Linkbait and keywords are not the same thing. They are very different but both are important in blog headlines to get traffic. I’m really tired of the “linkbait” versus “links” versus “write for people” schtick.

If you have any writing ability at all, you should be able to do all three. And even if you’re a hack, you can still do all three.

First, before I get into “how tos,” lets talk definition. Linkbait is anything you put in your title that’s going to get attention. It can be a celebrity’s name, the name of a politician or a corporation that’s in the news right now.

It can also be an outrageous or controversial claim:

Declare War On Mexico Now (that might raise a few eyebrows)

Obama Is a Freaking Idiot (be ready for the fallout with that one but boy will it get attention)

$400,000 Dollars From A Pile Of Scrap Iron (intriguing without pissing anyone off.)

Keywords are another story.

Keywords are just the words that people are searching for right now. It doesn’t even have to be a lot of people. It just has to be enough that you feel there’s a real interest in the subject.

And of course, the keywords have to relate to your product or service or the subject you want to blog about. It’s actually a good idea to do a keyword search before you even decide what to blog about. Let your keyword searches tell you what to blog about.

Let’s do a quick example:

Let’s say your company manufactures highway bridge expansion joints. Not exactly a glamorous subject. but I bet there are searches out there related to them. Let’s go to Google Adwords Keyword Tool and see what we find.

Usually I type in a very general term and dig deeper when I see what comes up but this time I just typed in:

highway bridge expansion joints

Here’s some of the results:

• bridge expansion joint 1,000 (this number represents local searches for May 2009)
• bridge expansion joints 590
• bridge structure 5,400
• expansion bellow 390

I used to work for a company that makes highway bridge expansion joints so I know that an expansion bellow is an integral part for a highway bridge expansion joint. Okay, so only 390 people searched for that subject in May of 2009.

That’s 390 potential customers.

So, we use the keywords “expansion bellow.”

Now, what kind of a linkbait can we come up with? Let’s do a little brainstorming. What scares the bejesus out of any bridge engineer?

“What do you mean my bridge collapsed?”

So let’s combine expansion bellows with bridge collapse:

Expansion Bellows and Bridge Collapses: Is There a Connection?

I love it. Scary, uses the keyword first, and even makes reference to “connection” (since that’s what the expansion joint actually is.)

Yeah, maybe that seems like a lot of work for a blog post. However, I’m not saying you have to do that for every blog post. But when you go to this much effort, the effort can really pay off in expanded readers and expanded business.

And isn’t that why you’re blogging?

Bob McClain or WordsmithBob, has been a website copywriter in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, since 2000. He has focused on developing new, more effective approaches to web writing, web content, web copywriting and Search Engine Optimization. Starting with a BA in Technical Communication and a minor in Creative Writing from Metro State University in St. Paul, McClain has worked diligently to end the use of "corp-speak" and "technospeak" online. His approach is to “humanize” the Web, using real information to guide people to buy rather than turning websites into advertisements that people can easily ignore. McClain is also the creator of Cheap SEO Website Marketing, a website devoted to helping people with the best solutions to DIY SEO at an affordable cost with tips and software reviews. More at Cheap SEO Website Marketing

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Originally posted 2009-06-22 23:18:43. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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