Reading List: Popularity vs Authority

If you’ve ever spent a brief moment wondering how Google actually works, the likelihood is that you’d find something of interest on the Google Webmasters YouTube channel.

Of course Google never give too much away. Still, it’s fascinating to gain an insight into the “information and tools” that have become such an embedded part of our daily search-driven lives.

One question that we have considered recently is answered rather succinctly in this Google Webmasters video by Matt Cutts. How do you separate popularity from authority?

Online, particularly in the social sphere, it can seem as though shares, likes and followers are the ultimate measure of success. This sort of popularity, however, doesn’t necessarily denote genuine authority. Perhaps it’s time that, like Google, we begin to think a little more carefully about true authority. Enjoy the video:

As Google continues to add social signals to the algorithm, how do you separate simple popularity from true authority? Blind Five Year Old, SF, CA Have a question? Ask it in our Webmaster Help Forum: http://groups.google.com/a/googleproductforums.com/forum/#!forum/webmasters More videos: http://www.youtube.com/GoogleWebmasterHelp Webmaster Central Blog: http://googlewebmastercentral.blogspot.com/ Webmaster Central: http://www.google.com/webmasters/

Reading List is a new kind of post for our Effective Business Communication blog. Each week, we’ll point to an article, video or graphic that has taken our interest. The posts that made us stop scrolling and listen. We’d love to hear what you think in the comments below.