Over the last two years Google has been making a shift in their algorithm where they are now emphasizing "Authority" web sites. What I mean by "Authority" is that the web site is given "Authority" from other web sites and from Google itself.

"Authority" is gained through the following items:

· Content

· Links

· Web 2.0

Content - Google loves lots of good fresh content. Your web site needs to have lots of good relevant content targeted towards the keywords you are optimizing for. You need to be adding new content on a regular basis so your content is changing and not growing stale. With lots of good fresh relevant content, Google will see your web site as a resource for the keywords you are optimizing for and give your web site "Authority" over web sites that do not have a lot of targeted content, or no new content has been added or their content is growing old because it hasn't been updated in months.

Links - Google looks at the number of links pointed at your web site, to what pages they point to, and for what anchor text is being targeted in those links. In-bound links that are one-way (to you only - not reciprocal) give your web site "Authority". Google sees these one-way in-bound links as votes that your content is good enough for another web site to link to you.

Link exchanges will not give you the value you need to gain "Authority" from Google. It is the same as exchanging votes for each other, however, there can be value if the web site you exchange with has more "Authority" than you. The link (a major endorsement if it comes from a highly ranked web site) to you will transfer some of the "Authority" of the more important web site to you.
The number and quality of one-way in-bound links to you is one of the most important factors in getting your web pages to rank higher.

When optimizing web pages for specific keywords, you will need anchor text links pointing to you using those same keywords you have optimized for. An example of anchor text would be "training Golden Retrievers" for a web page you have created about, you guessed it, training Golden Retrievers.

Web 2.0 - Who doesn't know about the Web 2.0 explosion. Web 2.0 is all about video, social networking web sites (My Space, Facebook, etc), blogging and social bookmarking web sites ( del.icio.us, Furl, Stumbleupon, Digg, etc). Google loves new cutting edge technology and they love video and social networking web sites, hey, remember they bought You Tube for a few $billion!!

Creating video and using social networking , blog sites and bookmarking web sites is the newest way to leverage the "Authority" Google has given these types of web sites. If your content can be found on these types of web sites, your content will be given more "Authority" than the same type of content that cannot be found on web 2.0 web sites.

Consider these three points and determine if you are doing everything you can to rank higher in Google. Remember "Authority" is the key for SEO for Google.

To living your dreams,

Chuck Yockey