Right. And if you build it, they will come. And unicorns exist.
Here’s the truth: great content sits unlinked every single day. I’ve created plenty of it myself. The difference between content that earns links and content that collects digital dust isn’t just quality. It’s intent, utility, and whether you’ve actually solved a problem someone needs to reference.
Linkable assets aren’t magic. They’re strategic pieces of content designed to be cited, shared, and referenced. But here’s what most SEO guides won’t tell you: most of them fail. I’ve built assets that got zero links. I’ve also created a simple salary calculator that websites still reference years later.
The difference? Understanding what makes content genuinely link-worthy versus what we think should be link-worthy.
What Makes Content Actually Linkable?
A linkable asset is content so useful, unique, or authoritative that other websites naturally want to reference it. Not because you begged them to. Not because you paid them. Because citing your content makes their content better.
Think about the last time you linked to another website in your own content. You weren’t doing them a favor. You were backing up a claim, providing your readers with a resource, or citing data that supported your argument. That’s how linkable assets work.
The core characteristics:
- Solves a specific problem: Vague content gets vague results. My salary-after-tax calculator worked because it answered one concrete question Danish job seekers actually had.
- Provides reference-worthy data: Original research, statistics, or comprehensive lists that save people time. I once created a list showing how many drinks are in different bottle sizes. Bartending sites still link to it.
- Fills a content gap: If 50 sites already cover a topic comprehensively, yours better be exceptional. Otherwise, create something that doesn’t exist yet.
- Makes the linker look good: When someone cites your asset, it should strengthen their credibility, not yours. That’s the entire point.
Here’s where your onion model matters: create linkable assets that relate directly to your business. If you run an ecommerce site, build calculators for shipping costs or product comparisons. If you’re in B2B software, create industry benchmarks. The citations you earn will actually be relevant to your niche, not just vanity metrics from unrelated sites.
Because getting a link from a recipe blog when you sell enterprise software? Congratulations on your irrelevant backlink.
Why Linkable Assets Beat Traditional Link Building
Traditional link building is exhausting. You research prospects, craft personalized emails, follow up multiple times, and celebrate a 5% response rate like you’ve won the lottery. Then half the links you do get are nofollow or from sites Google couldn’t care less about.
Linkable assets flip this dynamic. Instead of chasing links, you’re creating something people want to link to. The effort shifts from outreach to creation.
The practical benefits:
- Links that stick: When someone references your research or tool because it genuinely helps their content, that link stays. They’re not going to remove it in six months.
- Compounding returns: A good asset earns links for years. My drink calculator still gets citations without any promotion from me.
- Relevance by design: Create assets tied to your niche, earn links from your niche. Simple.
- Authority building: Being cited positions you as a source, not just another voice shouting into the void.
But let’s be honest: this isn’t a shortcut. You’re trading outreach time for creation time. And plenty of assets never earn a single link. The question is whether you’d rather spend 20 hours on outreach for 3 mediocre links or 10 hours building something that might earn 30 over two years.
Your choice. Both are valid. One just scales better.
The Types That Actually Work (And Why Most Fail)
Every SEO guide lists the same types: infographics, tools, studies, guides. All true. All vague. Let me tell you what actually matters: solving a problem someone needs to reference.
Original Research and Data
People love citing data. It makes them look informed without doing the work. If you can conduct research that provides genuinely new insights, you’ve built something cite-worthy.
This doesn’t mean you need a PhD and a budget. I’ve seen successful “research” that was just surveying 100 people in a specific industry about their challenges. The key: make it specific, make it credible, and present it clearly.
Why it works: Writers need to back up claims. Your data does that for them.
Reality check: You need legitimate methodology. “I asked 10 friends” isn’t research. Survey 50+ people, analyze existing data differently, or aggregate information in a new way.
Free Tools and Calculators
This is my personal favorite because it delivers utility on demand. My salary calculator succeeded because it solved one specific problem: “What’s my actual take-home pay in Denmark?”
The tool itself was simple. The value was immediate. Other sites referenced it when discussing Danish salaries because it was easier than building their own or explaining the tax system in detail.
Why it works: Tools provide ongoing value. Someone can link to your calculator and their readers can actually use it.
Reality check: It needs to solve a real problem, not a manufactured one. “How many TikToks equal one YouTube video” isn’t useful. A CAC calculator for SaaS companies is.
Comprehensive Guides (When They’re Actually Comprehensive)
“Comprehensive” doesn’t mean long. It means complete. Every question answered, every scenario covered, every edge case addressed.
Most guides fail because they’re 80% fluff and 20% substance. The ones that earn links are the reverse.
Why it works: When someone’s writing about a topic and needs to link to a resource for readers who want to go deeper, your guide becomes the obvious choice.
Reality check: If you’re not willing to spend 10+ hours on it, don’t bother. A mediocre guide is just more noise.
Statistics Pages and Data Compilations
Aggregate existing research into one searchable resource. Journalists and content writers love these because they can quickly find stats to support their articles.
This isn’t original research, but it’s valuable curation. The work is in finding, verifying, and organizing data that’s scattered across dozens of sources.
