Effective content format for link building

In the previous article, we spoke about the relationship between content and link building and how both play a critical role in content marketing. In this section, we will be looking at the most effective format in which content needs to be created to build backlinks.

It is broadly categorized there 7 types of content formats that are usually used in building content. 

• Static
• GIF
• Quiz/Questions
• Long Form (articles)
• Surveys
• Interactive

Among marketers, the most prominent and regularly used formats are 

• Interactive
• Long Forms
• Static
• GIF

Let us look at each of these four formats in a little depth.

Interactive

This is considered to be the most popular format of the content in recent years, because, through this format, it allows customers or viewers to interact and participate, thereby showcasing various perspectives. There are multiple ways in which interactive content can be created. It can be either in the Form of quizzes or something even more advanced.

Merits of Interactive Content

• Allows presenting multiple perspectives of a content
• User can access different kinds of information by accessing the content in numerous ways
• Interactive content with an exceptional design itself can attract a lot of links, just because of the format per se.

De-merits of Interactive Content

• Requires a front-end developer thereby increasing the cost of the work
• It is also time-consuming because it requires a designer to come out with a highly interactive interface that is eye-catching and engaging

Long Form

This content is usually not having a “visual” component to it. However, lately, this format has been used for long-term engagement, where the outcome is least expected. Unlike the interactive one, this one does not have the flavor and jazz to it because it does no have any infographics or visual elements.

Merits of Long Form

• For long term engagement, without any expectation of a huge success, this is an ideal format
• It allows marketers to cover a complete detailing of the topic and can even include a wide range of topics. 
• An opportunity to showcase the knowledge on a specific topic

De-merits of long Form

• Not a widely accepted format by leading newspapers and magazines, thereby not able to attract links
• The inability of a marketer to embed this content like a GIF or interactive one, making it very redundant, not to mention a very time-consuming activity to get the content in place.
• It may or may not generate links, but not effective at all and marketers should not expect any success

Static

A static format is nothing but a stationary image or set of images or even infographics that have a very explicitly defined content. Marketers use a lot of such static content that helps them to build links; in fact, it has been overused lately, but it does prove to be effective.

Merits of static format

• There is no need for a developer because this can be delivered using just a designer
• Very easy to post the content on a third-party website thereby able to generate backlinks

De-merits of static format

• Static formats are not responsive at all, and hence it becomes difficult to view on hand-held devices
• Difficulty in conveying the core message because of lack of proper visibility 

GIF

In between GIFs had lost their importance in sharing content and link building, but lately, this format has gained popularity. GIFs are very effective when it comes to link building through effective content

Merits of GIF Format

• Accomplish a content like interactive format, but without involving a developer
• Very easy to upload the content on website, blogs or even social media pages thereby easy to perform link building
• Auto-play mechanism when it is loaded. Making it a zero intervention from the user point of view

De-Merits of GIF Format

• Not responsive, thus distorting view on hand-held devices
• Not very acceptable to clients, therefore, requiring a lot of convincing to be done

Content and link building are always going to be an integral part of each other. Strategies around content marketing are constantly changing and evolving to be in line with new technology trends constantly. Link building is an extremely critical process in the domain of digital marketing. To help you understand the significance of link building, here are some vital statistics that should be an eye-opener for businesses who are still contemplating.

Selecting the right format is entirely dependent on the content that you want to generate and the audience that you are targeting. Moreover, you need to also take into consideration your readiness in terms of having a front-end developer, designer. If not, then formats like interactive and GIF are out of the question.