Title: Sticky Content and the Structure of the Web

Abstract:

To understand the effects of sticky content upon web network formation, we generalize the PageRank-based model of the commercial web introduced
by Katona and Sarvary (2008).  In our model, websites buy and sell links on each others' pages.  Consumer browsing behavior is based upon the
PageRank process, but is affected by websites' respective levels of sticky content.  We discuss two varieties of sticky content: "attracting content," which induces consumers to return regularly, and "entrapping content," which both attracts consumers and maintains consumer attention.  We characterize the effects of both forms of sticky content upon the web network structure and upon the distribution of utility. Most interestingly, we find that while a website without incoming links always prefers to have entrapping content, a website with incoming links and sufficiently large PageRank prefers not to have entrapping content.