Google`s Trust Rank and Hilltop Algorithms - Google Hilltop Algorithm
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…we propose a novel ranking scheme for broad queries that places the most authoritative pages on the query topic at the top of the ranking. Our algorithm operates on a special index of "expert documents." These are a subset of the pages on the WWW identified as directories of links to non-affiliated sources on specific topics. Results are ranked based on the match between the query and relevant descriptive text for hyperlinks on expert pages pointing to a given result page…
Hilltop is another “old” algorithm implemented by Google. Big G realized there was a problem with PageRank, since link authority could be passed from any page, to any page, regardless of topical relevance, making websites which got links from completely irrelevant sources rank high in search results.
The benefit of Hilltop over raw PageRank (Google) is that it is topic sensitive - and is thus generally harder to manipulate than buying some random high power off topic link would be. – seobook.com
Hilltop supposedly fixed this issue, and now a high PR link from a flower website to an automotive website does not count as it used to. There may be some value passed, but it is not as much as getting high PR link from an “authoritative” automotive site.
Hilltop is similar to Trust Rank, but more automated. It relies on “expert” documents and links from those documents, assuming:
X links to Y and Y links to Z, then X and Z are related.
The Hilltop paper also states that <titles> and <h-tags> are highly important, which is very true in everyday search engine optimization practice. Russ Jones in SEOmoz’s Search Engine Ranking Factors called the <title> tag:
the most powerful HTML tag you have at your disposal
Optimizing for Google Hilltop
Optimizing for Hilltop requires you to spot “expert documents” and essentially get links from those documents. There is nothing new here; it's Link Building 101. Shoot for the most editorial links you can get from the most authoritative websites.
Spotting an authoritative website
The easiest way to spot an authoritative site is to look for a site in search results with an authoritative listing that includes “sitelinks.”
Site links (image example) are links below the first search result. Some websites have reached a high authority status and rank for generic terms with sitelinks. For the most part, sitelinks are shown for brand searches like “seo chat,” but once a site is shown with sitelinks for a generic term like “seo,” that website is a highly trusted authority on that topic.
Getting a link from there is worth gold.
Also look at the back link profile of the site you consider to be an “authority.” You may find the root hubs that link to the site in question are even more authoritative. Use Yahoo Site Explorer to explore backlinks, since Google dupes results for the “link:” command as anti-SEO measure.
Next: Conclusion >>
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