Having trouble getting links even though you have some excellent linkbait ideas? If you’re trying to boost your search engine optimisation links with attention-grabbing content, there are many pitfalls to avoid.

Although it’s getting increasingly difficult to get content to go viral, linkbait is still a valid search engine optimisation tool. Placing a useful little widget on your page or creating an interesting video can be great ways to draw links for SEO. If you’ve tried and failed, though, there might be a reason.

* Deceit. There are plenty of black hat practitioners out there. Internet users have learned to be wary of sites that hide information or don’t deliver on promises. If you’re linkbaiting using a piece of software, ensure that your information is as open as possible.

* Freedom. The most effective linkbait is free – free to move, free to share and free to use. The internet is all about ease of use at the moment and internet users are used to being able to share at the click of a button. Make your linkbait as easy to share as possible.

* Excitement. The number one rule of linkbait is ‘don’t be boring’. Creating effective linkbait is no easy task. Any piece of content that draws links on its own merits needs to have something a little different from the rest.

If you’re trying to create linkbait articles or videos, it’s a good idea to invest time in research and development. You can talk to us at SEO Consult Australia about your Search Engine Optimisation goals.

If you’re struggling to get links to your retail pages, don’t despair. There are at least three types of pages you can create that draw easy links. Even better, these pages will draw constant traffic.

A search engine optimisation difficulty for a retail site is that product pages just aren’t that attractive to linkers. You should aim to offset this during SEO by adding quality content, and you can discuss this with us at SEO Consult Australia. Another way to offset your product pages is to add certain types of pages that are link magnets:

*Holiday pages – If you’re a retailer, chances are you have holiday specials. Customers look for holiday gift ideas all year round, so give them some ideas with special holiday pages. The important thing to remember with this type of page is to leave it undated. Don’t give into the temptation to label them by year, as this will expire very quickly.

*Discount pages/coupon pages – Another retail attractor is the promise of a discount. Gathering all your discount offers into one place provides customers with a linkable resource. Adding discounts from other sites turns this page into a major resource, but of course don’t do this if it threatens your conversion rate.

*Crazy products – Unique products gain attention, so it’s worth having one or two things that are highly unusual. This can attract links and reviews from industry blogs, and positioning links to some of your more mainstream products in the margins will help you flow the traffic onwards.