In our “Four Pillars of SEO” series we have been covering the main concepts used by search engines to decide how to rank websites in organic search. The first pillar was about relevance, and we also looked at how keywords affect relevance. The second pillar was about crawlability and making sure search engines can easily understand the content on your website. The third pillar was about user engagement and making sure people who come to your site interact with the content you have.
Today we will review the importance of Authority when it relates to SEO and your website.
Authority Tip #1: Links from Credible Sources
How search engines look to help them rank websites is similar to how credibility is granted in our everyday networks. For us, if someone we trust tells us someone they know is an expert in a skill, we will tend to trust that person is an expert of that skill as well. Search engines work similarly. If a site that the search engine trusts links to your site, you will be deemed more credible.
For example, your business may have been covered in a local news article. If the news article links to your website, this is a great win for SEO. The search engines trust the news agency as a credible source, so the link they give on their website will gain you credibility to your website.
Authority Tip #2: User Reviews
Another item search engines use to help them rank websites is by analyzing the user reviews that have been submitted to search engines (ex: Google My Business reviews). Google will use your Google My Business reviews to help understand how credible your business is compared to your competitors. If you are looking to increase your ranking for a local search, it’s especially important to pay attention to user reviews.
If you want more information about Simpler Site’s SEO services or are looking for help increasing your website’s authority, contact Simpler Site and we will be happy to discuss more.
References:
SEO Resource Book – 1
SEO Resource Book – 2
Google SEO Resource – 1
Google SEO Resource – 2
