With all the Panda filters being applied by Google and all the penalties being imposed by algorithm updates like the “Penguin” update, it’s easy to see website rankings disappear virtually overnight when you build anything other than authority websites. Authority websites tend to be able to take a licking and keep on ticking, so to speak, and I recommend that you build every site to be an authority website. Starting with this article, I’m going to let you follow along as I turn a “nothing” website into an authority website.
Slow and Steady
First of all, I’m going to be using rtcx.net as my model. It’s merely a year old and I’ve done nothing but set up little more than a placeholder. The only links I’ve pointed to it are the terms “RT Cunningham”, “vanity domain” and “rtcx.net” and only from domains I either control or administer for someone else. Most are footer links like the one at the bottom of this website.
That domain name is a perfect candidate for this procedure. It doesn’t have a ton of backlinks pointing to it and it doesn’t have more than two or three pages on it and it actually has a Google PageRank assigned to it.
The first step is using another, yet similar, theme and to build it as a website which includes a blog. I’ll probably get that done within a day or two. The second step is to add all the plugins that make life easier for me and I’ll get to that in the next article of this series.
A Project Site
Since I’m going to be using subdomains of the domain name of rtcx.net for various projects, it makes sense that I’ll be writing about those projects and anything that could possible relate to them.
I’ll be changing the heading (the “masthead”) a little and adjusting other things little by little as I go. It won’t be “ready to rock” until I’m able to publish my first article on it.
Some of the projects I’m working on need to be “protected” by SSL (https), so I’m going to be making changes to the “whois” information for the primary domain name because my own name isn’t on anything where I live (my wife’s name is on everything).
My Ultimate Goal
What I intend to do with this series of articles about building an authority website is to let anyone copy my methods as much as desired. If it works for me, it will work for anyone, because I’m just not that smart. I can almost guarantee it will work for me.
I plan to plaster it with advertising, but less obtrusive than the advertising on this website — no advertising within the content itself. My motives are not entirely altruistic, if you know what I mean.
Anyway, if you’re interested, take a gander at rtcx.net today (the date of this article). I won’t be messing with the theme until tomorrow (Philippines time or UTC + 8 hours). It’s intended to be a work in progress, so I’m going to take my time with it.
I’m still a newbie so I’m doing an intensive research just to understand everything and I’m glad I found your site on how to earn online. How many years would it take for a blog to reach a pr of 5 or even beyond than that? Thanks for sharing this one!
I’m amazed about your goals, it seems to be a miracle that you’ve reached a PR3 with this domain without any relevant content. Thanks for sharing your working process, your advices are very useful for all of us.
I was wondering if you would be coming out with a new series. I will enjoy reading it. Although, I believe we had tried to create an authority site, back in Oct or so Panda decided they didn’t like us as much anymore. We went from about 400 visits a day to 100 to 150.
Many of our internal pages are still ranking well, but the home page took a beating. Adsense dropped from about $1500/mo to $500.
So trying to think about how to get back in the good graces of Google and boosting alternative traffic sources. Have done some guest posts in our Niche and that has helped.
Anyway, I’ll be enjoying following along.
I’ve seen a lot of examples of people who are building authority type of sites to make money online. Just make sure it is around a specific niche of course and not about anything and everything.
But good luck my friend!
-Omar
I’ve learned from the school of hard knocks too, Rich! I’ve never once spent money on advertising and tried not to make my sites specifically COMMERCIAL. I just want to learn how to do it WELL, so I can host MINISTRY sites for free!
Turns out all my clients and users have preferred ULTRA SIMPLE so that they can access it with ease from every login type known to man. I host my own servers, including HTTP,FTP/SMTP/POP3 and can have MULTIPLE SITE NAMES recognized flawlessly off of ONE IP address. Maybe we could learn from each OTHER! I want my [hand typed/hand edited] BIBLE translations to get LOTS of use!
I have to totally agree with you. Authority is where it is at over the long haul and anything else is going to be problematic. Over the last 5 years I have had a half dozen sites get nailed by Google simply for lack of authority.
Another thing to consider is that search engine traffic is not the only form of traffic. Referral and direct traffic work very well especially if you have a quality site, product or service. It does take time to build up to that, but when you do you site is less at risk from being totally wiped out when Google wants to make changes.
Offer services and products that are useful and needed and don’t take shortcuts and you’ll be much better of in the long run with an Internet business.
Take your time and do it right the first time and after awhile a website or blog will bear fruit and throw off some nice cash flow.
Thanks for sharing this useful information, many will find this useful especially in earning money online. Thanks a lot, I learn a lot of things!