Authority Sites: Getting the Necessary PageRank
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There are several authority site attributes; Wayne Hurlbert addresses how PageRank can contribute to making your site an authority site. He advises having a good internal linking structure and a site map to properly distribute the inflow of PageRank to the pages most needing it.
A goal of many webmasters is to have their website achieve the status of an authority site for their most important keywords. An authority, or sometimes referred to as an expert site, requires strong content, a large number of pages, and a large number of incoming and outgoing links that are themed to website content.
It’s widely considered by many observers that the Google algorithm places great importance on authority site status. It is a goal well worth striving for with your site.
An authority site also requires a healthy dose of PageRank. Most authority sites have at least a PR7, with many being much higher. It should be noted that the size, in terms of number of indexed pages and the content of a site, is also very important in recognizing authority sites. PageRank is only one of several authority site attributes, but is the one we are examining more closely right now.
Developing an authority site (as we’ll call it throughout this article) is a worthwhile goal, for website owners attempting to rise to the top of the search engine results pages (SERPs) for their most important keyword phrases. In fact, authorities are usually positioned on the first two pages of the SERPs. The object of authority site building is to become one of the most important sites in the opinion of the Google algorithm for those keywords and phrases.
The keys to becoming an authority site are highly interrelated. They include number of indexed pages, content, links, and strong Google PageRank. All of those factors work in harmony as your site rises in the search engine rankings to achieve that highly desirable authority site status. Lacking any of those qualities, your site may not reach the authority goal.
One common thread that joins all authority sites is their relatively high levels of Google PageRank. While perhaps not the most important factor in the authority rank status, it is a good indicator of that possible position. That PageRank level requires an abundance of powerful inbound links from related themed sites.
Also important for potential authority sites are links from the most important internet directories, including the Open Directory Project (DMOZ), the Yahoo! Directory, and the Google Directory. In fact, any good quality human edited directory will help enhance a possible authority site.
To get to the authority site realm, your site needs incoming links. Let’s examine that PageRank issue for authority sites.
Next: Going for Google PageRank >>
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