As you’re probably already aware, good online viral content writers spend an inordinate amount of time working on getting a good title for any article they write. The simple fact is that the vast majority of users are lost at the moment when they finish reading the title of a piece.

The importance of a compelling title is therefore paramount to a successful piece of link bait. So much so that some link bait writers charge clients hundreds of dollars per month for access to link bait title ideas only. Nothing else.

Why Most Link Bait Title Advice is Wrong

Now, if you’ve spent much time online reading about writing or websites then you have probably come across quite a bit of information on link bait which stresses the importance of a title and gives a few ideas like list posts or how to articles.

And a lot of it was probably ok information… 3 years ago.

The fact is that list posts and how to articles can still work well, but the problem is that everyone is using them now. The online space is saturated with good titles for articles (and of course a lot of bad ones). You’re going up against a lot of others using the exact same formulas and so your odds of hitting the jackpot have decreased a little.

How to Improve Traditional Link Bait Title Formulas

The good news is that with a little thought, you can spruce up any tradition link bait headline.

The secret is the concept of contrast.  In this case it refers to a contrast of ideas.

For example, a list post about defence computers might be, “7 Critical Defence Networks that Were Hacked” – it’s a typical type of link bait title and would have an ok chance of doing well online.

But let’s look at how we can improve it with contrast.

When we think of defence computing, we think high tech, intelligent people, educated bosses,  experienced employees, complex systems. It is the epitome of bleeding edge technology.

Now think of the opposite. Contrast these ideas and you could come up with a headline like this:

7 Critical Defence Networks That Were Hacked by Barely Literate Teenagers on Home PCs

You simply take contrasting ideas. Barely literate teenagers on home PCs are the obvious contrast to a educated, experienced and career minded employee on state of the art networks.

Practice thinking of contrasting ideas or opposites and you will have a simple way to improve your tired old link bait headlines. Most people don’t take the time to do this and so your link bait will be ahead of the curve.