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July 17, 2024 | Gain Knowledge
Want higher rankings and more traffic? This easy guide explains topical authority, why it matters, and gives you actionable steps to build it.
Do you want your content to rank higher in search results and drive more traffic? You can easily achieve these goals with an SEO concept called topical authority.
With the right content strategy, you can build this winning content strategy. Then reap the benefits of higher rankings and increased visibility. Plus, you can even achieve this without link-building!
This guide explains topical authority, why it matters, and how you build it for your website. Let’s go!
Topical authority is an SEO concept used to establish perceived authority and expertise on one or more topics. When a website’s content has high topical authority, it builds credibility and potentially ranks better for topically related keywords.
You build topical authority by consistently creating and linking high-quality content relevant to a specific subject or niche. The more informative and in-depth you write about a topic, the more search engines and users see you as a subject matter expert.
Topical authority also goes beyond high-volume keywords. Instead, a topic expert covers every possible subtopic and question within a broad subject rather than focusing on single keywords.
Say you want to rank articles around the topic “content marketing.” Writing one or two articles targeting “content marketing” may not be enough to compete.
Why? Because writing one article doesn’t prove your expert in content marketing. You need comprehensive coverage on everything imaginable about content. No single article can cover everything in-depth.
To build your topical worth, write several related articles related to content marketing. For example:
You probably get the point. The goal is to cover a broad topic as a whole rather than focusing on individual keywords.
Topical authority is important for SEO because it builds a long-term and sustainable content strategy for your website. Establishing topical authority improves a website’s rankings, organic traffic, credibility, conversions, and more.
It’s also essential for a website to build authority to stay competitive and become a reliable source of information. As a result, your brand becomes more closely associated with relevant keywords.
The more authoritative your site is on a topic, the better chance it will rank higher in SERPs for related search queries. With this SEO content strategy, even a new website can rank on the first page of Google.
Building topical authority also demonstrates a Google concept called E-E-A-T: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness.
Google’s Search Quality Rater Guidelines describe these terms as:
E-E-A-T is not a direct ranking factor. However, applying the concept to your website helps improve rankings. If Google views your website as an expert resource on a topic, it’s more likely to rank your content higher.
Achieving topical authority is excellent for your SEO. It can also help improve your broader marketing goals. For example, the benefits of high authority content include:
How do you become a topical expert for your website?
First, you need to know the SEO basics. For example, an understanding of keyword research, internal linking, page structure, etc. With the basics covered, building topical content is relatively easy.
Follow these general steps to build topical authority for your content:
Let’s look at these seven steps in more detail.
Google Trends
First, choose a topic relevant to your brand and audience. To become a subject matter expert, you’ll need to cover this topic in-depth.
Ready to dominate your niche? Here’s how to pick a topic that’ll make you the go-to expert:
Pick a topic that’s wide enough to cover tons of ground. Don’t box yourself in.
Example (Good Broad Topic): “SEO for Small Business.” You can write about many aspects of SEO like technical SEO, international SEO, etc.
Example (Too Niche): “SEO for BBQ Restaurants in Austin.” This is too specific, limiting your content and audience.
Make sure your topic matches what you’re selling. Leverage topical authority to boost your core offers.
Example: Say you offer furnace repair services. Don’t waste time becoming an authority on gardening. Stick to topics like “best furnaces” and “furnace maintenance tips.”
Use tools to see what people care about. Don’t guess – know!
Example: Say you’re in the pet niche. You might discover a growing interest in vegan dog food. Boom! There’s your opportunity.
Look at what others are doing. Then, do it better or fill the gaps they’re missing.
Example: If every fitness blog talks about losing weight, become the authority on gaining muscle for skinny guys.
Zig when others zag!
Pick a topic that’ll still matter years from now. Don’t chase fads!
Example: “TikTok marketing tips” might be hot now. But “video marketing strategies” will outlast any single platform.
Steal this keyword research infographic to get started:
Here’s how to find the right keywords for your topical cluster:
Pick your favorite tool. Reliable contenders include Ahrefs, SEMrush, and good ol’ Google Keyword Planner. It’s time to dig for gold!
Example: If you’re a personal trainer, start with a broad seed term like “fitness tips.” Then, watch the ideas flow!
Don’t just chase the big fish. Cast a wide net, then drill down.
