14 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}
14 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}

What makes a site have 'Authority'

by dbwebdesignz
12 replies
  • SEO
    • |
Ok guys i have a quick question and was wondering what you think gives a website its 'Authority' How big does a website have to be in terms of pages and what other factors would you say comes into play
#authority #makes #site
  • Profile picture of the author retsek
    Index size doesn't necessarily make you an authority. For example, updowner.com (a site which i greatly despise) has millions of pages indexed. They're an authority of nothing.

    Things that make a site an authority:

    - first page rankings for nearly every keyword in the space in which it operates.
    - new content is quickly indexed and ranked well just after publishing
    - presence of stuff like sitelinks, breadcrumbs and other rich snippets
    - huge number of branded searches. e.g. in addition to searches for authoritysite.com, people typically search for "keyword authoritysite.com", indicating they know about the site and want info specifically from it.
    - attracts natural backlinks from other authority sites inside and outside of it's niche.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6403381].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author sovereignn
    When I think of a website that has authority I think of how often Google crawls it and how much weight google gives that website right away.

    If a website like CNN posts something they'll be on page one for the term in under an hour (if the story is news or a new product something like that)

    I think it pretty much all comes from PR honestly

    Site age maybe... But mainly the PR a website has
    Signature
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6403811].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author dbwebdesignz
      Originally Posted by sovereignn View Post

      When I think of a website that has authority I think of how often Google crawls it and how much weight google gives that website right away.

      If a website like CNN posts something they'll be on page one for the term in under an hour (if the story is news or a new product something like that)

      I think it pretty much all comes from PR honestly

      Site age maybe... But mainly the PR a website has
      Pagerank i am fairly certain pertains to links linking the the website rather than how it actually ranks. Correct me if i am wrong though
      Signature
      Lets Us Do Your Back linking >>> The Best SENuke X Campaign <<< Panda and Penguin friendly

      Cheap Web Hosting £2.49 per month
      London Website Design
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6403916].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Tony Hayes
        Quality content.
        An audience that consumes that content and the new content published,
        Regular new content.
        Time spent on site by users.
        Rankings.
        Comments can be very important too, interactivity shows audience participation.
        Signature
        Your YouTube SEO Is Out Of Date Here's 5 Quick Tips To Fix It
        And Get The Latest
        YouTube SEO Checklist
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6405436].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author mrsvirtualassistant
          An authoritative website is one that covers every area of a topic and receives large amounts of traffic. These sites are usually displayed on the first pages in search results and have a high Page Rank. They are updated regularly and provide original, informative content.
          Signature
          -> Get Profile Backlinks here
          -> #1 Virtual Assistant Service Hire Your Own Virtual Assistant To Work JUST For You
          -> Ezine Articles Service Let Us Build Your Article Portfolio Today!
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6408801].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author dbwebdesignz
            Originally Posted by mrsvirtualassistant View Post

            An authoritative website is one that covers every area of a topic and receives large amounts of traffic. These sites are usually displayed on the first pages in search results and have a high Page Rank. They are updated regularly and provide original, informative content.
            Very generic.

            An authority site does not have to cover every topic. Its not an encyclopedia, its authority on the topic/topics it is on.
            Signature
            Lets Us Do Your Back linking >>> The Best SENuke X Campaign <<< Panda and Penguin friendly

            Cheap Web Hosting £2.49 per month
            London Website Design
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6408820].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author dmtaylor247
    When people search for you in Google... that's the only factor to becoming an authority.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6403818].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author sovereignn
      Originally Posted by dmtaylor247 View Post

      When people search for you in Google... that's the only factor to becoming an authority.
      That just means you're popular

      What about brand new websites that everyone googles because they went viral?

      They still don't have authority status in the eyes of Google's index
      Signature
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6403850].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author retsek
        Originally Posted by sovereignn View Post

        That just means you're popular

        What about brand new websites that everyone googles because they went viral?

        They still don't have authority status in the eyes of Google's index
        That's why a site would need to have a combination of factors to make it an authority.

        And FYI, "Authority Site" is just a phrase us marketers use. Google hasn't no stated public opinion on what "authority" sites are.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6403881].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author marketwarrior06
    Banned
    popularity is the main thing dude.
    some basic criteria to be an authority site are they have to have forums, Blogs, and a mother site.
    that's it.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6409182].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author dbwebdesignz
      Originally Posted by marketwarrior06 View Post

      popularity is the main thing dude.
      some basic criteria to be an authority site are they have to have forums, Blogs, and a mother site.
      that's it.
      Can you show me wikipedia's forum please?
      Signature
      Lets Us Do Your Back linking >>> The Best SENuke X Campaign <<< Panda and Penguin friendly

      Cheap Web Hosting £2.49 per month
      London Website Design
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6409215].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author yukon
    Banned
    You can be an authority on a sub-niche, that's what I do with my largest site.

    IMO, it's better to focus on a sub-niche (specialty) instead of spreading yourself/site thin over an entire niche.

    If I go searching on Google for the keyword car stereo, I don't need to look at car transmissions on the same site. Car stereo would be the sub-niche, the one thing the site specializes in.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6409241].message }}

Trending Topics