Generate mentions for your web page and become a magnet for backlinks

Mentions of your web page are an essential factor that can contribute to better SEO optimization. They signal to Google’s algorithms that other web pages share your content, thus making you more relevant in your market niche. And when you have a better ranking on Google, you also get better web traffic.

There are five main reasons why mentions are suitable for your web page success:

• Mentions elevate your brand’s awareness and the awareness about your services or products
• They encourage the other web users to talk about your brand
• Mentions improve your Google ranking, so you get recognition for your content
• They increase your page’s web traffic
• And they create a perception of you as a thought leader or expert in your respective field of work  

What are the most common types of mentions?

There are three main types of mentions on digital channels:

• Mentions on social networks like Facebook or LinkedIn
• Quotations of your web page content and links to your page on other web pages (backlinks)
• Buyers’ comments about your products on online forums or other digital platforms

When you want to generate mentions on other peoples’ web pages, the most important thing is to get the highest number of backlinks (links from one page to another). Backlinks that lead to your page signal to search engines like Google that your digital content is valuable and relevant, which is the indispensable element of successful SEO optimization.

Suppose you are a seller of bathroom equipment or furniture, and your web page is mentioned on a popular lifestyle web portal dedicated to interior decoration. In that case, search engines will also recognize you as a relevant specialist in this field. Whenever a web user starts to search for bathtubs or showers, rest assured that Google will consider the number of mentions your page generates in the segment of bathroom equipment. The better the number of mentions, the better are chances you’ll appear at the top of results on Google.

But, as Megan Mahoney states, getting backlinks from relevant web pages is not a simple task. You’ll hardly be noticed by web portals with millions of visitors per month. Nevertheless, there are several ways to get attention from other web pages on the internet. The first one is to produce quality digital content.

#1 Create a good quality digital content

When you create digital content for your web page, try to be original, unique, informative, and valuable to your followers. Publish blog articles regularly and build the authority of an expert in your market niche. Only good quality digital content will motivate others to cite your content, share your insights, or link to your page.

So, share your content on social networks like Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn so the broader audience can find your posts and get interested in what you can offer. Apply the techniques of content marketing and social media advertising and place your engagement posts on Facebook to engage your potential followers. Click-to-web posts with your opinion pieces or product-related topics are also a great way to deliver your blog articles to a broader audience and show your excellence.

That’s why big brands like National Geographic regularly share their articles on Facebook to keep the significant web traffic and generate additional mentions.

Source: https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=677226060441494&set=a.528642321966536

National Geographic has recently published interviews with their photographers who explained how they got to make their astonishing photos of landscapes, animals, and people awarded in National Geographic’s traditional photo contest of the year.

And since the Pictures of the year award is the most important event in the life of this brand, the editorial board has decided to create intriguing interviews to motivate an audience and get them excited about the unique content created by National Geographic. As a result, if you type “Pictures of the year 2022 National Geographic” in Google, you’ll get more than 36 million search results. And guess what? Most of them have backlinks to National Geographic’s web page.

To cut things short: creating original, exciting digital content generates many mentions on your web page. Therefore, only this kind of content will be worthy of quoting and sharing on the web.

#2 Enrich your web content with interesting interactive quizzes and polls

Publishing quizzes and polls on your web page might be a secondary task, but believe it or not, it can significantly increase interest in your web page. Are you still skeptical?

Look no further than an example of the American content agency Buzzfeed which built a ten million strong followership with its witty quizzes. In addition, each of their quizzes could be shared on social networks, thus becoming a potential generator of mentions.

One of their most successful quizzes was titled “How Many Of These Unpopular Opinions Do You Agree With?” That quiz lists dozens of questions with the agree/disagree interactive button for the answer. Their questions are created in an intriguing way to keep the attention of readers and provoke a response. For example, one of the questions was, “The show Friends is painfully unfunny and is the most overrated thing ever.” So naturally, we were anxious to answer instantly and see the percentage of those who agreed with the provocative statement.