Example: From “fitness tips,” explore “home workouts,” “nutrition advice,” and “recovery techniques.”
Check out what’s already ranking for keywords. It’s like peeking at your competitor’s playbook!
Example: Google “Best Home Workouts” and analyze the top results. What are they covering that you’re not?
People ask questions. You provide answers. It’s that simple.
Example: Use tools like Answer the Public or look at Google’s “People also ask” section.
For fitness, you might find “How often should I work out?” or “What should I eat before a workout?”
Low-volume keywords are your secret weapon. They’re easier to rank for, and collective volumes add up fast.
Example: “Best shoes for jump rope workouts” might not get many searches. But it’s gold for your fitness authority.
Focus on informational keywords. These attract people who are just starting to look for answers.
Example (Top Funnel): “How to start working out” is better than “Buy workout equipment online.”
Middle-of-the-funnel keywords have even more value. These topics target people in the decision phase. They’re closer to sale.
Example (Mid Funnel): “Best workout equipment for home gyms” or “Flat bench press vs incline bench press.”
Keywords with low search volume or high difficulty aren’t always wrong. Especially if they’re highly relevant to your core offers.
Trust your gut about what your audience needs!
Example: “Proper form for deadlifts” might not be a top search. But it’s crucial info for your fitness audience.
ChatGPT
Topic breadth is the number of related topics you cover in your content strategy. This helps search engines see your site as a go-to resource.
There’s no set number of blogs you need to build topical authority. I aim for 10-30 topics to cover in a cluster.
Here are tips to make the process easy:
Fire up ChatGPT or Claude. Ask it to list 10-20 subtopic ideas for your main topic. It’s like having a super-smart assistant!
Example prompt “Create a table with 20 subtopics related to ‘fitness for beginners.’ Include columns for the target keyword, article title, and a short description.”
The AI response might include:
Look at your list. Spot patterns. Group similar topics together.
Example: Put “HIIT workouts,” “strength training,” and “yoga” under a “Types of Exercise” group.
Use AI to do this, too. This makes keyword clustering a breeze, especially if you have hundreds of keywords to group.
Example prompt “Group the following keywords into categories of similar topics. Create clear and tightly related topic clusters.”
Complete one topic comprehensively before moving to the next. Sticking to one cluster makes topical coverage and internal linking waaaay easier.
Example: Fully cover all aspects of “Digital marketing for SAAS” before starting on “Web design for SAAS.”
Content depth is how comprehensively you cover a specific topic. This means the content sufficiently covers relevant subtopics, talking points, and helpful information users want to know.
Providing quality topic depth also helps avoid thin content issues.
Google defines thin content as “content with little or no added value.”
This means low-quality, thin content will be difficult to rank high in SERPs.
Sidenote: Don’t confuse topical depth with content length. Many misleading articles online will tell you to write 2,000 words to rank #1. Long-form content with little value will struggle to rank high in SERPs.
Steps to build content depth:
Analyze the top 3-5 ranking articles on your topic. Here’s what to do:
Outline what each article will cover. Content briefs are like roadmaps to guide your writing. They save time and keep you focused!
Here’s what to include in your content brief:
Tip: Use AI tools like SEO Content Outline PRO to generate a detailed content brief. It will give you a good start. But it won’t be detailed and thoroughly researched like the briefs we build at Gravitate. Want an exclusive look? Book your free strategy call.
Break down your main topic into smaller, detailed sections.
Ensure each subtopic thoroughly addresses user questions and needs.
Example: For “On-page SEO,” cover heading tags, internal linking, meta tags, schema, and image optimization.
Add fresh angles, new insights, or exclusive tips not found in competitor content. This approach provides unique value and stands out from existing resources.
Example: If competitors discuss general SEO, provide a detailed case study specific to startups. Also, use expert quotes or unique experiences to add value.
Use charts, infographics, and examples to make your content engaging.
Visuals make complex information easier to digest and more engaging.
Example: Include a step-by-step infographic on how to do keyword research. (Like I did in this guide 😉)
The best way to establish topical authority is by creating in-depth content that provides value and meets search intent. Then internal link those quality content pieces.
For each piece of content, be sure to:
A topic cluster is a group of related pages interlinked around a single topic.
