Link Building for Hilltop

Hilltop is one of the major concepts underpinning Google's search algorithm, yet its workings and implications are often misunderstood.

After the infamous Florida Update, many webmasters were aghast as their rankings plummeted; and again, when the mysterious "sandbox" was implemented, some webmasters could not get a Web site to rank well, period.

Part of the reason that some Web sites get shuffled out of the SERPs when new algorithmic features are implemented is that those sites never gained authority in the eyes of the search engines--that is, they were not sufficiently meshed into their local topical communities.

This concept of authority was one pioneered in a paper titled "Hilltop: A Search Engine based on Expert Documents," written by Krishna Bharat and George A. Mihaila. The full text is available online at http://www.cs.toronto.edu/~georgem/hilltop/.

(Note: Google has obviously not implemented Hilltop in its pure form, but rather uses the principles of topical communities and authority in its algorithm. Likewise, other search engines such as MSN and Yahoo! are not using Hilltop per se, but rather similar algorithmic features. Thus when I mention 'Hilltop' I am referring to not just the specific paper published by Bharat and Mihaila, but also to the fundamental theory upon which any authority-based link popularity algorithm is based. This theory applies to Topic-Sensitive PageRank, etc.)

The Basics of Hilltop

Google's PageRank formula revolutionized search, but it has a major flaw: it gives each page an absolute measure of importance. Recognizing that a page's importance should be interpreted in light of a given query topic, the Hilltop formula uses the link structure of the topical community related to the query topic when determining relevance.

For a given topic query, some pages are considered to be "expert documents," and others are "authorities." A page is an expert document if it "is about a certain topic and has links to many non-affiliated pages on that topic" (this type of page is also sometimes called a hub). A page is an authority "if and only if some of the best experts on the query topic point to it." To summarize: hubs link to authorities; authorities are linked to by hubs.

The Challenge for New Web Sites

The nature of the World Wide Web dictates that it will take time for a new Web site to get links from within its topical community. Many hubs such as resource lists or niche directories are only updated periodically with new links. Still others are static pages that will never be changed.

Then there is the "human factor." It takes time for a Web site to be recognized as valuable, and for webmasters to trust it enough to link to it. Older authority sites and hubs also tend to link to other older authority sites, creating a sort of self-perpetuating authority set (Mike Grehan refers to this phenomenon in his article "Filthy Linking Rich," available online at http://www.e-marketing-news.co.uk/Oct04/RichLinking.html). This all adds up to the fact that it is very hard to make a new Web site an authority in the eyes of the search engine, which begs the question: How can a new Web site become entrenched in its topical neighborhood more quickly?

Break Into Your Topical Neighborhood

To make your Web site an authority, you should first seek to obtain links from topical hubs. Obvious hubs might include any niche directories or resource pages about your Web site's topic.

One way to find less obvious hubs is to do a backlink search on authority sites in your topical community. Finding authority sites is easy--they are the sites that rank highly for a search for that topic. Once you find an authority, search "link:http://www.theirsite.com." Go through the backlinks, and find pages that link out to multiple sites within your topic; a page that links out to multiple authority sites is probably considered a hub by a search engine.

Aside from hubs, it can be quite helpful to get links from the authority sites themselves. I have seen many Web sites get a significant boost after obtaining just one link from a top authority. It is implied that an authority site will link out less than will a hub, and therefore it is possible that these links are even more valuable in terms of rankings.

Obtaining links from quality hubs and authorities is easier said than done. One can however use certain methods to get links quickly. These methods include but are not limited to: offering to swap links; submitting a relevant, well-written press release; submitting a relevant, well-written article with your Web site's URL hyperlinked and embedded in the copy; offering to buy or rent a links; and, of course, writing a lot of great content (it will get noticed, sooner or later!).

Conclusion

Obtaining links from reputable sources within your Web site's topical community is necessary in order for that site to be ranked highly in today's search engine algorithms. Getting your Web site entrenched within its topical community would be a good idea anyway, even if search engines did not exist--which is a pretty good litmus test for a strong, long-term SEO method.

Andy Hagans is a search engine optimization consultant who specializes in link building and risk management.

Visit http://www.andyhagans.com for more information. See http://www.andyhagans.com/articles.php for an archive of Mr. Hagans' articles.

---

Link Building: To Link, or Not to Link, That is the Question

Lately, there have been a lot of heated discussions regarding... Read More

Companies Cash In on Your Search Engine Ignorance

This article will cause many companies to stir, but it's... Read More

London Bombings and Number Patterns

Firstly, let me say that I am sure all our... Read More

Seecrets on Website Promotion: Search Engine Wars ? a Different Perspective

The objective of all search engine providers is epitomized by... Read More

The Myth of Search Engine Submission

Contrary to what most people think, it is not necessary... Read More

Six Reasons Why Your Alexa Rating Is Still Important

1. Additional Exposure For Your Site.At the end of 2003,... Read More

Google Wireless - Search Away From Home

For so many web surfers, it's almost automatic to type... Read More

Complete Web-Site Optimization For Search Engines (Part 2)

Source code optimization.{title}...{/title}This tag is to be a winner. This... Read More

Link Building - The Waiting Game

Link building is a waiting game. Many clients have asked... Read More

Beyond Search Engines

Some webmasters report that search engines account for 75% or... Read More

Gaining Additional PageRank

Google is the major search engine webmasters have to deal... Read More

How to Avoid Getting OOPed On by Google?

Earlier this year, I was having trouble getting good search... Read More

Google Page Rank Is Dead - Part II

In part I - Google Page Rank Is Dead -... Read More

Valid HTML code is crucial to Search Engine Optimization

Why valid HTML code is crucial to your web site's... Read More

Keywords: The First Step To Recognition

Open Wordtracker [ http://www.wordtracker.com/ ] and you'll see... Read More

One Way Linking Campaigns II

There is a way to generate links with the content... Read More

Marketing Articles: Getting A Better Search Engine Rank For All Of Your Pages!

In one of my articles, I discussed how to market... Read More

Why Is SEO So Important To Your Site?

You have heard the phrase LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION. But wait,... Read More

Top Search Engine Ranks- The Only Secret You Need- Explained: Part 1

The top three search pages- the only place you'll be... Read More

The Small Screen SEO!

First of all, What is SEO? SEO stands for Search... Read More

Keyword Targeting Strategy In Your Site

Once the keywords have been decided for the site one... Read More

What is The Google Sandbox Effect?

In the age of fair competition you may find it... Read More

Googles Trap, DMOZs Nap, And Yahoo!s Crap

On November 16th, 2003, Google commenced an update (the Florida... Read More

The Long And Short Of It Is That These Two Sales Techniques Are The Same

With the Internet beginning to stand up and be counted... Read More

Meta Tags - An Important Part of Every Web Page

Meta tags are an absolute must from a search engine... Read More

The Google Sitemap For Idiots

I don't mind admitting that every time some new fangled... Read More

Search Engine Wars - Quality Searches Vs Quantity!

It is no secret that Google and Yahoo are on... Read More

Google Takes Care of Idiots Too

There's an old saying that goes, "God takes care of... Read More

Content Is King

Over the past few years, there have been many debates... Read More

Google Ban - How Not To Get Banned By Google!

Given that Google now provides over 75% of all Internet... Read More

The Reality of Search Engine Submissions

Over the last few months, search engine submissions have changed... Read More

How to Improve Your Search Engine Rankings

When people think of search engine optimization, they immediately think... Read More

Search Engine Marketing 101: What Search Engines See When They Visit Your Web Site

If you have a Web site, have you ever wondered... Read More