Some people make the mistake of thinking that link bait strategies have to rely on building connections between websites that they already own or control. This is actually one of the worst ways to start a link bait campaign. If you want to boost your website’s popularity, try these 5 types of link baits options that work.

Use Cute Pictures

Image via Flickr by Eyesplash Springing into the new season

When someone finds something adorable online, they have to share it with other people. It’s like they literally cannot help it. There’s actually some science supporting this. According to a study reported at Live Science, people experience “cute aggression” when they see something unbelievably adorable.

In response, they have to take action. They stamp their feet, they squirm, they press their hands to their cheeks, and they share links.

Make a Video

Other bloggers can easily repackage your posts. They just have to take your words and add their own spin. With video content, it’s easier for them to back link to your original content than try to make their own.

Blogging is a collaborative effort, but it’s also competitive. Having great video encourages other bloggers to share your content instead of competing against it.

Take a Controversial Stance

Taking a controversial stance on a topic might not help you make a lot of friends, but it can make your blog more popular. Hey, it works for Rush Limbaugh.

It’s important to weigh the pros and cons of controversy. If you go too far to one side, then you’ll only get short-term popularity. Something in really bad taste might cause a lot of outrage, but people will forget about your site soon afterwards.

You can generate more controversies, but readers will eventually see you as a fringe site that isn’t worthy of their time.

Try Accuracy

There’s an alarming vacuum of accuracy in today’s media. Much of that inaccuracy comes from intentional media bias. MSNBC, for instance, brands itself as “leaning forward,” which means they see themselves as a news organization that takes a left-leaning stance on stories. On the other side, Fox News, which humorously markets itself as “fair and balanced,” relies on cartoonish pundits rather than real journalists.

You can attract wide readership and back links by taking the opposite approach. Do your research so you can report news as accurately as possible. There are a lot of people out there who are sick of biased “news.” Stand out as a site with integrity to earn their respect and readership.

Turn to Humor

Everyone loves humor. Whether you’re good at crafting humorous stories or making memes that go viral like “The End of Hashtags As You Know It“, your site could benefit from something funny. Develop original content that people want to share. That’s one of the best link bait strategies you can find as long as you’re:

• Topical
• Original
• Genuinely funny

What other link baiting strategies have worked well for your site? Have you seen trends that you think will change the way people attract back links to their blogs?