Whether to focus on building out a full-scale authority site or niching down and developing a micro-niche site is more controversial as topics go in the internet marketing and content marketing realm than most people would assume.
Everyone has an opinion! Most content marketers will tell you to stick with micro-niches because they’re easier and tend to offer up a faster return on investment.
But many internet marketers and branding experts prefer authority sites because they’re more flexible, adaptable and while the ROI is longer, it’s usually considerably higher over time.
So many opinions… so do you create a giant authority site or focus on smaller, niche sites instead.
Well, let me tell you, it’s a question that’s been debated by marketers for ages.
Here’s the deal – there isn’t one right or wrong answer to this question.
It depends on what you’re after and what you’re comfortable with. Some authority sites can bring in boatloads of cash every month but can take a year to fully catch on, while a handful of niche sites might only generate a few thousand bucks per site (which certainly adds up).
As I said, there isn’t a right or wrong answer here because they will both be profitable, in time, if you target a profitable niche and put in the work.
Examining The Differences Between Authority Sites And Micro-Niche Sites
The main difference between the two types of sites is scale and flexibility.
So, do you want to be the master of one niche or the jack of all trades? That’s the real question you need to ask yourself.
The second-biggest difference is the speed of profitability. How long can you realistically wait for your site to generate income? Authority sites will take longer than micro-niche sites.
Authority Sites
If you go with an authority site, you’ll be able to cover a bunch of different topics within your niche – think of it like a super-niche site.
For example, let’s say you’re all about survival and prepping – you can write about self-defense, wilderness survival, shelters, MRE’s, hunting, prepper gear, and tons of other related topics.
If you write up a lot of quality content while paying attention to SEO and really optimize your posts and score some quality backlinks, your site can rank for loads of different keywords.
And the best part? A well-monetized authority site can get you tons of traffic, ad revenue, and even direct sales. You’ll have plenty of room to expand and get creative with your content, too. That’s why a lot of marketers who like to stick to just one or two niches will choose to go with an authority site.
Now, keep in mind that these sites require a lot of content. A few dozen articles certainly won’t get Google’s attention. You’ll need to develop at least 100 high-quality, unique pieces of optimized SEO content. You’ll want to focus on on-site SEO first, and make sure your current content links to other related articles on your authority site. And you’ll want to set up social accounts for the site and link to them as well.
From a Google standpoint, it’s strongly suggested that you wait to let Google spider your site until you have at least 60 (preferably 100) strong, long-form, unique and high-quality pieces of content.
This is a content ranking hack right here!
You want that first pass of your site by Google to be dazzling and to demonstrate, and prove, to the Googlebot that your site is an authority by being full of awesome content that it can’t find anywhere else.
A good authority site is only as good as its backlinks, so don’t waste time reaching out to other related sites and asking for backlinks. Remember, Google loves quality backlinks!
If you’ve got some cash to spare, you can hire writers to create awesome content for you. But for newbie marketers, it can seem daunting to create a massive authority site.
And that’s where smaller sites that take less work to get online and ranked come in handy.
Characteristics of an Authority Site:
- Covers a broad range of topics within a particular niche.
- Requires a large amount of content to establish authority.
- Typically, features high-quality, evergreen content that attracts backlinks and social shares.
- May have multiple authors or contributors to maintain the volume of content.
- Has a substantial following and audience engagement through social media and email marketing.
- Tends to generate substantial traffic and revenue over time.
- Requires a larger investment in terms of time and money to establish and maintain.
- Often has a recognizable brand name and reputation within its niche.
Now, what many people think is an authority site, is not.
If you ask your friends to list a few authority sites, they’ll likely rattle off globally recognized names like Huffington Post, WebMD and Moz.com.
But those aren’t authority sites.
They’re news sites with a specific focus or slant. WebMD focuses on medical, healthcare and wellness, for example.
Real Examples of Authority Sites
- TeaMinded (https://teaminded.com/) – a site that focuses exclusively on tea and tea culture.
- The Kettlebell Kings (https://www.kettlebellkings.com/) – a site that focuses on kettlebell training and equipment.
- The Toothbrush Expert (https://thetoothbrushexpert.com/) – a site that provides reviews and information about different types of toothbrushes.
- Parka Blogs (https://www.parkablogs.com/) – a site that provides reviews and information about art supplies and techniques.
- I Love Bicycling (https://ilovebicycling.com/) – a site that focuses exclusively on cycling and related gear and techniques.