Why it works: Convenience. One link gives readers access to 50+ statistics instead of hunting through studies.
Reality check: Update it. Nothing kills citations faster than outdated data.
Industry Awards and Rankings
Controversial opinion: these work if you’re actually credible in your space. If you’re a new blog creating “The Top 50 SEO Tools” ranking, nobody cares. If you’re an established agency that’s tested 50 tools, maybe.
The catch: you’re essentially banking on the companies you rank sharing your content. That’s fine if you’re genuine about the evaluation. It’s transparent manipulation if you’re just ranking everyone who might link to you.
Why it works: Companies love being recognized and will often share rankings they’re featured in.
Reality check: Your credibility matters more than the format. A ranking from a nobody is worth nothing.
Creating Assets That Don’t Suck
Most linkable assets fail because they’re created backward. People think “I want links” first and “what’s useful” second. Flip that.
Start with problems your audience actually has. Not problems you think they should have. Not problems that sound impressive. Problems they’re actively trying to solve.
The creation process that works:
- Identify the gap: What question gets asked repeatedly in your industry that doesn’t have a single, clear answer? That’s your opportunity.
- Validate the need: Check if people are actually searching for this. Use keyword research, but also look at forums, Reddit, industry Slack groups. Real conversations reveal real needs.
- Commit the time: Budget at least 5 hours for short assets, 10+ for comprehensive ones. Half-assed assets earn half-assed results (usually zero).
- Make it visually usable: This doesn’t mean hire a designer for €5,000. It means clean formatting, clear hierarchy, and readable presentation. A text wall helps nobody.
- Test it yourself first: If you wouldn’t reference this in your own content, why would anyone else?
I’ve built assets that got zero links. Usually because I skipped step 1 and created what I thought was clever instead of what was useful. Learn from my mistakes instead of repeating them.
What Kills Link Potential
Even good ideas can fail in execution. Here’s what I’ve learned destroys link potential:
Making it about you instead of them: Nobody wants to cite your company’s superiority. They want data, tools, or insights that help their readers. Keep the self-promotion to the byline.
Hiding the value: If someone has to register, download, or jump through hoops to access your asset, they’re not linking to it. Make it freely accessible.
Poor presentation: You can have the best data in the world, but if it’s formatted like a 1995 Excel spreadsheet, nobody’s sharing it.
No unique angle: If you’re the 47th site to create “The Ultimate Guide to Email Marketing,” you better bring something genuinely new. Otherwise, why wouldn’t they link to one of the established guides?
Expecting immediate results: Some assets take months to gain traction. My drink calculator got its first link after 6 weeks. Now it has dozens. Patience isn’t optional.
The Promotion Reality Nobody Talks About
“Build it and they will come” is a lie. But “build it and spam everyone” is worse.
You need some initial visibility to get the flywheel turning. But outreach for linkable assets is different than traditional link building. You’re not asking for favors. You’re sharing something genuinely useful with people who might benefit.
Promotion that doesn’t feel gross:
- Share it on relevant platforms where your audience already gathers (LinkedIn, industry forums, professional groups)
- Let people you mentioned or featured know it exists (they’re likely to share or link)
- Include it in your regular content where relevant (internal linking from your own high-traffic pages)
- Consider our link building marketplace if you need targeted initial visibility
The difference between promotion and spam: spam is “look what I made.” Promotion is “this might help you with X problem.”
If you’re genuinely solving a problem, telling relevant people isn’t pushy. It’s helpful.
Connecting Assets to Revenue
Here’s where Search Royals’ philosophy of business karma comes in: linkable assets are always value first. You’re showing what you know, proving your expertise, and helping people solve problems. No strings attached.
But smart businesses connect assets to revenue eventually.
Your salary calculator can live next to your HR software. Your industry research can demonstrate the expertise you bring to consulting. Your comprehensive guides can naturally reference your agency services where relevant.
The key: never compromise the asset’s utility for promotion. The second your tool exists primarily to sell, it stops being linkable. People can smell the difference between “useful with a subtle mention” and “sales pitch disguised as content.”
Create value. Build trust. The links come from the value. The business comes from the trust.
If you need help building backlinks to your assets or want to see what active link building looks like when combined with great content, we’ve spent years testing what actually works.
Start Small, Think Big
Don’t build an interactive tool requiring 100 hours of development as your first asset. Start with something achievable.
A well-researched list. A simple calculator. A comprehensive comparison table. An aggregated statistics page. Pick one format you can execute well, commit the time, and ship it.
Then wait. Check Google Search Console after a few months. See if anyone’s linking. Learn from what worked (or didn’t). Build the next one better.
I’ve created plenty of assets that failed. But the ones that succeeded earned more links than years of traditional outreach. That’s the bet: you’re trading high volume, low effort for low volume, high impact.
Some of those high-impact pieces will carry your backlink profile for years. Others will quietly fail. That’s the game.
The question isn’t whether every asset will succeed. It’s whether the ones that do succeed will outperform the alternatives. In my experience, they do.
Now go create something people actually want to cite.
