What Is An Authority Website?

Chances are, you’ve got a website.  If not, you’re thinking about it, right?  I mean, if you’re wanting to become an online marketer, you’re going to want your own slice of internet real estate.  Something that you should be mindful of is building your website from a solid foundation.  Read more about our recommendation here.

Have you ever considered the term ‘authority’ as it might pertain to your website?  If not, it would be smart to learn a little about it.  What is an authority website anyway?  Thanks for asking!  Let’s chat about it!

Authority

If one definition of authority is, “the power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience”, what might it mean for a website to have authority?  Maybe you have landed on a website and thought, “Wow!  This is great information!  I need to share this with my friends”!  If you have, then you have been influenced by its author and thus, think of the content as helpful because the writer appeared very knowledgeable.

As you are likely thinking, the author of any website should know what he/she is talking about or promoting.  If your ultimate goal is to be a marketer, you’re going to want to know everything you can about your products, right?  Right.  How will you show your customers your knowledge?  Well, you’ll be able to write what you want your potential customers to know and understand.  In doing so, you’ll appear honest and trustworthy, hopefully closing a deal.  But how do you achieve a website with authority status?

Make Authority A Priority

After doing some research and studying other successful online marketers, I’ve come up with a list of a few things you can do to work towards making your website one that has authority.  If you take the following things into consideration and put them into action, there’s no doubt that your website will become one with great authority!

 

• Target Your Audience – Before you begin your website, if you have not already, you should keep in mind your audience.  In other words, who are you hoping will land on your site?  Once you narrow down your target audience, you’ll be able to cater better to their needs.  If you put yourself in their shoes and think about what content or products would appeal to them, you’ll already be ahead of the curve.  You can begin to tailor your research and content to fit the bill of your audience!

 

• Build A Website That Makes Your Audience Happy – Once you have your audience narrowed, what’s going to keep them coming back to your website?  Think about things that would make you return to a website.  Ask yourself some questions.  Will my story resonate with them?  Do I appear trustworthy and am I providing tips and tricks to help others?  Are others going to want to come back to read my next article?  If not, what kinds of things can I do to gain the attention of others?  Will they want to share my website with their friends?

 

• Create Quality Content – It will be your content that keeps your readers both interested and coming back to read and see what you’re up to next.  If you write in such a way that is engaging and attention-grabbing, you may have a customer for life!  However, there is a flip side.  If your content is vague, boring, or drawn-out, your reader may only stay interested for a few minutes (if you’re lucky).  Just remember that it’s important to put yourself in the shoes of your potential reader.  What’s going to keep them returning to your work?

 

• Focus On Your Traffic Sources – I’ve noticed that many people differ in opinion regarding the number of traffic sources to focus on.  Of course, it would be wonderful if your site’s visitors spread the love and shared your content with friends or family!  Also, you should take search engine optimization (SEO) into account.  If you can get your content indexed and ranked in search engines, you’ll get more visitors to your website.  Also, don’t be afraid to share your content on social media platforms.  The best part about social media is you’re allowed to pin, share, tweet, post, etc. for free.  Take advantage of all your options when it comes to gaining traffic.  You want to diversify.  Without people finding your content, you’ll end up with very few visitors.

 

• Link To Other Websites – Search engines like it when you link to both internal and external websites or content.  For example, you should, when possible, link to the content you’ve already written.  Also, it’s great to link to other content that you haven’t written.  This only helps your reader and allows him/her to explore further if they have a desire to learn more!

 

• Make It Better – Your website will grow if you continue to ‘feed and water’ it.  You will definitely want to think about adding relevant content on a regular basis.  Search engines (and your followers) will love that.  Something others forget is that it’s also a good idea to go back to older posts and make them better.  As you continue to learn how to build an authority website, you will find many ways to make old content ‘new’ again!  Don’t forget about this piece; it will increase the value of your website.

Step Out Of That Box

Most people have never heard of your website unless you’ve shared it directly with them.  Therefore, most people will find your website from a search engine.  This is why it’s important to learn about SEO and diversify your traffic sources.  Once you begin creating content that is helpful to others, the traffic will come.  At the end of the day, you want your website to be the best source of knowledge about the topic being researched.  When you have people coming to your website on a regular basis, you will undoubtedly grow your presence and authority online.  When you’re comfortable writing and promoting content related to your niche, you’ll be able to figure out the best way to monetize your efforts as well!  It’s a win-win for everyone!  Now then, get your plan in place, put it into action, and make your website one with plenty of authority!  Best wishes to you as you move forward!

 

Until Next Time!
~Heidi