Part of any successful website’s strategy is link-building, the process of increasing links to your website across the internet to increase your online visibility. In order to convince people that your content is worth sharing, you’ve got to offer them something of value and interest to them. For successful link-building, your content has to truly stand out. That’s where clever formatting comes in.
Creating link-building-friendly content is about more than just what you write! What about the format and visual appeal? #linkbuilding Click To Tweet
Catch Your Audience’s Eye
It’s no secret that different formatting styles stand out more than others and appeal to different people. While you can’t necessarily appeal to everyone’s personal preferences online, you can certainly do some research to find the most popular formats. If your style catches people’s eye and they like what they read, they’re far more likely to share your content and build a backlink log for you. Based on some research done by Search Engine Land, here are the four most popular types of information formatting:
- Interactive
- Static images
- GIFs
- Detailed, long-form articles
1) Interactive
An interactive format gives your audience the chance to engage directly with your content. Depending on the nature of your website, this content could take the form of a cost calculator, a quiz or survey, a simple game, or something else entirely. The online community certainly loves this type of web design!
While an interactive form of content certainly appeals to your readers, it also requires a significant amount of effort to create. Make sure this approach is worth your while.
2) Static Images
A static image, such as an infographic, is arguably the easiest form of content to create. Still images certainly get plenty of online traffic and provide a quick, concise method of sharing information on your website or social media page. However, because they’re so easy to make, infographics can flood the internet and begin driving down their own popularity at times. Learn to find the right balance for your website and stick to it.
Pro Tip: Static images are easy to make, but don’t cut corners! Give your audience a professional, easy to read infographic with quality data.
3) GIFs
A twist on the still infographic format, a GIF is an excellent way to combine a somewhat interactive style with the simplicity of an image. Motion catches the readers’ attention and provides the chance to incorporate creative visuals into your information.
GIFs are slowly gaining popularity as a serious method of information sharing, rather than a format for jokes on social media. Even if you aren’t certain about this format at first, give it a try and see how it boosts your link building. If you take your GIF and the information it presents seriously, so will your audience!
4) Detailed, Long-Form Articles
Text-based information isn’t generally considered “visual” in the sense that an image is. However, long-form content is still invaluable to your link-building strategy. For instance, quality articles can be promoted for a much longer time period than shorter pieces and give you the chance to measure audience response in more detail. You can also write about multiple related topics in much more detail than you could with just an infographic.
However, it’s important to remember that long-form posts help you with more long-term success than immediate results. People read text slowly compared to skimming a flashy infographic, so your article may not go viral or get immediate widespread attention. This doesn’t mean the format is useless, though. A well-written piece on your website can give you a steady stream of readership and views rather than fifteen minutes of fame.
Encourage Readers to Share Your Content
Your audience is always sure to appreciate interesting content presented in a format they can easily take in. Whether you opt to appeal to your audience’s love for colorful graphics or information-rich blog posts, make sure you give them a good reason to link to your content elsewhere. Your presentation should impress them so much they want to share your material with the world and give you a link in the process. That’s how to create good link-building content!
Join the conversation to learn more about link-building and producing excellent web content.