What Is Original Research? The Content That Earns Links

In plain English

A survey, an analysis of your own data, a systematic test, a review of a hundred examples. Something that did not exist before you did the work.

It is the most reliable way to earn links, because other people need to cite a source. Opinion cannot be cited; data can.

What to know

New information

Something that did not exist before.

Citable

Other writers need sources, and yours becomes one.

Available at small scale

Your own data, a modest survey, a systematic review.

Methodology matters

State how you gathered it, or it will not be trusted.

Why it matters

Original research is the closest thing content marketing has to a reliable link-building method. One credible study can produce citations for years, which no amount of commentary will.

Common mistakes

×Surveys too small to support the claims made from them.

×No stated methodology.

×Data with no interpretation, so nobody knows why it matters.

×Publishing it once and never promoting it to the people who would cite it.

FAQs

I have no research budget. What can I do?

Analyse your own operational data, or review a hundred examples of something systematically.

How big does a survey need to be?

Large enough that the claims are defensible. State the sample size plainly.

WRITTEN BY TARIQ SALLAM

Marketing Consultant. Entrepreneur. Content Creator.

I'm a marketing consultant, entrepreneur and content creator. I help businesses grow through practical marketing, websites, SEO, content and AI.

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