Link building is a significant factor in gaining search engine rankings, and a lot of investment and time is spent on gaining links from other sites to yours. For links to be of value they must be relevant, for instance, your site sells skateboards then the site linking to you should be associated with that sport, e.g. an extreme sports website.
But how can content gain you links that count?
The answer is by creating “killer content”!
Killer Content Defined
Killer content is concise, compelling, clear and correct but most of all, it is shared. There is no arguing with killer content but the question becomes how do you create it?
Many clients are stuck with the brochure mentality for web sites – a static site with glossy photographs of people working in the office, smiling faces at client meetings, lots of product shots and a section on how to contact you. That is a fair summation, however that is not killer content it is snoozing content!
The Chat Show Scenario
Every night of the week there is a popular chat show using a tried and tested formula as old as television itself. The formula goes like this – lots of jokes, some music, a few guests and a lot of laughs and the content is always fresh and new. We all know the guests will be featured because they have a film, book or album to promote, but we don’t mind the promotional stuff because we having a lot of fun in the bargain too.
If Jay Leno wasn’t funny, we wouldn’t tune in would we – how many guests would bother to turn up for his show – as close to none as makes no difference?
Now we are not saying turn your website into the Letterman Show, but the principle is still the same. You need to generate interest and value for your target audience because when you do, that is when they want to tune in to your website and even better, that is when they share the information. Make it a really good show and you are going to get a stack of reviews.
Killer Content for Link Building
By creating content which your users will enjoy or find useful, you are delivering real value to them which is your key to then delivering your marketing message. As you see with the chat show scenario, create value for viewers and readers and you will gain an audience that you can also sell to.
Even better, create killer web content and attract an audience who will then share the content with their networks or will be picked up by other bloggers and websites as something of value for them to link to. The ideal is for your content to go “viral” – one user refers it on to two others and they do the same ad infinitum.
Killer content differs from static content in that it attracts links on its own merits.
Killer content is enjoyed, it is compelling, it is relevant and it is shared.
In the sharing lies the link building value to your website. A good blog post will be reviewed by other web commentators and you get links from them to your content. A private individual discovers an excellent product or service and they will not instantly share it with friends and family, but you give them something which is highly entertaining or an offer no-one can refuse, and it is posted on their MySpace or Facebook pages and is sent via email and Twitter.
All of the above represent excellent links for you.
Takeaway
Killer content attracts attention and on the web this means you get linked to. It is important to distinguish between content which is static or lame and gets you nowhere, from killer content which attracts attention and is shared around the web. It is the sharing aspect which gets you the links, but to achieve this you must develop content which gives good value to the user.
Be compelling, clear and concise but most of all deliver constant entertainment value or an irresistible offer which visitors feel they must share with their own networks and over the web.
