Authority Sites: Getting the Necessary PageRank - Adding to the Link Power
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Authority sites require links for both PageRank and as link popularity for high search engine rankings. Links are the reason for PageRank, which depends on links for its value. Perhaps more than anything else, authority sites require themed incoming links, although all inbound links are helpful.
Like the related hub sites, which are identified from their heavy use of outgoing links to theme-related sites, authority sites must link out to other important sites as well. Authority site owners must be careful to maintain a high ratio of inbound to outbound links, favoring the former, of course.
Some additional incoming links from high PageRank sources might be purchased. While I don’t usually advocate the buying of links, sometimes it has a place for some websites. Each case should be examined individually for the usefulness of purchased links.
Authority sites should be submitted to all of the major and secondary internet directories. The most important directory links, especially the human selected ones, carry tremendous weight with Google. Along with submitting to DMOZ, website owners on their way to authority status should also consider submissions to the important secondary human edited directories. These include JoeAnt, Gimpsy, Skaffe, Zeal/Looksmart, and GoGuides.
Being included in DMOZ is a very important step towards becoming an authority. The recognition, by that most important directory, may even be part of the calculation as to which sites achieve authority status. Paying the $299.00 inclusion fee for the Yahoo! Directory might also be worthwhile strictly for the PageRank enhancement alone.
Added incoming links from charity sites and even from government agencies are especially powerful in terms of the Google algorithm. Displaying high PageRanks and often being authorities in their own right charities provide very desirable links. You may have to trade some volunteer work or a service for the link, but it’s well worth it for the authority site enhancement.
Potential authority site owners should never be afraid to link out to important and theme related government and charity sites either. As an authority linking out to other authority sites can also add the attributes of a hub site to your website. As you are probably aware, the main quality of a hub site is its high number of outgoing links to related theme websites. A site can be both a hub and an authority, or it can be either one. They are not mutually exclusive.
Authority site aspirants should seriously consider link exchanges with competitor sites. While that concept appears on the surface, to be counterintuitive, it’s not. A site that has links to and from, all of the major sites in the theme topic, will be seen as important for that reason alone. If a site were not important, it would not have inbound links from the leading sites in its industry. This is one area where linking to a direct competitor might provide some real value.
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