Authority
Definition
Authority refers to the importance or influence a website/page has in relation to a given search query. Websites and pages seen as authoritative, trustworthy and relevant by search engines are more likely to rank higher in search results.
Authority Relevance For SEO
Authority is a core ranking factor for SEO. It signals to search engines that a website or page should be trusted to provide useful information for search queries it ranks for. Websites need to build authority to rank well organically and earn more traffic.There are x levels of authority in SEO:
- Topic Authority – Inferred from factual information, topical coverage, and context vectors within a website or domain
- Author Authority – How much of a subject matter expert the author is
- Domain Authority – Authority of the entire domain, affected by topic and author authority too
- Page Authority – Authority of individual pages, by the other 4 types of authority
- Link Authority – Authority passed through links pointing to a page/site
Building authority entails creating high-quality content, earning backlinks from reputable sites, and gaining trust signals like social shares and engagement. Authority builds up over time through consistent effort.
Authority Best Practices for SEO
To enhance your website’s authority, adhere to these best practices:
- Quality Content: Regularly publish high-quality, original content that provides value to your audience. This encourages organic backlinks, helping boost your website’s authority.
- Backlinks: Pursue quality backlinks from other reputable websites. The more high-quality sites linking back to you, the more authoritative your website appears.
- SEO Fundamentals: Ensure your website complies with basic SEO best practices, such as optimizing title tags, using relevant keywords, and ensuring fast page load times.
- Social Media: Establish a strong social media presence. This not only expands your reach but also attracts backlinks, driving your website’s authority up.
- Website Security: Ensure your website is secure (HTTPS), as search engines consider website security when determining your authority.