Micro-Niche Sites
When comparing a micro-niche site to an authority site, think of it this way: an authority site will have many related content categories and subcategories and a micro niche site is essentially taking one category or subcategory and turning it into an independent, highly-focused site unto itself.
Let’s continue with our survival and prepping example.
You know there’s money to be made in that niche (and there is) but you don’t want to spend the time and resources developing an authority site at scale, so instead you opt to hyper-focus on a subcategory.
If you really dig deep, you’ll find a smaller niche like self-defense for female preppers. It’s still big enough to make some money, but it’s not as broad as the overall survival niche, meaning there are fewer competitors to contend with and more long-tail keywords you can likely rank a lot faster.
But for some marketers, even that might be too broad!
You might prefer to go even smaller and focus on something like ‘bug out bags for preppers’.
That’s a great example of a micro-niche site. All the blog posts on that site would be all about bug out bags – how to buy them, pack them, you name it. By focusing on a much smaller and more selective topic, you’re cutting your competition down dramatically.
Because these sites are so targeted, they tend to rank well for long-tail keywords. And that means they can still get a good amount of traffic, even though they’re smaller.
And while the amount of potential traffic your micro niche site can hope for will always be less than an authority site, that traffic will likely start developing sooner as the competition for ranking keywords on search engines is far less.
Just remember – when you’re picking out a domain name, try to make it related but generic.
Many years ago, Google took any related keywords in the domain name into consideration when ranking site content, but those days are over. Even Google itself has acknowledged that their search engine algorithm no longer cares what your domain is called, provided it’s secured with an SSL certificate.
So, use this to your advantage and keep your domain fairly general, that way if you decide to expand your site later on, your domain won’t hold you back.
BugOutBagsForWomen.com is a great micro niche domain name, but it will make it difficult to expand the site beyond the micro niche realm.
Characteristics of a Micro-Niche Site:
- Focuses on a very specific sub-niche or topic within a broader niche.
- Requires less content to establish authority, but content must be highly targeted and well-researched.
- Often has a narrower audience, but a higher level of engagement and conversion rates.
- Tends to rank well for long-tail keywords due to the specificity of the content.
- Usually only has one author, or a few contributors at the most.
- Requires a smaller investment in terms of time and money to establish and maintain.
- May be easier to monetize due to the specific and targeted content.
- May have a more niche-specific domain name and branding.
Real Examples of Micro-Niche Sites
- The Best Yoga Mats for Hot Yoga (https://thebestyogamatsforhotyoga.com/) – a site that provides information and reviews of yoga mats specifically designed for hot yoga.
- Senior Strong (https://seniorstrong.org/) – a site that provides fitness and exercise resources specifically for seniors.
- The Portable Bar Company (https://portablebarcompany.com/) – a site that provides information and products specifically for portable bars and event equipment.
- Airfryer Guide (https://airfryerguide.net/) – a site that provides information and reviews of air fryers specifically designed for home cooking.
- Top Dog Tips (https://topdogtips.com/) – a site that provides information and resources specifically for dog owners, with a specific focus on dog training tips and product reviews.
You’ll notice how each of the sites above focus on a sub-niche of a niche. The Best Yoga Mats for Hot Yoga, for example, focuses only on quality mats for hot yoga enthusiasts. It doesn’t include everything there is to know on the whole topic of yoga. In fact, it doesn’t even offer recommendations on general use yoga mats. Nope! Just yoga mats specifically for hot yoga classes. Now that is a micro-niche site!
Time To Choose & Get Started!
As we’ve covered, whether you choose to build an authority site or a micro-niche site, the key is to find a profitable and targeted niche that you are passionate about. Both types of sites have their advantages and disadvantages, and ultimately it comes down to your personal preferences and goals.
An authority site can provide scalability, flexibility, and the ability to cover a wide range of sub-niches within your main niche.
On the other hand, micro-niche sites are hyper-focused and can be a great option if you want to avoid overwhelming yourself with too much content and prefer to focus on a very specific audience.
Whatever type of site you choose to build, it’s important to remember that success takes time and effort.
With hard work, dedication, and a solid strategy in place, you can build a profitable site that not only provides value to your audience but also allows you to achieve your personal and financial goals.
So, whether you’re building an authority site or a micro-niche site, remember to stay focused, be consistent, and most importantly, have fun with it!
With the right mindset and approach, you can achieve success and create a thriving online presence that you can be proud of.
