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Amongst internet marketers, linkbaits are the holy grail of link-worthy content. Designed to attract attention, inspire backlinks, and bring in a wave of social media traffic, linkbait articles are a favorite amongst search marketers and viral marketing experts.

So what exactly is a linkbait article? Put simply, it’s an article that’s designed to attract links and online attention. Rather than the standard, somewhat boring internet article, linkbaits are designed from the ground up to draw readers’ attention, entice people to click through, and finally, encourage people to link back to the article itself.

Unfortunately, not many marketers know how to write great linkbaits. For every truly inspiring article, there are hundreds of imitators and poor copies. These five simple tips will help you get your linkbaits up to scratch, and potentially help you untap a highly lucrative online marketing method.

1. Give it a good headline.

Most headlines are boring. They’re non-descriptive, uninspiring, and patently uninteresting. Online, it’s a constant battle for clicks between you and your competitors. With a boring title, no one is going to click through to your article. Spend an hour or two brainstorming great titles, and don’t settle for something that doesn’t shock, inspire, or entertain you.

2. How-to guides and lists are where the money is.

If you’re writing a quick list of tips on painting, don’t just call it “Painting Tips”. Add some inspiration, and make it clear that it’s a list. “5 Ultra-Useful Painting Tactics” is going to draw attention from painters and art enthusiasts. Lists are gold for click-through rates, especially on ultra-popular social bookmarking websites. Feel free to experiment, but for guaranteed clicks it’s best to stick to the list or how-to format.

3. Keep your sentences short.

People love to skim read, especially online. Long sentences might be great for explaining and expanding on topics, but they’re overkill for link bait articles. Keep sentences short and you’ll find that readers finish your article; bloat them unnecessarily and you’ll lose people halfway through.

4. Bullet-points are either your best friend, or your worst enemy.

When used properly, bullet-points are a great addition to a linkbait article. However, there are a few guidelines to stick through. Before you start your article, get your notepad ready and note them down:

• Keep bullet points short.
• No more than seven words per line.
• Indent them from your paragraphs.

5. Don’t be afraid to use pictures.

They say an image is worth one thousand words, but when it comes to linkbaits it could be more accurately described as ‘one thousand extra views’. Simply put, adding images to your linkbaits gives you an edge that few online articles have. You’re more linkable, more interesting, and significantly more reader-friendly. Spend the extra time and find a great image for each and every article.