For linkbait to be successful it needs to be linked to. Obvious really, but it’s easy to get blinded by the traffic. 30,000 visitors may do your ego some good ( it definately boosts mine ) but it’s not the point of the exercise.
So what about after you get those links, can more be done? Most definately.
It’s a technique I heard about from Search Engine Journal and recently Dave Naylor spoke about it. It’s simple really, someone links to your link bait, you link to them through third parties.
Increasing the traffic and page rank of those that link to you will have a knock on effect of improving your own. If you are linked to regularly from the same site it will make sense to send them as much traffic as possible.
I use Stumbleupon, Netscape, Digg, Shoutwire and a few others to do this. People link to me and I send them traffic and links from anyplace I can get my hands on. I only do it when there is content on the page and the site is related to the search engine optimisation industry in some way.
The sites linking to me are in the SEO Industry, they reflect the same context as this blog and create a mini network. It is in my interests to develop and nuture the network. The motivation is not altruism, although it could be read like that, the motivation is purely selfish. But there is no doubting the satisfaction of helping people out who are willing to link to your work.
Feeding the network you are in will feed your own site. It costs only time and I have found it quite effective, looking at my stats I would say 10% of my traffic comes from this method.
Next time someone links to your post, give them a Stumble, Digg, Reddit or any of the other social media sites. Go vote for them on Bumpzee and Spiceypage. It’s a shame to let the fruits of your linkbait go unrewarded.