Have you ever clicked on an article, expecting one thing but finding something else? That’s click bait, and it’s designed to drive up advertising revenue by tempting you to click on something that has nothing to do with the actual subject of the content. Organic clicks are much more valuable to companies because they’re people who are actually interested in the topic of the article rather than just being enticed by a headline or an image.
As a marketer, there are many reasons why you should avoid click baiting. We’ve compiled a guide on how to get natural clicks, but first, let’s familiarize ourselves with the term.
What is Click Bait?
If you’re unfamiliar with the term, it refers to when a website uses sensational or attention-grabbing headlines to get people to click on its pages – regardless of whether or not the content lives up to its headline. Although creating engaging content is still very important, no one wants to be teased when they read the headline of an article before clicking on it to learn more.
Here’s why you should avoid click baiting and how to get natural clicks:
Why You Should Avoid Click Baiting
Whether you signed up for a newsletter or subscribed to a YouTube channel, those decisions were made psychologically, even if you didn’t realize it. It may not seem like a big deal, but here’s why it is:
It Affects SEO
It’s no secret that search engine optimization (SEO) has become an increasingly popular marketing strategy for businesses big and small. But one thing that’s often overlooked, particularly among newer businesses, is how to take advantage of organic searches, like having your website come up on the first page of search results.
Click bait is considered a black hat SEO practice that goes against the search engine results pages (SERPs). Google has the power to understand your content and match it up with your headlines and titles. Ensuring both are SEO optimized and correlate with your content will help your brand attract the right consumers.
Your Readers Will Feel Cheated
Sensational titles can make consumers hesitant to click on them due to past experiences. Although click bait can initially attract many readers, it won’t get you organic clicks if your subscribers feel tricked or disappointed when they find out that your article isn’t exactly what they were expecting.
It Could Damage Your Brand
Click bait might get you lots of clicks, but it doesn’t actually help you generate leads or build relationships with your audience. Click bait titles are all over the internet, and it can be really tempting to include them in your headlines just to attract more clicks. However, when you do this, you’re sacrificing your reputation as an authority, which means that you’ll get fewer organic clicks in the long run.
Ways to Attract Your Audience Without Using Click Bait
In today’s business world, it’s become harder than ever to get organic clicks on your website, no matter how great your content may be. Your competitors are fighting for the same eyeballs, and these days you have to fight tooth and nail just to get some attention from your target audience. Fortunately, you can take a few steps to improve your organic clicks, so you can focus on creating quality content that will truly resonate with your readers.
Here are a few ways you can get more organic clicks.
Stick to Appropriate Expectations
If you want natural clicks, as in clicks from people genuinely interested in your content, click bait isn’t your friend. Consider it this way: Acquiring organic clicks is less about getting your readers to click something and more about having them stick around on your site and interact with you before leaving again. When you create high-quality, trustworthy content that people want to read, they will want to share it with others, leading to more organic clicks.
Doing Your Research
Forget click bait — the simple fact is that you’re not going to become successful by tricking people into clicking on your links. If you want to be successful, you have to do it the right way, which means creating well-researched content that genuinely interests people.
Providing Value
If you’re looking to get more traffic on your website and blog, you should forget about click bait and focus on providing value in your content instead. This will keep people coming back to your site and help you build an audience that cares about what you have to say – something click bait never does. This can be done by filling your content with keyword-rich, interesting, and valuable information to attract readers and encourage them to share your content or recommend it to their friends and family.
Abandon Click Baiting Today
We know that was a lot to take in, but now you fully understand why click bating is detrimental to your marketing strategy. It can be misleading, give false hope, and damage your brand’s reputation. If you’re looking for marketing strategists that can help with your PPC, content, or SEO strategies, reach out to Zero Gravity Marketing today.
