Are you struggling to get links? Then you probably don’t have anything on your website particularly deserving of links.
The truth is: there are certain “types” of content that earn links much more easily than others.
These are known as “linkable assets.”
Here’s what the backlink profile of a (very) successful linkable asset looks like:
linkable asset backlink profile
This is the link profile for “13 reasons your telemarketing list brain craves infographics” by NeoMam.
Pretty impressive, right!?
But “linkable assets” are not created solely to attract links. There are a ton of other benefits such as social shares, brand awareness, monetization, etc.
In this article, we’ll be looking at what types of content work well as “linkable assets,” how you can create such content yourself, and how you can earn links with them.
Let’s go!
Beginner's guide to link building
New to link building? Check out our
Beginner’s guide to link building
What is a “Linkable Asset”?
A “linkable asset” is a piece of content purposely crafted with the intention of attracting links—usually from other websites in your niche.
Because people rarely link to commercial content, “linkable assets” are almost never product pages or commercial content of any kind.
Some people also create “linkable assets” with the intention of ranking for high-volume keywords. However, this only works if there is overlap between the topic of your “asset” and one or more high-volume keywords (which isn’t always the case).
Here’s are some of the other benefits of attracting links:
Increased organic search traffic (to other pages on your site): Linkable assets tend to attract a lot of “link equity” which you can then distribute to other pages on your site via internal links. This can help those pages to rank higher for their target terms.
Increased referral traffic: Links help people to navigate their way around the web. Thus, if you’re getting links from other high-traffic websites in your niche, referral traffic will likely increase.
Increased brand exposure and affinity: Imagine having your brand (e.g., Ahrefs) talked about on some of the most well-known, high-traffic websites in your niche. PR firms would charge you a small fortune for such a privilege. But this is exactly what happens when you create a popular “linkable asset.” This helps to spread the word about your brand and causes customers to associate your brand with cool things.
Here is one great example of a very simple “linkable asset” that performed well and attracted tons of links.
coke
When this infographic was published, the number of referring domains shot up like a rocket!
rocket coke
This page now receives an estimated 1,500 visits/month from organic search as it ranks for some pretty juicy keywords.
You can also see a steady increase in sitewide organic search traffic since the infographic was published.
what happens one hour of coke ahrefs organic traffic
SIDENOTE. We’re not claiming that this infographic was solely responsible for this increase in sitewide organic search traffic. We can’t say that. There are many variables at play. But it almost certainly helped.
But what makes a “linkable asset” so linkable?
First, you need to understand why people tend to link to things. If you can understand that, you can then start building “linking triggers” into your content.
Here are a few reasons people link to content:
It provides a solution for a specific problem;
It offers a unique angle towards a particular topic;
It backs up a point they’re trying to make (in their existing article);
It is something their audience would find interesting.
FURTHER READING
Deconstructing Linkbait: How to Create Content That Attracts Backlinks
13 Reasons Why Your Brain Craves Infographics
But before we get to the asset “types,” it’s important to understand that linkable assets don’t attract links out of thin air—you need to promote them to make this happen.
That’s why I included a mini how-to guide to building backlinks alongside each linkable asset “type” below.
But you might still be wondering:
“Why should I create a “linkable asset”… can’t I just promote my “regular” content instead?”
Sure, you can. But here’s the critical point:
Linkable assets have a much higher ROI on your promotion efforts because they’re created with attracting backlinks in mind. Or, to put it simply, you’ll have an easier time building backlinks to a “linkable asset” than, say, an ecommerce page.
So, without further ado, let’s learn about the best types of linkable assets you can create (according to your goals and resources).
1. Infographics, GIFographics & “Map-o-graphics”
Infographics are still one of the most popular content formats when it comes to creating “linkable assets.” And it’s easy to see why: they can attract a lot of links.
Here’s a simple map-o-graphic that attracted links from 160+ referring domains:
Google search mapx1 1
FURTHER READING