Leo has created a great example of linkbait in his post NxE’s Fifty Most Influential Bloggers.
While the validity of the list itself will create debate (and already has in comments) these sorts of lists tend to work well for a number of reasons.
- They appeal to the egos of those included – I’ve already seen a number of those in the list linking up
- They create controversy – even if this were a 100 person list there would be some who would be left out – at least in the minds of many. The result is an increase in comments and linkups
- Lists have Link Appeal – the list is a powerful way to generate traffic – particularly through social media sites (which is where I saw this list (Digg and Delicious).
Creating your own top 50 influential bloggers list is not likely to get the traction that Leo’s gained from his (at least not for a few months until people forget this one) but there’s nothing to stop bloggers creating their own that relate to their own niches.
The 20 Most Influential Pet Blogs – The Definitive list of Top Financial Bloggers…. etc
A word of warning – creating any sort of definitive list that claims to present the ‘most’, ‘best’ or ‘greatest’ of anything will cause debate and often some sort of backlash. This controversy is part of what makes these lists go viral – however it can take a toll on your as a blogger also.
