When it comes to link building strategies, sometimes one needs to get creative. That’s when ego-bait enters. This type of linking is not so much about SEO techniques, but about human psychology. Ego-baiting is a way to attract high-end links and clients to your website through out-right flattery.

How does it work?

Well, it’s simple. You appeal to influential people and certified professionals in your niche. When writing a blog post or article, you showcase their strengths and abilities, as well as their accomplishments, products, and/or services. Because, who doesn’t like to be praised? With this type of link building, you encourage them to share your content with their audience and even link to your site, just because they want to tell everyone what people are saying about them. It’s a different approach than merely linking to a page of their site in your content, hoping they pay you in kind.

Types of ego-bait content

There are different types of ego-bait content and you should choose which to use depending on who you’re targeting. This type of posts need to be personal and intentional, always having your target audience in mind. Some of the more common ego-bait articles include:

• Interviews. These serve as great ego-bait because you get a chance to put the spotlight on your interviewee.

• Collection of posts. Posts where you gather many experts in your niche (or any other kind of industry) and share their stories and accomplishments with the world.

• ‘Best-of.’ As the name suggests, you can create a list of resources, products, or connoisseurs of specific topics as a way of recommending users what to read, buy, or try.

• Directories. For a more local approach, indexes can be of great help. For example, if you are in the pet business, listing other pet services in your area can bring tremendous advantages to your website.

With a wide range of opportunities, ego-bait is a very creative way to attract the right kind of traffic to your site and potentially obtain authoritative backlinks. And after familiarizing yourself with the types of ego-bait you can create, selecting one that works for you becomes very simple.