The backbone of good SEO is good content, and good content is not exactly easy to produce. The web is remarkably picky, and a great article is sometimes passed over in favour of something that is questionably important. If you are getting tired of your in-depth case studies being looked over for ‘Top 10 Cars’ lists, take a look at these link-generation ideas and work them into your writing:

1. Encourage conversation in your writing.
There are two words that can boost your backlink rate dramatically: “any questions?” When you get your audience involved, you inspire them to write about you. A simple 300 word blog post might draw a couple of trackback links, but it is unlikely to inspire much online conversation. However, a 300 word piece that calls for conversation, discussion, and argument is likely to draw hundreds of responses, a mountain of backlinks, and some incredible SEO power.

2. Use a list format.
People love lists. Websites love linking to lists. Social bookmarking services love promoting lists. When you write an in-depth piece, people skim over the content and ignore it. When you create a list with clear titles, easy to read content, and short-form paragraphs, people embrace the content and link to it as much as they can. Save the essay format for studies and, well, essays. Whenever you need reliable link juice, go with the list.

3. Submit everywhere.
Do not just hit the major social bookmarking websites. There’s a ton of long tail websites out there waiting for your submissions. No matter how big the website is, a link is a link, and when you focus on generating as many links as possible, half of your job is done for you. Give yourself as many chances for front-page success as possible, and submit to as many directories as you can find.

4. Partner with a respected website.
Most social bookmarking websites have a bias towards websites that they already feature. From Digg to Reddit, the bias is relatively obvious when it comes to what blogs pick up promotional value and which don’t. If you are sick of seeing your personal blog get passed over for link juice, consider partnering with an established blog and using their page as a link for your own website. Sure, you will lower the value of each link, but you will also get noticeable promotion through a respected website.

5. Use current trends to fuel your writing.
People love what is current, and when you focus on current events you will attract a lot more attention and discussion. Craft your blog posts to generate as much discussion as possible, and focus on new, controversial events. Anything that can start an argument is incredibly valuable for backlinks, and focusing on passion-inspiring topics can supercharge your link-building campaign.

6. Study what works, and eliminate what doesn’t.
Keep a log of everything that you publish, along with the number of links pointing towards it. Recall the methods of promotion, the submission dates and times, and the accounts used to submit it. Study it, note down what works, and eliminate everything that doesn’t. SEO is all about optimization, and by eliminating anything that doesn’t work, you give yourself more time to focus on the link-building strategies that do work.