Using Creative Commons to Build Links

Just saw this great thread over at WMW, Using Creative Commons to build link popularity. Creative Commons is a system that allows you to offer content for free syndication while retaining copyright.

Why it’s great for link building

People who syndicate your content often link back to you. Really this is not too much different from offering articles for syndication, except I would guess that sites syndicating Creative Commons content might tend to be higher quality than a generic article bank.

From the thread:

We have a database of "Widgets" which has been cited in a large number of publications – all good linkages.

Now we have released that database under a Creative Commons license, under the condition that the authorship (our web site) is retained.

Now, anyone can duplicate the content for free – but they must link to us.

So, now – for no effort on our part – we are starting to build up a body of
sites linking to us, as a condition of their using the content.

And even better, the page and sites that link to us are all relevent to us,
and hence that also boosts thematic linking as well.