Authority And SEO
There are many factors that determine the rank for keywords and phrases in a website. Some examples include structure, internal links, external links, age of domain, the amount of available information on the subject, and the degree of Authority the site has developed.
In terms of Search Engine Optimization, Authority has several different meanings. All interpretations of Authority can be considered positive and have many influences on a website's Search Engine Ranking.
The concept of Authority can mean any or all of the following:
- Authority is seen as a measure of the quality of a particular site, established through blend of size, age, importance, and relevance. A link from an Authority site carries significant weight.
- Sites considered to have the most Authority in terms of the Search Engines include industry leaders, world-class education establishments, and leading subject matter experts in particular fields.
- Some Authoritative websites include hubs in the Internet community.
- A website that dominates in the search results for a specific search word or phrase is considered to be an Authoritative site.
Whatever the real definition of Authority sites is, it is easy to say that they are vastly popular, they receive links based on merit and/or are referred to as sites worthy of links and reference from other large and supportive Authority sites.
Benefits of Authority Sites
Authority Sites enjoy preferred indexing visits from Search Engines, and maintaining fresh content can quickly upgrade a site's Authority, given the frequency of the updated content.
Spidering is a good way to increase rank, but with rapid spidering it can be easier to rank for certain keywords (which allow your pages to be found under a variety of searches). Targeted copy can be used to gain even more of an edge and increase the rate at which selected keywords are found by the spiders.
Keywords and phrases that may take months to populate Search Engine results from low level Authority sites can be rapidly produced for sites with high level Authority.
A good Authority site tends to get links from other reputable Authority sites. Good content gets noticed and therefore earns links. In this sense, a link from an Authority site can be regarded as a form of celebrity referral. Credible celebrity referrals are better, but both authoritative and credible celebrity referrals are best. They show you have a trustworthy reputation on the recipient's site. Search Engines scour the Internet for sites that have a good reputation with good links, and this in turn leads the Search Engine to boost your site to the top of the rankings when searches are done for your keywords.
Achieving Authority
Page Rank is not the only aspect of a site that earns Authority from the Search Engines; it also includes on-page and off-page optimization, and of course, periodic content updates.
Another important factor is Domain Age. Typically, Authority is closely related to domain age because the age of the site is used by the Search Engines when deciding where to place them in terms of rank. As in any aspect of life, with age comes increased rank.
Search Engines fare better when there is a basic keyword theme, for example creating a blog with keyword rich category names and content. Authority needs to be leveraged through contextual keyword analysis and inclusion. Poorly written copy stuffed with keywords, phrases every other line, and lackluster content present visitors with a negative image about your company. All content needs to be engaging enough to be worthy of links from other sites of similar subjects. Developing an Authority site means having influential friends with high Search Engine Rankings. High Authority sites don't want to be referenced by sites with low Authority, so the higher your Authority, the more Authoritatve friends you will make. Deliver the quality that other Authority sites want and you will have a chance at sharing some of their reputation by association and thus build up our own Authority.
Knowing what content to add and when to add it is the key; knowing your audience is one of the biggest parts of the battle. If you have a target audience for a certain subject matter then you can focus all your content in that area. Deploying high quality, relevant and popular content on a daily level will soon elevate your site above the competition, which creates a critical mass of Authority.
There are many Authority development practices, including the use of Social Media techologies, to develop popularity. High-ranking Social Media sites such as Digg and Deli.cio.us provide instant Authority links to pages. The more "strong links" your pages receive, the higher your content's Authority. In addition, these links can also produce a lot of visitor traffic to your site. Sometimes, receiving a Top 10 Ranking can be achieved with the mention of only one keyword by a larger Authority site.