First-Mover Advantage in Online Publishing
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Get a Head Start on your Competition
Google generally respects the "first-mover advantage". In fact, in its patent application for its search engine algorithm, Google states that the age of a Webpage can be used as a factor in determining ranking. In other words, all else being equal, an older Webpage is likely to get better ranking than a newer one.
This is why it's often futile to try to create a Webpage on a certain topic that addresses the exact same points in the same way as a Webpage that was published earlier. (But, of course, if the newer one has details that the older one lacks, then there is an opportunity for traffic)
How do you capture the first-mover advantage for your Hubs? Simple! Write great quality Hubs on topics that have little real estate on the web. In other words, topics that aren't covered well or at all.
So, how do you duplicate these Hubs' success?
- Do you know a specific topic that has only begun to be discussed or explored on currently-available Webpages?
- Do you know a specific topic that has an "impatience gap"-a specific topic that people are searching on for more information, but that people haven't published much on yet?
- Do you know a specific topic where people want to get more information (possibly visiting dozens of Webpages), but that there are only a handful of Webpages available?
Any of these scenarios would suggest topics that are ripe for an informative, engaging Hub on them now. These proactive Hub topics, in addition to timeless, evergreen topics, are great opportunities for lasting, high traffic from the search engines.
Here are a few examples:
- This Hub on resveratrol was published a few months before research was released showing that the supplement vastly increases the endurance and lifespan of test mice. When the story broke, the Hub was already there to receive traffic from interested searchers.
- This Hub (1408) is on a movie that was published even before it had been released! But Dylan's timing was great-he was one of the very few who had written a high-quality Webpage on it (with picture and trailer) early in the game, before most people who would eventually write about it had even heard of it. He also wrote it in an "evergreen way" so that even after its release, even years later, it will be interesting and informative to people who search on it and want to learn more.
- This Hub on Wu-Yi Tea is another example of a Hub has received a lot of traffic because it was written before the tea phenomenon took off around the web. The Hub was an unexpected success for the author, but since she wrote a great article, it was ranked high on Google search results. If you have an idea that could go viral, write the best content out there and you have a chance of getting a lot of traffic!
