What Is Web Authority?

Web authority is a bit hard to put your finger on. There are MANY parts and pieces that make up web authority for your website. How long the domain has been registered, how long the site has been live, how well the site is put together (is it optimized properly?) all play a role. But there's a lot more to it than that.

A website gains web authority when it performs well - both in search results and user experience. But it performs better in search results when it has a higher level of web authority. Sounds like the cart is in front of the horse, huh? Or is it the other way around....?

Wouldn't it be nice if someone would just put an authority key on your keyboard to make it easy?

Well, there's no short cuts when it comes to online presence and web authority. It just takes good old fashioned work, time and patience. And maybe a little luck! So how does a small business owner get better web authority for their company website? Here's a few things that will help:

• There's no substitute for a clean, fast, well optimized website. All of the headings, descriptions, Schemas etc. need to be present and correct. The site absolutely must be optimized for mobile devices, too.
• Citations are important. A citation is a reference and link to your site in various online directories such as Google My Business, Bing, Hot Frog and Kudzu. There are literally hundreds of directories and sites to get your business listed on.
• Your business NAP - name, address and phone number - must be correct and consistent across the internet.
• Consider renewing your domain registration for a longer period  of time. It's possible Google places some value on a domain that is registered farther into the future.
• Try to get various organizations to link to your site. You can do this by joining the local Chamber of Commerce for the different cities that you serve. Trade organizations, networking groups, the Better Business Bureau and other local groups are all great choices.
• Backlinks are one of the most important - and hard to get - pieces for great web authority. The directory citations and local organizations listed above are a part of your backlink strategy. But you should also try to get more valuable backlinks from websites that already have a high web authority. For instance, maybe your company offers a specific niche product or service that few others in your industry offer. Create a page specifically about that product or service on your website then reach out to the larger companies in your industry asking for a backlink. You are basically offering their large customer base a solution to a problem that the larger company does not offer. This can be a real boost for your web authority.
• Blogging. Including a blog on your website can help, too. It gives you the opportunity to show that you're the expert in your field and to add fresh content on a regular basis - which Google loves! It can also be a great way to get valuable backilnks to your site by guest blogging on other sites. Sometimes folks will give you a backlink without your asking - first they have to find your post and then the content must be relevant.
• Patience. It takes awhile to raise your web authority. Don't pay for backlinks and don't try to cheat the system (black hat SEO). Goolge will catch you eventually and the price is too high to pay.
• Social shares/likes for pages and/or articles on your website serve as votes of confidence. Google will see your content as being useful and popular if it's being shared.

I hope this article helps you with your web authority and your overall online presence. And I hope that if you need help with web authority you'll consider WebsitesThatWork.biz as your online solution. Please share - Thanks!

John Goldshot

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