How to Get Web Traffic with Authority

Michael Bergbauer - October 24, 2011

Nearly every large and successful company employs a number of SEO initiatives to stay successful. However, in many cases they can get a large number of conversions simply because of their brand name. On a deeper level, this is symbolic of the fact that these companies have authority – they are leaders in their industry.

You can do a lot to establish trust and authority for your business through the right kind of engagement on almost any social media site. LinkedIn, in particular, is a stellar example that often gets overlooked. Many professionals view the site as a way to keep tabs on their colleagues, but it is probably the best website you can use to increase your clout and authority in your given field.

Obviously, one of the best ways to establish yourself and your business as an authority is to answer the pressing questions in your industry. LinkedIn has the perfect venue for this with their Answers page. On Answers, members can post questions related to any given field of expertise. When you answer a question, your answer may be selected as a “Best Answer,” which is noted on your profile. By consistently answering questions related to your field, you can quickly build authority in your field among your target demographic.

In addition to Answers, you should also be interacting with your profile page by posting relevant company updates. If you author any blogs or press releases for your company, post them to your profile to get them to spread around. If you write prolifically enough on behalf of your industry, you may be able to become a Source on LinkedIn. If LinkedIn selects you to be a source, your writing will appear in LinkedIn Today – which has the potential to vastly multiply your traffic. If you’re interested in being a source, you must contact LinkedIn.

These efforts to build authority require a significant time investment on your part, so they may not be a fit for every company. However, the payoff can be significant.