I
I talked not only to Wu, but to hugley successful blogger Jeremy Schoemaker of video interview with Schoemaker at BlogWorld) as well. I asked Schoemaker why he thought Wu had gotten such a great deal, to which he replied, "Simple. It was an authority in the banking industry. Especially with all the banking news going on, now those keywords are hotter then ever."
Found an error or have a suggestion? Let us know and we'll review it.
There's no question that the keywords Bankaholic ranks for played a role in the acquisition. Bankrate even user engagement. When you look at 
Responding to commentators is huge indeed. I've
Authority leads to engagement.
If you can become an authoritative source for information as a content site in your particular niche, engagement will naturally follow if you allow for it to do so. Enable commentary from your readers. Participate in discussion with them, so they know you are involved. It's amazing the amount of discussion that can be generated, and not only will this benefit those involved in the discussion itself, but it will be there for all readers to read and learn from, which is why I still consider new media to be a legitimate source for information.
Advertisers will also be drawn to a site that is seen as an authority in its niche, particularly when that is evident by the level of user engagement. If a site has a lot of legitimate comments, advertisers will see this basically as a community of professionals in the target market they are interested in. With enough authority and user engagement, a site is likely to attract offers from potential buyers as well. Just ask Johns Wu.
What are your thoughts on the combination of authority and user engagement? Is this the recipe for success?
Update: I've posted a
Suggest a Correction
No comments yet. Be the first to comment!