Ego bait is a type of link bait built around the people or companies it mentions: a list of the best newsletters in a field, an award, a profile, or a page recognising customers or partners. Being featured gives the subject a reason to share the page and sometimes link to it. It works when the recognition is earned and the page is useful to readers in its own right. It fails when the list is padded with names chosen only for their reach.
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Forms it takes
- Curated lists of people, newsletters, podcasts or tools worth following
- Awards or recognitions with stated criteria
- Interviews and profiles of practitioners
- Customer and partner showcases
Doing it well
Pick the subjects for a reason readers would accept, and say what that reason is. Write something specific about each one, not a generic line. Let featured people know once, politely, without asking for a link. If the page would be worth reading with no outreach at all, it is on the right side of the line.
Example
A list with stated criteria
A fictional data tool, Querynest, publishes a list of data engineering newsletters it recommends, with a paragraph on what each covers and why it made the list. Several authors share it with their readers, and a couple add it to their about pages. The page stays useful to new readers because each entry says something specific.
Common mistakes
Featuring people for their follower count
Readers and subjects can tell. Choose for relevance and quality.
Asking for a link in return
Making a link a condition of being featured turns it into a link scheme. Let people link if they want to.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Featuring people is normal publishing. It becomes a problem only if inclusion is traded for links.
An expert roundup asks people to contribute. Ego bait features or recognises them, whether or not they took part.
Keep reading
- Link Bait: Link bait is content made mainly to attract attention and links, such as bold studies, controversial takes or striking visuals.
- Expert Roundups: An expert roundup collects short answers from many experts on one question. Contributors often share and link to it, which made it a link tactic.
- Linkable Asset: A linkable asset is a page designed to be worth citing, such as original research, a free tool or a reference guide, that others link to naturally.
- Natural Link: A natural link is one that appears without manipulation: someone linked because they wanted to, not because of payment, trades or automation.
- Anchor Text Distribution: Anchor text distribution is the mix of words other sites use when linking to you. A natural mix is mostly brand names and URLs, not repeated exact-match keywords.
- Backlink Analysis: Backlink analysis is reviewing which sites link to a domain, how they link and why, to understand its link profile and find realistic link opportunities.
- Backlink quality: Backlink quality is how much a link is worth, judged by relevance, editorial intent and the trustworthiness of the linking site.
- Broken Link Building: Broken link building means finding links on other sites that point to dead pages, then suggesting your relevant page as a working replacement.