Source: https://www.buzzfeed.com/sydrobinson1/unpopular-opinions-poll

The simplicity of the form and the original angle made Buzzfeed’s interactive quizzes the legendary generators of mentions for this brand.

#3 Embed helpful tools on your web page, like online calculators

People have many problems and worries in their everyday life, and brands that can offer content with valuable tools for overcoming become successful and mentioned by others. That’s why these brands created many interesting tools like MBI calculators or interactive calendars conceived to help their followers with their troubling worries. The main advantage of these tools is that people often remember they can find it on your web page, so they frequently revisit your web page or recommend it to their friends. Including online calculators and interactive calendars on the web page is an excellent move for organic search results. Just don’t forget to include keywords like “calculator” or “calendar” in your SEO so Google can index you better and list you in organic search results.

Here's the example of the American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They have included the BMI calculator on their web page to enable users to find out if they are overweight. We have used their calculator and received a warning that we have a moderate risk for obesity-related diseases!

Source: Adult BMI Calculator | Healthy Weight, Nutrition, and Physical Activity | CDC

If your business is related to health, especially women’s health, consider including an interactive ovulation calendar in your digital content. And if you are dealing with the finance business, embed an online calculator that will enable your users to calculate their credit monthly installments or tax obligations to the state.

#4 Be a guest commentator on a relevant industry web page or make a cooperation with an influencer in your niche 

Guest posting is another effective way to generate mentions for the web page. The main aim is to appear in an interesting article on somebody else's web page with a great Google ranking. That will provide you with a quality backlink and additional mention. For example, if you are an expert in digital marketing or a specialist in the web development industry, a significant move would be an appearance on the popular Croatian web page Netokracija.hr. It has established itself as „the leading independent, regional magazine… dedicated to digital business (and start-ups), marketing and culture.“Therefore, when choosing a partner for guest posting, ensure that relevant backlinks are key factors in web page ranking.   

Besides guest posting, cooperation with essential industry influencers is an excellent way to generate mentions. They can mention your page or brand in their blog articles or posts on social networks. Each influencer has a different story, so check their relevance, their number of followers, and their influence on followers. Influencers can unintrusively introduce your brand to their fans and motivate them to read content on your web page or follow your brand. Here's an excellent example of famous American nutritionist Dasha who regularly shares her native blog articles on social networks and promotes different nutritional brands:

Source: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cc3Tvdzu7Dv/

#5 Publish infographics with exciting data from your industry niche

Original infographics are another magnet for shares and mentions on the internet. They consist of graphically illustrated information, statistical data, insights, and interesting facts that are easy to skim and user-friendly.

Design agencies like Lemonly and Visual Capitalist have built a reputation with their attractive infographics adorned with beautiful graphic content, which has also contributed to the success of their clients. Take a look at their visual explanation of the power of infographics and their influence on the human brain. The human brain, they say, is visually wired, which can be confirmed with the scientific data and engaging visual content:

Source: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/13-scientific-reasons-infographics/

Almost 50% of our brain is involved in visual processing, and 70% of all our sensory receptors are in our eyes. So you won’t find better arguments for creating and publishing infographics.

When trying to create them, thoroughly research the thematic territory you are covering and single out the most exciting data or insights. Then, present them in an attractive visual form and share your infographics on your social media channels. If your infographic is excellent, it will get many shares and mentions. Generally speaking, infographics generate engagement, are easy to read, and demand only minimal concentration. They are also persuasive and linger for a longer time in our memory.

Conclusion

Let us conclude: keep publishing your quality digital content to generate backlinks and mentions of your brand or web page. Mentions are essential for better indexing your web page and ranking on search engines.

Add interactive quizzes and polls, online calculators, and online calendars to your digital content mix and arrange guest posting of your expert on a relevant web portal. Finally, don’t forget to share your web page content on social media channels which are essential catalysts and accelerators of brand and web page visibility.

Additional reading material:
6 Content Assets You Can Add To Make Your Blog Post a Link Magnet (contentmarketinginstitute.com)