Article Discussion: Building a Hub Site: Thinking About Linking

With Google providing every indication that hub sites will be given special consideration in the search engine rankings, it makes good sense to consider turning your site into a hub. To start on the road to constructing a hub, it’s best to start thinking in terms of linking.


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Every indication? Where, please?

Good directories are always hub sites. For directories, links is the content.

I wouldn't recommend most of webmasters to trun their sites into hubs. There're many ways to get your sites ranked well in search egines.

While I'd also recommend adding a hub element to a site, a directory format is by no means necessary.
In fact, with the rise of directory-type links pages, I'd probably avoid it.

"To achieve that goal, a website owner must provide high quality content that is both interesting and informative to attract unsolicited inbound links." Plus I want a visitor to bookmark and comeback. Good Article I was thinking of experimenting with hub site and this convinced me,

Besides google search I am brainstorming other sources of authority sites - dmoz, google groups, blog directories, yahoo groups, ... any other generic suggestions?

That's the key right there.

A "HUB" works not without the "something" to capture the unsolicited.

Whether that is merely a repository of "just links" with describers... or merely a repository of "just describers" with links going elsewhere.

"A "HUB" works not without the "something" to capture the unsolicited." Thanks, the "key" when right over me head.
Let us see. It is a double negative also.

The hub works with something to capture the unsolicited.. Hmm I am thinking for a commercial site post a link to your competitor even if they serp higher than you. Good for the searcher. I am a getting closer?

- Dan

Ps fathom sharp looking sites in your sig.

Well - yes -- I guess. But I wouldn't stop with a single competitor - "but all" e.g. why competitors don't mind a listing beside all their competitors in DMOZ - because they are all there. Forgetting all the secondary value you get for search engines - people go there to find sites that match their interests.

Good points.

Say are you this fathom?

Might want to check this out:

http://www.seo-guy.com/forum/showthread.php?p=22024

( I am to lazy to read the rules in links to other forums, if I am bad let me know)

My question is... how can we capture the principles of hub sites and use them more effectively in sites that sell goods or services?

I think this is more of a perception barrier than anthing else.

Each websire owner (selling) tends to focus all efforts on "my products", "my visitors", "my sales", my, my, my... when in fact you actually have far less control than we care to let on.

We truly have no idea, if someone buys because they found the best match or merely settling for "that's all they could find"...

Turn your sole proprietary virtual store into offerings above you & below (this could be quality & price, or added value buying by tying complemetary vendor products and profit sharing.

By virtual of the fact (you don't carry) and the need to go elsewhere -- now makes your website into a "shared mall" or in other words - a hub.

The synergy of many out-performs the sum of individual all.

Thanks fathom,

I am trying to understand how I can do this and directly make money or gain advantage from it...

1) Sell a little advertising to another site owner in a closely related field

2) Trade links with him if he doesn't want to buy ad space

3) (I am guessing that this one will not pass muster.. but) linking to a few affiliate programs that sell related products

4) link to "how to do it" articles that might inspire my visitor to buy

From an SEO perspective that sees a niche industry segment which is less competitive (this is harder to do if that happens to be your industry segment and you have a internal motive and an authority, possibly bias position).

1. pick numerous vendors deep in results.

2. propose a coopetitive strategy (best with 4 or more vendors)

3. arrange websites so prominent product categories are different for each website (all have a prominent unique selling proposition not available on others [this doesn't mean not selling same products] - but more to what "different" products
get most visibility.

4. cross promotion each prominent websites areas directly, and indirectly via other content management systems

5. diverse each website with content management systems: one with a forum (for all members), one with a blog (for all me