Can I make it as a noob building one authority site?

I don't think you are aiming to high and you can definitely make this work and make money at it.

If you really have something to offer people, then building an authority site on something you love is a great option.

Be patient, stay focused, and you can make it work.

Golf is a huge niche and there is never a shortage of eager buyers. Find yourself a niche within the niche and you should be fine. Remain focused and determined...

Thanks for the comments gents.

Regervin, I really struglle to do this because I find myself wanting to write about EVERYTHING in the world of golf. Anything you could suggest to get away from this?

I do really want my site to be an authority in GOLF, if I dilute the niche down will I not get too far away from this?

Cheers

You are not aiming too high. Make sure you stay focused and do the proper keyword and competition research when deciding what to aim for.

Don't throw any rubbish backlinks at your site either or you could waste all your good work.

Congrats on your decision to take action and make progress! I really like the authority niches best, myself, because they show a dedication to your decision. When I first found the WF a year or two ago, one of the first posts I ever read here was by a guy named Jim Hudson that I'd met in another forum. I think you might get some inspiration out of it:

http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...onth-mark.html

The thread is 5 pages long, but it's definitely worth reading through the whole thing. I still go back to it from time-to-time.

-- j

I'm going to go against my other esteemed Warriors and suggest you will not be able to create an authority website on the subject of 'Golf.' It's too damn vague.

You'd be much better off drilling down two levels and creating an authoritative website in a sub-niche.

Also, in order to be an authority, it helps to have expert content. Are you an internationally recognized leader for "Golf?"

YES Guys and Gals!!!

You're keeping me motivated and making me think I can actually do this and make a success of it. Thank you so much.

Roll on the 10k months

Good luck to you, G. I hope you succeed!

There is always room for another website. (Otherwise there wouldn't be billions of them!)

Sounds like a great plan and kudos to you for having the courage to go with a subject you love.

You might find golf is too wide a niche and too completive. In which case, maybe narrow it down a little to golf equipment or something like that. I bet you could do some great videos for example showing people how to get the best use out of a particular club.

I'm not a golfer but you get the idea

Equipment would also lend itself naturally to affiliate and Amazon links.

You definitely don't have to be already classed as an authority in order to create an authoritative site.

Think of this approach for example: Learning DSLR Video | Learn How To Shoot HD Video With A DSLR

That site owner had little clue about what the site is about when he started, but instead of becoming an expert before he started, he used to site to share what he was learning as he went.

By using YouTube and a down-to-earth style, he's built up what looks like a pretty authoritative presence.

Yet, the url doesn't scream, 'I'm a expert'. It still reveals its roots.

The reason it works and the site has grown, is simply because the site answers common problems, gives accessible solutions, and basically gives good value to the visitor.

And there lies the key of any authority site.

It's not in the individual. It's in the value you provide to the visitor.

It takes work, but if you have a keen interest in golf, are a good teacher, can communicate effectively, and add a little personality in it all, it's totally possible to build an authoritative site in almost any niche.

I recommend you follow the example of SocialTriggers.com

Write well, don't necessarily write often, put effort into guest posting on relevant sites, add value, give actionable advice, use video, interview experts, and build a list.

Do that, and you'll get on okay.

Like everyone else has said well done for taking action, by the sounds of it your site could be very useful to visitors and so I'm sure you can make money with it.

I don't think its such a bad thing that your site is about golf, its gives you lots of scope and places to grow into as your site gets bigger, just make sure for now you stay very specific to one or two things.

I'd look for a long tail keyword or 12 that would be really easy to rank for, as in just having your titles and headings right will get you page 1, then write some really good content about that keyword. This will get the traffic flowing to you site and google will start to trust your domain more. If you aim strait for 'golf' you will just get lost in the competition.

Well done for following your passion and the best of luck to you

Yes, you could certainly succeed in the golf niche.

One specific comment is that Amazon sell golf equipment, and really well-written Amazon product reports can be a great way to make money (as I've done myself). Think about giving people more information than they can get just reading Amazon itself, such as if there's a problem users find with a particular product, say exactly WHY a particular alternative doesn't have that problem. Since you get commission on whatever they buy, you can really afford to be honest, and tell them the real reasons why they should choose a particular product for a particular use.

