The Click-Bait Epidemic

Understanding ‘clickbait’ is important for your business

Clickbait headlines have been used since the conception of the internet and since human beings have sold anything to another person. Now, however, it is presented in a digital text on a website or as a URL on a search engine, or youtube video title. Its aim is to get the user to click. PAUSE!

To all our clients out there. NO, the aim is not to get a user to click. The primary purpose of all content placed on the internet by your business is to get a sale not a click.

Common clickbait examples:

Exclusive!

Can You Guess…

3 Ridiculous Questions we asked..

My secret weapon for…

You will never guess what happened after…

What happens when you mix…

The one dish you must serve…

Why you shouldn’t use clickbait 

1. Youtube is rampant with clickbait:
   Youtube in 2018 is within the top 10 most visited websites in Australia. So what trends happen on youtube soon happen on the net.Youtube video thumbnails and titles are saturated with the use of clickbait tactics. It represents a big problem on Youtube.
   Clickbait is now the number 1 tactics as a way to become popular on the platform. Unfortunately, the result is good content sometimes gets buried by ‘clickable’ content.”The saturation of clickbait headings for videos will sooner or later not work on the audience.  The result will be audience members finding channels and sites that they subscribe to.
2. Excessive use of click-bait:
   For every single little thing to generate traffic results in a short time on page. For this reason, Google in 2018-2019 will probably start to focus a lot more algorithm on time on page to distinguish which websites are of quality content and which ones are time wasters.
3. Google time on page algorithm
   A high bounce rate

Won’t more eyeballs generate more sales?

The short answer is: NO.

The long answer is: NO. A cohort analysis between using this technique and using a data-backed advertising technique shows that it doesn’t. Also, don’t forget the negative repercussions that can occur through the use of clickbait. A user may think the following because users think the following when displayed with clickbait:

1. Users automatically lose respect for your website and business and move on.
2. Users click on it and are not 100% happy with the content, then they lose respect for your website and business and move on.

I want headings that lead to clicks. Isn’t that clickbait?

No, because the goal of clickbait is to get a click. The goal of a heading which also wants to get clicked on is to make a sale from that click and to gain a long-term customer.

If you want to use clickbait we recommend

1. Be honest. Advertise your content honestly and modestly. Lying will only lead to a reputation being ruined.
2. Be unique. You cannot compete with thousands of click-bait content writers. So don’t try. Be the bright white pixel against the black pixel masses.
3. Use click-baits within an ad. There are always places for an ad on your site. People understand that. Use an ad on your site to draw extra attention to something.
4. Use in moderation. A few click-bait trick headings might lead to a few sales but do not risk using this too many times because it can severely damage your company reputation. The ultimate goal for most businesses is returned, viewers. Most people will not trust your website if you use clickbait all the time.

Instead of clickbait headings use the following

Unless you are a wordsmith. Think twice before using clickbait, and if SEO consultants push a clickbait strategy they are often after quick gains but longterm losses. So, let them loose immediately.

Instead, we recommend you use the following method to create awesome headings that get more paying customers.

1. Connect title to content within the article
2. Trigger an action word within the title.
3. Don’t make the title too long. Generally under 7 words is the best.