These tightly linked pages offer comprehensive coverage of a specific subject. Users and search engine crawlers will also find these pages easier.
Ever seen a spider web? That’s what your content cluster should look like. Interconnected, strong, and impossible to ignore.
For example, a topic cluster has three parts:
Here’s how you do it:
It’s like building a fortress for your SEO. Google loves this stuff. It shows you’re the boss of your topic.
Not convinced? Check out this topical authority case study.
Google Search Console
Want to dominate search rankings? You gotta keep your content fresh.
Here’s why:
Old content becomes outdated and it stinks. It’s like leaving moldy bread on your website.
Google wants fresh, up-to-date info. Your readers will appreciate it, too. So give it to them!
Search Engine Journal backs this up. According to them, content freshness is a ranking factor.
Here’s your battle plan to find and fix your decaying content:
Do this, and you’ll watch your rankings soar. Your competitors won’t know what hit ’em.
SEO isn’t a one-time thing. It’s a constant battle. Keep your content fresh, and you’ll stay on top. Now, go out there and dominate!
Tip: Consider running a content audit once or twice a year. Determine what content pieces to keep, update, remove, or consolidate.
Since topical authority is a concept, there are no definitive metrics to measure it – yet!
Yes, higher rankings and more traffic may be a good indication. However, those results could come from other SEO efforts.
All is not lost! Ahrefs’ Traffic share by domains report offers a way to roughly measure topical authority. This report shows the domains that get the most organic traffic based on topically relevant keywords. The higher your traffic share, the better your topical authority.Â
Ahrefs Traffic Share Report
Listen up. I’m about to share a trick to make your website traffic explode.
Our client? A surety bond company. Their Auto Dealer Bond page was leaking traffic like a flat tire.
Here’s what we did:
The RESULT?
Traffic exploded from 55 to 125 visits in a single day. That’s more than double!
That’s 127% more eyeballs on their site. All organic. No ads. Just smart content.
But wait, there’s more.
Their main product page? It was chilling at spot #51 on Google. Basically invisible.
After our magic? Straight to #1, baby.
You heard that right. From page five to number freakin’ one.
All from building topical authority. We showed Google we knew our stuff about Auto Dealer Bonds.
And Google ate it up.
The takeaway? Build topic clusters. Link them tight. Watch your traffic soar.
It’s that simple.
When doing topic research, find topically relevant queries people are searching for on your target topic. Luckily, there are handy online tools to help with that:
Keyword research tools like Ahrefs can help you find topically relevant keywords, phrases, and questions. There are several free and paid keyword research tools available.
Ahrefs Keyword Explorer
Google People Also Ask
People Also Ask (PAA) is a Google SERP feature. It provides additional questions related to a search query and quick answers.
Google Related Searches
Google’s related searches are the eight search phrases you see at the bottom of the SERP. Google’s algorithm generates these associated terms based on your search.
AlsoAsked
AlsoAsked is a free keyword research tool. It pulls data from Google’s People Also Ask feature. Enter a query to see questions people are asking about your keyword or phrase. You’ll see People Also Ask results up to three levels deep.
AnswerThePublic is a free keyword research tool that pulls autocomplete data from Google. Then it delivers useful phrases and questions people are asking about your keyword.
In a nutshell, create multiple high-quality pieces of content around a broad subject. Then interlink them to increase topical authority.
Building topical authority helps show you’re an expert on the topic and a trusted source. These SEO efforts will boost rankings, traffic, and business growth when done right.
Ready to dominate your industry with proven content strategies that drive 3x growth?
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Common questions and answers related to topical authority.
Semantic SEO is writing topically related content around topics instead of individual keywords. It’s a content strategy that builds topical authority.
Semantic content builds more meaning and topical depth into a website’s content. It also helps search engines better understand and rank that content.
Topical relevance is the relationship a website’s content has to a particular topic, keyword phrase, or backlink. Content relevance means the page is topically relevant to the search phrase, keyword, or backlink.
Domain authority is a metric created by SEO tool providers to measure the strength of a website’s backlink profile. It helps you predict how likely a website will rank in the SERPs compared to its competitors.
Topical authority is a measure of a website’s perceived authority and expertise in a particular niche or topic. It helps search engines understand that content and rank it better for topically related keywords. It’s a concept or SEO strategy rather than a metric.
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