Google Authority Websites

[gregdavidson]

I was wondering if there was an easy way to tell whether a website is an authority site in Google. If you can get a backlink from an authority site that's in your niche, what does that do for your SEO?

[donmakavely]

From what i know an authority site is a site that is very well positioned for some important keywords. The links that are comming from this kind of sites are the most valuable inbound links (of course if they share the same niche)

[bobbylove321]

A good way to test out authority is to come up with 5 keywords for your niche market, and see the to 10 competitors in google (page 1). If the same websites appear over and over, then they are authority. Also, web 2.0 sites such as digg,scribd,quizilla,blogger,wordpress,youtube,etc. are high authority, since they appear on the first page.

If you get authority backlinks you can see your rank position soar to the top.

[gregdavidson]

A good way to test out authority is to come up with 5 keywords for your niche market, and see the to 10 competitors in google (page 1). If the same websites appear over and over, then they are authority. Also, web 2.0 sites such as digg,scribd,quizilla,blogger,wordpress,youtube,etc. are high authority, since they appear on the first page.

If you get authority backlinks you can see your rank position soar to the top.

What are the requirements for being an authority site? Is it traffic and the number of pages your website has? Or does the website have to be consider "very well-known"? If that's the case, then I would guess that Google would probably have to manually set what websites are considered authority websites.

[gregdavidson]

A good way to test out authority is to come up with 5 keywords for your niche market, and see the to 10 competitors in google (page 1). If the same websites appear over and over, then they are authority. Also, web 2.0 sites such as digg,scribd,quizilla,blogger,wordpress,youtube,etc. are high authority, since they appear on the first page.

If you get authority backlinks you can see your rank position soar to the top.

I think I figured out how to tell whether a website is authority or not. Simply search for a keyword and see if any websites come before the main search results that aren't sponsored. When you search for the word "videos", you can see all the authority websites appear above See results for: music videos. But when you search for the word "dogs", nothing appears above the main search results that isn't sponsored.

[FREE BET]

apart from top 3 ranks in numerous niche keywords, a good pagerank, link: comes back with related high ranking sites etc...

[forextrader007]

what is the meaning of authority website ?

[korr]

I don't think there's a specific definition for an "authority" website but this phenomenon is probably related to the pagerank of the domain in question. Google ranks pagerank into four categories in the webmaster tools:

Not ranked - PR 0
Low - PR1 - PR4
Medium - PR5 - PR7
High - PR8 - PR10

Obviously, if you get some well positioned links on a Medium or High PR website you can get your own domain up there too. The more Google relies on brands it seems like the more frontpage PR matters for ranking of all sorts of keywords. Kind of like how Wikipedia and Youtube can rank for just about any keyword/phrase you can imagine.

[SandisV]

Good indicator is also the site links.

[magda]

I think I figured out how to tell whether a website is authority or not. Simply search for a keyword and see if any websites come before the main search results that aren't sponsored. When you search for the word "videos", you can see all the authority websites appear above See results for: music videos. But when you search for the word "dogs", nothing appears above the main search results that isn't sponsored.

That's because of the way the top sponsored slot is calculated - nothing to do with 'authority sites', which, as korr pointed out, isn't a fixed specific definition.
To get the top slot above the search results in adwords the ad has to pass a high 'quality score' threshold, and you are less likely to get that for a vague word like 'dogs'

[Shellerz]

PR can be a good indicator - you wont see many trashy sites of PR7+

also look for .edu, in USA or .gov and .ac.uk domains in the UK

[Strsinthesky]

Most google authority sites are over pr 6 and 7 anyways

[Santino6]

can a blog be an authority website?

[gregdavidson]

PR can be a good indicator - you wont see many trashy sites of PR7+

also look for .edu, in USA or .gov and .ac.uk domains in the UK

I don't know if PR has anything to do with it. That would mean that ANY website that "cheats" by buying high PR backlinks could be an authority website.

[ciplseo]

Most Google ability sites are greater than page rank 6 moreover 7 whichever method.

[coloriteman]

PageRank is a best indication of authority of a site .

