Upstart Blogger is slowly moving up the Technorati rankings and is currently sitting very happily at number 177 with an authority figure of 3298. This means that 3298 blogs are currently linking to Upstart Blogger in one form or another and that only 176 other blogs have more inbound links, according to Technorati.

To say I’m flattered would be an understatement, especially when you read the following, originally posted at Technorati and then copied around the web,

The Low Authority Group [D-List Bloggers]
(3-9 blogs linking in the last 6 months)
The average blog age (the number of days that the blog has been in existence) is about 228 days, which shows a real commitment to blogging. However, bloggers of this type average only 12 posts per month, meaning that their posting habits are generally dedicated but infrequent.

The Middle Authority Group [C-List Bloggers]
(10-99 blogs linking in the last 6 months)
This contrasts somewhat with the second group, which enjoys an average age not much older than the first at 260 days and which posts 50% more frequently than the first. There is a clear correlation between posting volume and Technorati authority ranking.

The High Authority Group [B-List Bloggers]
(100-499 blogs linking in the last 6 months)
The third group represents a decided shift in blog age while not blogging much more frequently than the last. In keeping with the theme of the maturation of the blogosphere, it seems evident that many of these bloggers were previously in category two and have grown in authority organically over time. In other words, sheer dedication pays off over time.

The Very High Authority Group [A-List Bloggers]
(500 or more blogs linking in the last 6 months)
In the final group we see what might be considered the blogging elite. This group, which represents more than 4,000 blogs, exhibits a radical shift in post frequency as well as blog age. Bloggers of this type have been at it longer – a year and a half on average – and post nearly twice a day, an increase in posting volume of over 100% from the previous group. Many of the blogs in this category, in fact, are about as old as Technorati and we’ve grown up together. Some of these are full-fledge professional enterprises that post many, many times per day and behave increasingly like our friends in the mainstream media. As has been widely reported, the impact of these bloggers on our cultures and democracies is increasingly dramatic.

If this information is to be believed then I am an A-List blogger. Six times over, in fact. I’m writing this with my tongue firmly in my cheek since I know that my authority figure is large partly because of the number of Upstart Blogger wordpress themes (like Underscore, which I still haven’t seen in the wild, give it a try if you feel like trying something new) in use around the blogosphere.

Indeed, as a member of the blogging elite (again, tongue firmly in cheek) my blogs are fully fledged professional enterprises and combined they make a good, and growing, income, partly as a result of the large number of links and the accompanying perceived, even if only by Technorati, authority.

Traditionally, a blogger received inbound links based purely on their writing. If they wrote something worthy of attention it would get that attention in the form of links from other blogs. Now, however, it is much easier to get those links, by giving away wordpress themes, doing paid reviews and running competitions, and then cajole ranking services like the one at Technorati into rewarding high authority scores.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not criticizing those bloggers who employ these tactics to get links. It would be highly hypocritical of me to do so since, as I have already stated, many of my inbound links come from giving away wordpress themes. The problem, for both the blogger and the surfer, is that there is no difference in the eyes of the ranking services between a simple link and a recommendation to click.

The former represents popularity but only the later represents authority.

Purely in terms of traffic this pushes the blogs that are clever at getting links above those who simply write good content. Ultimately the money will follow the traffic and potentially leave the traditional A-List bloggers behind in favor of the more savvy marketers. The original authoritative A-List bloggers may retain the moral and intellectual high ground but the blogs with the most eyeballs pointing at them will make the most money. In this respect the blogosphere reflects the music industry, with well marketed rubbish outselling real music every time.

The trick, in both industries, is to create content that has inherent authority and market it well. Do that and you keep everyone happy. Including the bank manager.