first off - i love it 
maybe this here (it’s a simlilar concept suggested by seneca way back) could help to refine some thoughts =)
instead of likes the version number of the AD containing the link on the network could represent a value and therefore cound as ‘like status’ - the only pity here is that people cannot ‘donate’ likes … they’d need to donate safecoin to the site owner who then increases the version count … the popularity-ranking you suggest would ofc be perfect … i just atm don’t know how one can express it on the network …