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Best wordpress themes for authority sites?

by phans
16 replies
Till now i was mostly building MNS but i want to start building bigger sites and i am just wondering if there are any wordpress themes that are perfectly made for authority style sites?
The most famous i heard of is the thesis theme.

thanks
#authority #sites #themes #wordpress
  • Profile picture of the author Janet Walker
    Thesis, Genesis or any of those which offer a good clean site is fine just be sure to customize everything.
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  • Profile picture of the author Mike Hlatky
    Any magazine-type theme should do the trick.
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    • Profile picture of the author gamebak
      Originally Posted by Mike Hlatky View Post

      Any magazine-type theme should do the trick.
      I must agree with you mate, and to add someething, you must put yourself into the customer position, and see what you like and what not at a theme.
      Make sure it's right for your product.
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  • Profile picture of the author Fernando Veloso
    An authority site is known cause it's normally huge, respected, filled with accurate content about one niche (or more then one) etc etc - not because uses theme A, B or C.

    Content makes an authority site - not themes.
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    • Profile picture of the author phans
      Originally Posted by Fernando Veloso View Post

      An authority site is known cause it's normally huge, respected, filled with accurate content about one niche (or more then one) etc etc - not because uses theme A, B or C.

      Content makes an authority site - not themes.
      lol i know this i just wanted to ask what themes are best for a lot of content pages... :rolleyes:
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      • Profile picture of the author Ralf Skirr
        Regarding the theme, the most important aspect is probably how well you can place navigational links to the different sections of your site. (pages and post categories at least, probably even custom taxonomies)

        For that I find themes that include 2 main menus right from the start perfect. You can then add more ways to add content through sidebar widgets.

        Example:
        http://demo.woothemes.com/?name=headlines
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    • Profile picture of the author JOSourcing
      Banned
      Originally Posted by Fernando Veloso View Post

      Content makes an authority site - not themes.
      I don't necessarily agree with that, as I would doubt the validity of a site that used a common theme, or a theme with a design that contradicted its content. (Example: a circus theme applied to a health blog)

      Then again, I don't like it when I see a serious theme applied to frivolous content either. There must be a balance, where design and intent (content) complement each other. So while a theme may not make an authority site, it surely contributes to it.
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      • Profile picture of the author Fernando Veloso
        Originally Posted by phans View Post

        lol i know this i just wanted to ask what themes are best for a lot of content pages... :rolleyes:
        Right.

        But then you should asking how to funnel that content and structure it. But since you know how to apply an emoticon, I am sure you'll know how to turn a normal site into an authority powerhouse, with any theme (cause again, this is NOT about the theme, it's about structure).


        Originally Posted by JOSourcing View Post

        I don't necessarily agree with that, as I would doubt the validity of a site that used a common theme, or a theme with a design that contradicted its content. (Example: a circus theme applied to a health blog)

        Then again, I don't like it when I see a serious theme applied to frivolous content either. There must be a balance, where design and intent (content) complement each other. So while a theme may not make an authority site, it surely contributes to it.
        90% of the time Google "makes" a site an authority. And Google couldn't care less about DESIGN. All they want is content, reputation, and structure. Thats why powerhouses spend their money with "content structure" and rookies with "designs" and "backlinks". Major difference all the way, and across the markets.

        But since this is an IM forum, OP, get a paid theme and see what happens... If you want to go free, use K2 - the best of the best SEO wise for WordPress - especially if you know what you're doing.
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        • Profile picture of the author JOSourcing
          Banned
          Originally Posted by Fernando Veloso View Post

          90% of the time Google "makes" a site an authority. And Google couldn't care less about DESIGN. All they want is content, reputation, and structure. Thats why powerhouses spend their money with "content structure" and rookies with "designs" and "backlinks". Major difference all the way, and across the markets.
          Mmm... gotta disagree with you on that one too. Not to be argumentative, but just to get some good information out there. Google doesn't make a site an authority. A site's users do. Google simply monitors the way users interact with a site to determine whether that site is/should be an authority site.

          Authority sites engage in the same monitoring, which is why they're constantly evaluating the impact of various design elements. It's easy to disregard content as merely content, but its placement, font, spacing, drop caps, color, etc. play a tremendous role in conveying a specific tone.

          When people pay attention to that tone, and they recommend that tone to others on a significant scale, Google listens, and then acts accordingly.
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          • Profile picture of the author Fernando Veloso
            Originally Posted by JOSourcing View Post

            Mmm... gotta disagree with you on that one too. Not to be argumentative, but just to get some good information out there. Google doesn't make a site an authority. A site's users do. Google simply monitors the way users interact with a site to determine whether that site is/should be an authority site.