[coolbudy]

hey
what is the means of authority website ?

[genuineseo]

hey
what is the means of authority website ?

A measure of the quality a given site, gauged by some combination of size, importance, relevance.

[scubita]

I had some sites that while searching for major keywords they appear as #1 and with 4-6 links bellow. Isn't this authority? They give one site the authority for that particular keyword(s)? :confused:

[Lexiseek]

I had some sites that while searching for major keywords they appear as #1 and with 4-6 links bellow. Isn't this authority? They give one site the authority for that particular keyword(s)? :confused:

Nope. Those are called "sitelinks" and are not associated with "authority" anywhere in Google literature.

[scubita]

Nope. Those are called "sitelinks" and are not associated with "authority" anywhere in Google literature.

Not talking about searching for my sites. Was referring to regular searches, and site appears always as #1:

blue bananas
blue bananas with fruit
blue bananas and lemon
etc etc

Always thought that was authority for a given keyword(s) :confused:

[Lexiseek]

Not talking about searching for my sites. Was referring to regular searches, and site appears always as #1:

blue bananas
blue bananas with fruit
blue bananas and lemon
etc etc

Always thought that was authority for a given keyword(s) :confused:

I got what you were saying. At best that would mean you were "authoritative" for a term. The concept of "Authority websites" is much different and was outlined in two patents (One from Yahoo and one from Google).

The sitelinks deal has been played up by link sellers. Many websites have sitelinks for their name. That means they're authoritative for their name. However, that "authority" is very topical and short-lived and won't pass to other pages or sites.

True authority sites can rank for basically any term.

[scubita]

I got what you were saying. At best that would mean you were "authoritative" for a term. The concept of "Authority websites" is much different and was outlined in two patents (One from Yahoo and one from Google).

The sitelinks deal has been played up by link sellers. Many websites have sitelinks for their name. That means they're authoritative for their name. However, that "authority" is very topical and short-lived and won't pass to other pages or sites.

True authority sites can rank for basically any term.

Good explanation, great info. Thanks for feedback :)

[wptheme]

PageRank is a best indication of authority of a site .

Not really. A PR3 can be "authority site"
Have a good content site, rank first for your keyword. A DMOZ,Google dir listed sites then to have site links or authority sites as you mention:)

Oh yeah, Youtube has a search button. Thats because they are a Google site network.

[delphi]

perhaps not a subject but also how to get pagerank 7

[jhnrang]

Previously many considered - sites with sitelinks were authority sites. Only select few websites had them. Example --

http://img34.picoodle.com/img/img34/3/12/10/f_sitelinksm_933638f.jpg (http://www.picoodle.com/view.php?img=/3/12/10/f_sitelinksm_933638f.jpg&srv=img34)

But since Google has lowered the bar for getting sitelinks - and now many sites have them. Still there is a way to find authority sites -- Check the Screen Shot -
http://img249.imageshack.us/img249/6507/authkb1.jpg (http://www.imagehosting.com/)

There is the difference --

While both sites have site-links - the second site is so large and so powerful that - Google is offering extra SEARCH option for the second one.

You may check any site you think should be of authority - and you will get it.

Or you may check - NASA/Whitehouse/or any big University site. Or also in my case - I checked a shopping catalog that ranks almost for any online shopping term.

So these days -- sites with Google search options should be authority.:cool:

[lakelandprinting]

Not ranked - PR 0
Low - PR1 - PR4
Medium - PR5 - PR7
High - PR8 - PR10

That formula is so last year. One of my websites is only a PR2 and it gets 400% more visitors than it did when it was a PR 5 last year. It also has sitelinks for several phrases that has nothing to do with my company name. Pagerank really has nothing to do with authority of sitelinks. In my opinion, a PR 2 could be considered an "authority" site if there isn't much competition. The word "authority site" is much debated anyway. We all speculate what it could mean, but we don't know for sure.

[flatroxs]

its not necessary all authority site having good ranking, authority site means the old website which got a good trust and well established on search engine. so its give authority to show internal link by name