Building connections is a difficult, possibly dangerous job if you don’t know what you’re doing. While link building is an important aspect of off-page SEO, the goal is to generate backlinks to your website naturally.
In the this post, we’ll teach you all we know about link magnets. This includes why they should be a core component of your content strategy and off-page SEO.
Let us begin!
What are Link Magnets?
A link magnet is a high-quality, unique piece of content that is fascinating & smart enough to attract connections on its own.
Instead of developing content and then chasing links, link magnets allow you to build material that offers so much value that other sites feel motivated to connect to it.
When done correctly, it may be one of the most effective sources of relevant backlinks. Before we go any further, it’s crucial to understand that a link magnet does not imply no work. It’s not the type of link building that you can set and forget.
Sure, if you already have great traffic and are regarded as a reliable and significant source of information. You may get away with just allowing people to naturally stumble upon it in due time.
For most people, however, it will not suffice. According to Ahrefs, the great majority of internet pages receive no search traffic, with one of the primary causes being a lack of links.
A better strategy to assure the success of your link magnets (which are, by definition, time- and resource-intensive) is to publicize them after they have been published.
This is where content marketing and distribution come into play. Any social channels, online communities, email lists, friendly bloggers and journalists you know who could be interested in your new link magnet and willing to conduct some mutually beneficial digital PR for you; all of are excellent options to assist in ensuring the success of your latest material.
With that said, let’s look at how to create those link magnets.
Link Magnets
Link Magnet 1: Blog Posts
Nowadays, having a blog (and blog entries to fill it with) is required by default, both for SEO considerations and to demonstrate your relevant authority to visitors and clients.
The problem is that the majority of blog content is now uninspired, repeated garbage. It is used to pad out a webpage and is written for Google crawlers rather than users.
Not only is this type of blog material no longer popular (a simple look at the March 2024 core update should demonstrate this). However, this type of derivative SEO first material will not garner backlinks.
Perhaps if you are an established site with a large following and a high domain authority, people will just exploit your terrible blog material to incorporate some high-authority backlinks into theirs.
If you are not one of the web’s few beacon sites, your link magnet blog material must be distinctive.
Case Study:
One of the most effective strategies to encourage people to click and link is to predict the future.
People dislike ambiguity, and anyone who can at least attempt to provide some reassurance or predictability (backed up by genuine legitimacy and authority, of course) typically gets noticed.
Take this below article from Marketing Lad, for instance, titled “16 Proven Ethical Link Building Strategies in 2024” !
If you’re in the link-building sector, that’s arguably the most pressing issue on most link-builders‘ minds. When we searched for “ethical link building” on Google, this was the first article that surfaced.
Another blog titled “link building best practices” is almost certainly going to get buried in a sea of identical, useless, and entirely copied content. In contrast, a projection of the future will capture people’s attention right away.
Link Magnet 2: Templates
Templates, a type of linkable asset or “link magnet,” are pre-designed and customizable resources that provide a solution or starting point for a variety of activities or projects.
These templates are frequently designed to address specific needs within a specific industry or niche, and the sites that create them typically offer them for free or as part of a content package in the hopes that people will find them useful and link back to them–particularly other sites that see them as valuable resources for their audience.
Case Study:
Here’s an excellent example of a teamwork.com template that has generated a large number of backlinks. Here is screenshot of the template.
It’s a client onboarding template, and folks clearly enjoyed it:
Take a look at all of those backlinks (100% are dofollow links).
Link Magnet 3: Infographics
Infographics are visual representations of facts and/or concepts that are considerably easier to absorb than large walls of text and are frequently more entertaining, resulting in greater performance.
If you want to understand more about infographic link development, we have published a detailed post on the subject.
Case Study:
Check out the 2021 Asia Central story and associated infographic, “By the Numbers: The Supply Chain Disaster.”
This resulted in six backlinks from five connecting domains:
It’s almost certain that none of these connections originated via link building (according to the size of the site in issue and the kind of sites referring to this infographic and article).
How to Build?
Because infographics are one of the most popular lead magnet tactics, there are several tools available online that will assist you in creating them. Some of the most popular are:
- Canva
- Piktochart
- Visme
Even Adobe has a free infographic tool.
To create a solid infographic that will attract links and not get lost in the noise (there are many infographics out there with no backlinks), you must hit a few important points:
- Clear purpose
- Focus
- Clean design
- Visuals
- Engaging information and data
- Reputable sources
The supply chain infographic above has it all (albeit it was a little busy in terms of “clean design”). Infographics, like blog content-based link magnets, may become overused and unimaginative.
To maximize an infographic’s value as a lead magnet, it must be unique, and timely (the information must still be relevant), and, as we mentioned at the beginning of this article, you must let people know you created the content through continuous distribution and marketing.
Link Magnet 4: Statistics
We are living in the golden era of data when statistics and hard figures reign supreme. A statistics-based link magnet that provides industry facts, stats, and trends related to a specific topic or specialty.
This information can be gathered by surveys, research projects, or independent data analysis, with the results published in full reports or articles. The goal is for other websites to connect to these data as references or authoritative information, thus increasing the credibility and value of their material.
If a statistical article gets well-known and regarded enough over time, it might have a hyperlink snowball effect, which grows exponentially. This is one of the most effective methods for future-proof link creation, ensuring that your backlink profile remains full and natural for an extended period.
Case Study:
HubSpot is the maestro of marketing statistics. Take a look at the next article, “The Ultimate List of Marketing Statistics for 2024 “ !
Well, that article has received around 58,000 backlinks:
Wrapping Up
Link magnets are one of the most effective methods for natural link building. There are several methods to develop attractive linkable material, ranging from original blog entries with insightful forecasts to visually engaging infographics that elucidate complicated subjects.
Combining link magnets with effective content distribution and marketing initiatives increases exposure, authority, and success in a highly competitive online world.
FAQs
a. What is a link magnet and how does it help in attracting backlinks?
A link magnet is a high-quality, useful material that is expressly designed to generate backlinks from other websites. It provides unique insights, facts, or solutions, which naturally prompt others to link to it. Link magnets increase your website’s authority, enhance search ranks, and drive organic traffic by promoting organic link-building initiatives.
b. What types of content make the most effective link magnets?
The most powerful link magnets include original research, data-driven reports, infographics, detailed guides, case studies, and expert roundups. These sorts of content offer important insights, actionable information, or visual appeal, encouraging people to reference and link to them, therefore increasing your site’s authority and SEO performance.
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