn, came to the Vertical Measures team with an idea: lets do a series of video interviews with experts in our field. We’re in Phoenix, many Internet experts are here in Phoenix, why not? Within two weeks the concept, "2010 Predictions from 10 Internet Experts", was developed, experts were contacted, the recording took place at GreenScreenFX, videos were edited, and promotion had started.
Was it successful? For us, yes: we’re an Internet marketing company and appreciate the power of a link. For a relatively small investment (time to shoot videos/promote/organize, and money it cost to film/produce/edit) we accumulated MANY backlinks from different domains (325 links according to Site Explorer). Not to mention the publicity we received from our post: Business Journal picked it up, many bloggers did as well, and we were featured in Search Engine Lands Search Cap on January 15th. In addition:
2000+ page views, 120+ retweets, 3800+ results on Google, 49 Sphinns, top 5 Google ranking for term "internet experts", and 150+ views on Stumbleupon.
We are extremely thankful for the Internet experts who agreed to the interviews, as well as our staff for putting the time and effort into this project. You too can create your own successful link worthy content piece with the below tips for creation and promotion:
A Few Link Worthy Content Ideas
Interviews: Just as we’ve done, take an interview (or interview series) and turn it into something applicable for your business. Instead of just interviewing over the phone or via e-mail, why not video the interview or interview in a non-traditional setting, like on Twitter (as Jay Baer does: The Twitter 20)? Ask interviewees for their predictions, tips, tools, secrets, their take on controversial topics, etc.
Whitepapers: An expert in your field? Write about it in an informative and interesting whitepaper. Give away a few of your trade secrets, and don’t be afraid to give truly valuable information!
Lists/Tips: It may sound like old news, but creating lists and top tip type posts or articles are highly linkable…if done well. Make sure your blog post or article is extremely helpful, interesting, and not just a reiteration of old news.
Promoting Link Worthy Content
Ask connections: Don’t be afraid to ask your friends, family, and professional connections to help get the word out about your link worthy content. They might just be the spark that ignites the conversation and buzz about your content.
Press Release: Distribute an online press release about your new content. Many online press release distribution sites will get the word out, links back to your website, and traffic to your site as well.
Social Media: Send out tweets, post on your Facebook fan page, submit your content to bookmarking sites like Stumbleupon, Digg, Reddit, and others, and don’t forget about LinkedIn. If your link worthy content is centered around expert feedback or insider information, LinkedIn will prove essential: other professionals in your industry will want to get the insider scoop.
Creating link worthy content and promoting it, is probably the very best strategy for obtaining those highly valued "editorial" links. If people voluntarily discuss your content and link to it, those links often provide the very best link juice for your website. Feel free to list some other link worthy content ideas in the comments below.
