image courtesy of http://www.thestandard.org.nz
There may be some of you out there that are just getting into blogging and all things interweb…oh sorry…I’m being told it’s pronounced internet. You may wonder why you just type and type away on your blog, but never seem to see any comments other than those from your spouse and your mother. This is likely because your site simply wouldn’t rank on Google for any searches related to your blog (or you have really bad content, but I’ll posit that if you know to read ComLuv you have some good stuff already). All the answers to getting up on the almighty Google are found in two words….Domain Authority. I know a lot of you know what this is already, but to spare the noobs embarrassment….read on.
Domain authority is essentially a number that tells us how many totally rad web pages link to your domain and in what way and where those totally rad web pages link to your domain. Now I bet you’re thinking, “Hey, I’m awesome at Parcheesi and totally think of myself as an authority on the subject!” Well, that’s great and all, but that’s not going to get you ranked. While there isn’t enough room here for me to tell you everything about how to boost your domain authority, I’ll try to give you the highlights to get you on your way.
Link (not the Hylian boy from Hyrule [bonus points if you get that])
As I mentioned previously, authority is built by links. If you can get a link on a site with a higher authority than your own, a bit of that authority is going to rub off on you. This can be done in a myriad of ways from commenting on blogs to forum posting to bio links on guest blogs (ok you caught me…you can see mine above). This doesn’t mean that you can just go find a site that just takes links and put on a million of yours to make your site rank up there with the cool kids (Google will catch you and doesn’t really smile upon it). In other words, use some discretion. You want people to link to your site, but at the same time you don’t want to be annoying because ultimately you want the traffic to stay on your site once it gets there.
Relevancy, Relevancy, Relevancy, Penguin!
You’re right…a penguin has nothing to do with this (sorry Linux users), but it is incredibly important for you to link to things that matter to people. This brings us to your content. You must create content that is worthy of the ranking. Google can/will catch this as well. Whether your site is a blog or a run-of-the-mill website, you need to say something that people want to hear. As in real life, you can’t walk into a room and say, “Hi, I have authority.” You must provide reason. You must prove yourself worthy of that authority. The internet is not a dictatorship. Sites must prove themselves to their users to gain their trust and in turn authority to tell them things. So in short, write what you know and a lot of it. Show that you deserve to be listened to, and folks will pick up on that over time and potentially provide you with those all-important links.
Patience…it’s a virtue online as well
Now, this entry is not the “how-to” manual for getting a higher domain authority for your site, but hopefully it’s piqued your interest a little bit. If you’re really interested in gaining more traffic and want to make some more money, do some searching and reading online to delve deeper into things like link building, quality content, and the time that it takes to become influential. I wish you all good luck in your blogging endeavors, and I hope that helped clear some of the fog on domain authority for you (while providing a few charming laughs along the way).
Ok, now get back to that website of yours and get to work!
Twitter: tospider
says:
Getting back links from top ranking site is very important and above all you must write good content to retain visitors.Jesse,your writing style is very nice
Torry recently posted..Ten Tips to the Top of the Search Engines
I do know link the one from hyrule that is. Long live legend of zelda. Seriously good post. Becoming a authority site is a long process with a lot of work involved. A quality site with good informative posts will pay off and get you on your way. Stick to original content and what your readers appreciate.
Ray recently posted..Dolphin 7 Cache Tweaks
Twitter: tekkaus
says:
It is really harder to become and authority blogs compared to a what the pioneers did a few years ago. :/ Writing good content is one thing, getting good backlinks is another thing. Both must come in tandem right? I agreed with you that being patient is important and we must preserve. Nothing worthwhile comes easily.
tekkaus recently posted..New 2011 Perodua Myvi This 16th of June
You are absolutely correct!!! Great job in droppin’ the scince bro’
In my experience it is far more easy to teach a person as it relates to staying relevant. tell them, whoever is willing to listen, about your experience concerning their subject in question and if you don’t know then learn it. We’re in the information age, their are alot of qualified persons like the owner of this particuler blog, myself and others who will teach you. Relevance is how you get to a person heart and if you can get their then you are the one eye king in a land of blind persons.
Twitter: bodynsoil
says:
Link was my hero and I ruled at that game.. ahem… anyhew..
Great article with loads of information, bookmarked so that I can get back here after reading what “Google wants” from my blogsite.
Patience smatience.. I want my ranking
bodynsoil recently posted..How To- Your Home Drip Water Irrigation System