            Authority sites engage in the same monitoring, which is why they're constantly evaluating the impact of various design elements. It's easy to disregard content as merely content, but its placement, font, spacing, drop caps, color, etc. play a tremendous role in conveying a specific tone.

            When people pay attention to that tone, and they recommend that tone to others on a significant scale, Google listens, and then acts accordingly.


            Are you confusing sales % and conversion optimization (design, usability, etc) with authority? From Google's perspective?

            In the end you can have a stripper doing a live show 24/7 at your site, and users stay there for hours, but you'll never have a authority site in Google SERP's. I know this is a radical example but you get my point.

            And you forgot one thing: vast majority of powerhouse sites DON'T USE any Google script. They don't and they WON'T use anything from Google. The only way for Google to track people "on this sites" is when they get to search again.

            Plus, and this comes from MY experience: you can turn a ****ty site into a powerhouse using JUST content and optimal structure. In fact, thats 90% of what there is to it nowadays, with so much seo drama. But to expect design or design elements to play a role in Google SERP's is plain wrong.

            I am not trying to sell you anything, to you or anyone here - in fact my last SEO WSO closed at 50 sales - and I ain't trying to give you lessons or trying to distort your opinion, but many of you folks live in a "fantasy world" maybe due to your experience. And that is my deepest and honest opinion based of facts, and 7 years experience full time and managing mine and my clients websites.

            I can't and won't share a couple authority sites I own just to prove my point, but heck, sometimes you people freak me out.

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            • Profile picture of the author JOSourcing
              Banned
              Originally Posted by Fernando Veloso View Post

              Are you confusing sales % and conversion optimization (design, usability, etc) with authority? From Google's perspective?
              Well, since we're not talking about sales % and conversion optimization, no. I'm not sure why you brought them up...?

              Originally Posted by Fernando Veloso View Post

              And you forgot one thing: vast majority of powerhouse sites DON'T USE any Google script. They don't and they WON'T use anything from Google. The only way for Google to track people "on this sites" is when they get to search again.
              Other ways Google tracks users are through the multitude of sites that it does monitor.

              Originally Posted by Fernando Veloso View Post

              Plus, and this comes from MY experience: you can turn a ****ty site into a powerhouse using JUST content and optimal structure. In fact, thats 90% of what there is to it nowadays, with so much seo drama. But to expect design or design elements to play a role in Google SERP's is plain wrong.
              Oh well, I suppose Google's design and content guidelines exist for nothing then.

              Originally Posted by Fernando Veloso View Post

              I am not trying to sell you anything, to you or anyone here - in fact my last SEO WSO closed at 50 sales - and I ain't trying to give you lessons or trying to distort your opinion, but many of you folks live in a "fantasy world" maybe due to your experience. And that is my deepest and honest opinion based of facts, and 7 years experience full time and managing mine and my clients websites. I can't and won't share a couple authority sites I own just to prove my point, but heck, sometimes you people freak me out.
              Sorry. None of that is relevant to the civil counterpoints I was trying to offer. But you sound like a person who knows everything anyway, so I'll continue on with someone who isn't so hell bent on trying to impress somebody.
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              • Profile picture of the author Fernando Veloso
                Originally Posted by JOSourcing View Post

                Well, since we're not talking about sales % and conversion optimization, no. I'm not sure why you brought them up...?



                Other ways Google tracks users are through the multitude of sites that it does monitor.



                Oh well, I suppose Google's design and content guidelines exist for nothing then.



                Sorry. None of that is relevant to the civil counterpoints I was trying to offer.
                Wow.

                https://support.google.com/businesss...answer=1657560

                Funny how design guidelines are all about "structure".

                But you sound like a person who knows everything anyway, so I'll continue on with someone who isn't so hell bent on trying to impress somebody.
                Ahhh the good old "I don't know what to say, so I'll just call him a moron..."

                Good for you buddy. Let me know when you rank a site based on "design guidelines" and NOT on content...

                :rolleyes:
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            • Profile picture of the author theultimate1
              Originally Posted by Fernando Veloso View Post

              But to expect design or design elements to play a role in Google SERP's is plain wrong.
              The OP isn't asking for a theme so his website ranks superhigh in Google SERPs. He was probably talking from his observation. Most of the authority sites out there don't look like blogs, despite the fact that a lot of them run on WordPress. It's just the look & feel bit that prompted the OP to ask for wordpress themes that worked well with authority "style" sites, as his 1st post mentions.

              Who ever talked about Rankings/SERPs on Google?

              P.S.: Sorry to dig up this old thread. I was searching for something similar on Google, and found this thread.
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  • Profile picture of the author HalloweenKing
    I love UniqueBlogDesigns.com
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  • Profile picture of the author Kim Roach
    I like the Generate Theme by StudioPress because it focuses on your most important asset - which is your list of subscribers.

    http://www.studiopress.com/themes/generate
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