Web Authority: How to Get It, Keep It and Advance It
One certain way that you can make a name for yourself online is to provide content that is easily readable, digestible, enjoyable and worth sharing. The most successful content producers are those individuals that consistently provide stellar work day in and day out.
Providing top notch content results in a few things including the ability to attract advertisers that respect your site as well as to grow an audience that will buy your products or patronize your services. Few of us can write for free, but that is what we do when we start out. The money comes later, but only if you have the web authority to back it up. No credibility means no money.
What’s your recipe for great content?
Web Authority:
Let’s start from the beginning before we delve into this matter further. Web authority is something you earn, a very public reward that is evident through the number of visits to your website, visitor interaction and a general acceptance by others of your expertise. You not only write about your niche, you are a niche specialist.
Knowledge, however, is acquired over time and it is something you cull from others and share. Your ability to help others will also draw people to your site, quickly enabling you to gain a reputation as someone who is helpful, kind and approachable. Thus, it is both your personal skills and attributes that help you obtain web authority.
News Gatherers:
To be an authority in your niche, there are certain traits that you must possess. This means being up to date on your industry’s news and informed about what trends are currently driving your industry.
So-called experts are those people that can be called upon to offer an opinion about their industry and provide that information to their readers with knowledge and through the use of every day language. You don’t just interpret the news, you also make the connection between what is happening today and the trends of tomorrow. You may not be a seer, but you clearly see what is coming down the pike, even if others do not.
Research Mavens:
No person can claim to be a web authority without completing the research required. A certain rigor paralleling the steps academic researchers accomplish must be evident in your work. You not only share the story, but you give your readers the who, what, when, where, why and how that formed the story.
This means taking the time to assemble data, interview sources and create fresh information not found elsewhere. You do not just cite key authorities, you become one of those authorities through the work that you do.
General Dissemination:
People that possess web authority understand that the news that they share must be conveyed in a way that the majority of their readers can grasp. While you may use academic measurements to cull, acquire and build your work, the vast majority of your audience is looking for something that is easily digestible. And this is where you both keep and advance your web authority.
Following the assemblage of your research, you will want to take what you learned and build an outline that takes the story from beginning to end. Your title or headline is critically important, with a rough title used to guide you. You can refine your title once your work is done.
In your outline, you need to start off with a strong lede, or what Merriam-Webster defines as “…the introductory section of a news story that is intended to entice the reader to read the full story.” Master this section and the rest will flow naturally. Expect to make three or four key points in the body of your article and sum it up with a clear, concise conclusion that will be evident to all.
Always write for a middle school English speaking audience. Studies have shown that the majority of non-English speaking people that visit websites can grasp most of what you have to say if you avoid technical jargon and high-end prose. This type of writing style will enhance your web authority as people around the world will realize that you have their needs in mind too.
Advancing Authority:
Beyond what you do on your website yourself, there are other ways to advance your authority and build your credibility. Writing a series of articles will bring your readers back for more. Providing an Ebook or manual that you publish and sell elsewhere can also enhance your position.
Invite other respected people in your industry to contribute to your website and offer your services to them as well. Your quest is to penetrate your industry by going in deeper, wider and more thoroughly then what you might have started out to do.
Once your draft is done, go through your article and become your worst critic. Few of us can afford the services of an editor, thus we must put on the editor hat ourselves and get to work. Make certain that your article contains no spelling or grammar mistakes. It should also flow naturally from point to point and each point must be clear, concise and informative.
Work on your title to create something that is memorable, but not too long. Your copy should be keyword optimized and subsection headings must be included. Read through your article several times to make certain that each point you want to advance is described in detail. Lastly, acquire the related pictures and choose your captions wisely.
Of course, there is always a chance that you will write 800 words and say nothing. That is why research is important and why drawing in interesting and unique facts can help your readers. Remember, it is readers that you are writing for, not the search engines. Keep this in mind as you put the final touches on your web ready article and before you hit the publish button.
