What is link bait?
Link bait is content published mainly so that other websites will link to it. A mortgage site that publishes a free calculator, a retailer that releases a dataset of what shoppers actually returned last year, and a blogger who argues hard against accepted wisdom are all producing link bait: each is betting that the content is interesting or useful enough that writers will reference it unprompted.
The "bait" is the attention. Link bait does not ask for links; it gives people a reason to want to link. Google's Matt Cutts summed it up in 2006 as "something interesting enough to catch people's attention" [1].
Is link bait good or bad for SEO?
Link bait is good for SEO when the content deserves the links it gets, and bad when it tricks people. Google's view from the start was that link bait is not inherently a problem. In January 2006, Google's Matt Cutts wrote that link bait "doesn't have to be a bad thing," that content "can be both white-hat and yet still be wonderful 'bait' for links," and that "generating information or ideas that people talk about is a surefire way to generate links" [1].
Link bait goes wrong in three ways:
- Bait and switch. Content earns links for one thing and is later swapped for something else, such as a sales page. HubSpot notes this kind of deception is what gave link baiting its bad reputation [4].
- Hidden links in shareable assets. Embedding keyword-rich links in widgets or infographics that other sites copy is listed as link spam in Google's spam policies [5].
- Thin content made only for links. Google's spam policies name "creating low-value content primarily for manipulating linking signals" as link spam [5].
Cutts also flagged a softer risk: if everything a site publishes is controversial, it can be entertaining, but it is "harder to maintain credibility over the long haul" [1].
Where does the term link bait come from?
The term link bait was popularized in late 2005, and Search Engine Land named Nick Wilson as the likely coiner, through his November 2005 article "The Art of Linkbaiting" [2]. Google endorsed the idea within months, and later warned that one popular form, the infographic, might lose its value.
2005: "The Art of Linkbaiting"
Search Engine Land described Nick Wilson as appearing to have originated the term with "The Art of Linkbaiting" in November 2005 [2]. The same article settled the spelling debate in favor of one word, "linkbait," partly because Wilson and Cutts both wrote it that way, while noting that searchers typed both forms about equally often [2].
2006: Google says it can be white hat
On January 24, 2006, Matt Cutts published "SEO Advice: linkbait and linkbaiting," giving examples such as original research comparing spam filters and interactive tools that let people vote [1]. That post is the reason link bait was treated as a legitimate tactic rather than a trick.
2012: the infographic warning
By 2012, infographics with embedded links had become a standard form of link bait. In a July 2012 interview with Eric Enge, Cutts said he "would not be surprised if at some point in the future we did not start to discount these infographic-type links to a degree," because the links in republished infographics were often not real endorsements [3].
Today: linkable assets and digital PR
The phrase link bait is still searched and used, but most practitioners now call the same thing a linkable asset or a digital PR campaign. The idea is unchanged; the more neutral names avoid the word "bait."
What is the difference between link bait and clickbait?
Link bait tries to earn links from other publishers, while clickbait tries to earn clicks from readers. Clickbait uses a headline that promises more than the page delivers, and succeeds the moment someone clicks. Link bait only succeeds if another writer finds the content worth citing in their own work, which a disappointing page rarely achieves.
The two can overlap: a striking headline can help link bait get noticed. HubSpot's guidance is that clickworthy titles are fine when the content delivers on the promise [4].
What is the difference between link bait and a linkable asset?
Link bait and a linkable asset are mostly the same thing named differently, but the emphasis differs. Link bait suggests a burst of attention: a controversial post, a stunt or a viral image that earns links quickly. A linkable asset suggests something lasting: a statistics page, a calculator or a dataset that keeps earning links for years because people keep needing it.
| Link bait | Linkable asset | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical shape | A spike of attention | A steady reference |
| Examples | Bold opinion piece, viral visual, stunt | Statistics page, free tool, original dataset |
| How links arrive | Mostly in the weeks after launch | Over months and years, often through search |
| Term's era | Mid-2000s onward | 2010s onward |
What makes good link bait?
Good link bait gives other writers something they need and cannot get elsewhere. The forms that earn links most reliably are the ones a journalist or blogger can cite as a source:
- Original data. A number nobody else has published is the most citable thing a site can produce. Google's own helpful content guidance asks whether content provides "original information, reporting, research, or analysis" [6].
- Free tools and calculators. People link to tools that do a job for their readers.
- Definitive references. A page that answers a question completely becomes the page people point to.
- A clear, defensible opinion. HubSpot recommends backing controversial positions with data rather than opinion alone [4].
Visual content still earns links when the visual carries real information. A chart from original data is cited; a decorative infographic restating other people's numbers rarely is.
How do you measure whether link bait worked?
Measure link bait by the number of new referring domains it earns, not by total links or social shares. One link each from 30 relevant sites is worth more than 300 links from a single site's sidebar. In a backlink tool, track new referring domains to the page in the first three months, then check that the linking pages are real articles with readers, and note which sites cited the content as a source.
When should you use link bait?
Use link bait when you have something genuinely new to offer: data, a tool or an argument others in your field will want to reference. Plan how people will find it, because content nobody sees earns nothing, and plan for it to stay accurate, because a dataset that goes stale stops earning links. Skip link bait that depends on misleading headlines, borrowed data or hidden links. Those tactics are where link bait becomes the link spam Google's policies describe [5].