Add some more general golf pages, as well as Amazon product reports, make some of your own products (ebooks are easy, video can be done too), and keep learning about IM.

Don't make the mistake of doing too many backlinks, or you could get your site de-indexed and ruin all your hard work! Or if you want to be more careful, split your work among a few different sites on different interconnected topics, then you can be a bit more experimental, and if you make a mistake on one site, you don't lose everything. Google rewards relevance, so a bunch of small sites can easily make more money than one big one anyway, and it's easy enough to link them.

Make a start, keep on learning, and you'll get there


Chris

OP, you defiantly don't have to be an expert on a niche, having a passion for golf is all the expertise you need.

Nobody in this world knows everything about a subject/niche, they might know a lot, but not everything.

My first site was in a hobby niche, I did focus on a sub-niche though. Right now I dominate the SERPs & forums with that site. Staying focused on a sub-niche helps.

My advice, If you have something (Golf) that you seriously enjoy, go all out with an authority site, don't hold back anything you know on the subject.

BTW, you should be able to find targeted traffic in niche forums.

If I were to go to a local golf shop, I would be quite sure that none of the employees could play well enough to play on the tour. That is not the point.

You need to create enough content to keep the golfer interested, until he/she can make a purchase. Good luck!

Any Authority site is good....

I think it's ok.
If you think you are not an expert, just hire a writer from fiverr or warriorforum.
As long as you have a good keyword with low competition and good searches, no matter what the niche, you are OK

If you build a following (or a LIST) of people who know you, like you and trust you, there are hundreds of products that you can write about in Golf which is an evergreen subject and definitely a hungry crowd. Go to golf forums and offer tips with your website linked and people will find their way back to you. Make a facebook page and go to those who love golf and comment on their posts with a link back to your FB page which at the top keeps some type of good real estate pointing back to your website or money page. ENGAGE with your golf community at every level online and find out where they hang out.

Go to Alexa.com and find the golf forums and get in there and post and post and post.

You have picked a winner. You just need to invite the traffic there.

If you find out in a few months,that your traffic is not converting, try a different landing page to be your website that is more appealing. Rotate different offers and you WILL find one that converts consistently. I found out that it is trying different ones to see what people are BUYING, not just looking for information about that is key.

Hope that helps!

Kristie from Georgia

Why not just create one single page, with an optin, and give away a free golf report. Then you can build up a list of subscribers and continue to send them golf tips, and product picks (affiliate links), and other affiliate products.

So it could be like this...

Squeeze Page > Email List > Give Content > Offer > More Content > Offers...

Just another thought instead of building up a big site.

Whatever you do, don't be mediocre.

The golf niche is great if you know what you are talking about.

If you are going to write about golf, you must make sure that you can produce (or acquire) a steady stream of high quality content long term.

Pick something else if you don't think you will be able to sustain it in the golf niche.

You can target any niche you want if you target long tail keywords in your articles. For example make an article called "how to have fade on your iron shots" When you focus on writing articles targeting long tail keywords you wont have to worry about competing for a keyword such as "golf". This way it makes it easier to get traffic from google

Morning All,

Thanks for all the replies so far.

Provides the drive I need to stay focussed.

Just to clarify some points people have highlighted above; I have wrote articles that target longer tail keywords such as, how to cure a slice, but with a bit of an edge. I have wrote all the material myself. I am not a pro but have a handicap that would allow me to possibly become one. I have wrote content for my site and my autoresponder list and will have a giveaway to get readers onto my list. This way I will be able to market to them via the website and via the list. I do not think I will ever run out of things to say and have wrote a number of editorial/journalistic pieces to have on the site, im hoping to get featured in some news channels.

Thanks again for the advice and I welcome anymore

G

If you love what you are doing and if you invest some real passion into it, I believe you can be successful. Just keep writing and DON'T EVER GIVE UP!

The only obstacle between you and success is yourself. So don't wait for Warriors to tell you that you can do it, just go out there and do it yourself!

I don't think it's impossible- just realize that you can make money with it along the way. You don't have to wait until it gets huge before you can start monetizing it.