Are You Respecting Your Own Authority?

You can get site authority for your business over time with back links, but until you’re respecting your own authority, page rank will never put you in a position to influence your market in a positive or lucrative way.

Words are funny like that.

When we talk about “authority” in the online business world, we’re generally referring to the power of your company’s online popularity.

In this case, it’s good to have an abundance of back links, because the more sites that point back to yours, the better chance you have of people taking you seriously.

But then what?

I mean, getting clicks and visitors to your site is all well and good, but then you have to deliver, right?

There has to be something there if your alleged popularity is going to pay off.

Having authority then, has to mean more than just getting an abundance of back links.

Real authority means respect, not because of some strategic maneuvering in link building, but for the message people get and what you stand for when they visit your site.

Let’s think about this for a minute . . .

When my children were growing up, I used to tell them:

“There are two authorities in your life, an outside authority and an inside one. If you’re respecting your own authority, or the inside one enough to do the right thing, the outside one won’t have any power over you.”

Of course I’d always say this after one of them got caught doing something wrong, and they were trying to lie their way out of the punishment that came with the crime.

Time outs are never pleasant when you have places to go and things to do.

But you see, what I was really teaching them was, if you have enough personal integrity to not allow yourself to do or say anything that would call your motives into question, you can have the freedom to do just about anything your heart desires, because what’s reasonable will be built in and part of who you are.

After all, the fear of getting caught is not what most people would call integrity building, nor is doing things so not to get caught a sign you’re respecting your own authority.

You’re merely trying to manipulate the rules set by an outside authority.

This is why I’ve always been cautionary about listening to people who build their businesses on loopholes.

Anyway, the point is, real authority comes when what you teach, promote, or advocate is both factual and beneficial for those effected by it.

And it’s governed by respecting your own authority, not by Google Slaps, or ClickBank crackdowns on phony time limit products, or by anything an outside authority might catch you doing.

It’s about your word, your integrity, and having enough respect for yourself and others to never put yourself in a position where you or they will suffer the consequences of your actions or advice.

So sure, go ahead and build your site’s authority with back links, but remember, being seen as an authority starts with respecting your own authority first.

Thus if you want your plethora of back links to really mean authority for your business, then understand it’s the people who can honestly say about you, “he’s never steered me wrong” that’ll get you the right kind.

Respect and Prosper!

Related Reading:

Why Authority Matters More Than Ever