What Is Topical Authority & How to Build It
Imagine if your website could show up for every keyword related to your chosen topic, without needing to build lots of links.
That’s where topical authority comes in.
Some SEO experts claim that you can achieve this by creating content about every aspect of a topic. While it’s not a magic solution, it’s still valuable.
In this guide, we’ll break down what topical authority is and how to improve it for your website.
What Is Topical Authority?
Topical authority in SEO means your website wants to be seen as the main source for specific topics.
To build topical authority, you want search engines to recognize your website as an expert in a certain area, making it more likely to rank higher for related keywords.
For example, if you want your site to show up when people search for information about chocolate powder, writing just one article isn’t sufficient. The topic is vast, and one article can’t cover everything.
To establish topical authority, you need to create content that addresses every aspect of chocolate powder such as,
- How is chocolate powder made?
- What are the different types of chocolate powder available in the market?
- Can chocolate powder be used in baking?
- What is the difference between cocoa powder and chocolate powder?
- Are there any health benefits associated with consuming chocolate powder?
- What are some popular recipes that use chocolate powder as an ingredient?
- How should chocolate powder be stored to maintain freshness?
- Can chocolate powder be used to make hot chocolate?
- Are there any alternative uses for chocolate powder besides cooking?
- What are the factors to consider when choosing high-quality chocolate powder?
Topical authority happens when a website comprehensively explores a complete topic instead of only targeting specific keywords.
If you’ve been searching through search engine results (SERPs) for SEO chances (let’s admit it, you have), you might have seen websites with low Domain Rating (DR) scores still ranking high. This is often because of their strong topical authority.
For instance, take a look at the SERPs for the keyword “best toy trucks for 2 year olds”:
When you first check, you’d think a big online shops like Wallmart, Targets (with a score of 91) would be number one for a keyword about a specific product.
But here’s the surprise: a site with a lower score of 0 is in third place, beating these biggest giant eCommerce sites.
Why is This?
Maybe it’s because thebesttoysfor2yearolds.com is all about toys for 2-year-olds. Unlike big stores like Walmart and Amazon, which sell a lot of different things and don’t specialize in 2-year-old toys.
Another thing to consider is what people are searching for. Only Amazon has a page just for the type of product, while the others have articles or gift guides.
This shows how a website that really knows about a certain topic can do better than bigger stores in some cases.
Why Is Topical Authority Important?
Google, the search engine, operates by connecting websites with specific topics. It needs to link a website to a topic to consider it a helpful source for keywords related to that topic.
If you have a bunch of content about a particular subject, you can create more relevant links within your website. This makes it easier for Google and users to discover your content, potentially leading to more natural backlinks.
The key takeaway from building topical authority is this:
When you make content pieces about the same topic and link them together, Google sees you as more knowledgeable. This signals that you’re an authority on the subject and a trustworthy source.
Now, let’s address the big question:
How Does Topical Authority Work?
Spoiler: Actually, nobody knows for sure.
In 2013, Google introduced the Hummingbird algorithm, making topical authority super important. This change meant that content ranking was now based on how relevant it is to what users are searching for.
Before Hummingbird, Google mostly cared about keywords in its search algorithms. To understand what users wanted, it relied on keywords.
But there’s a twist: Google had a hard time figuring out the context behind why users made certain searches.
Google Authority: A Quick History
Google’s Changes: From Simple Searches to Expertise and Trust
1990s — Google’s Early Days: In the late 1990s, Google kicked off as a search engine. It relied heavily on the quantity of links, considering each link as a vote of confidence. The more links, the more authoritative the website seemed.
Early 2000s — The PageRank Era: As the internet landscape changed, Google introduced algorithms like PageRank to not just assess link quantity but also focus on link quality. This era marked a shift towards evaluating the authority of websites more intricately.
2011 — Semantic Search Emerges: Google takes a step towards semantic search by announcing the “Structured Search Engine” to better organize web information.
2012 — Understanding Real-World Entities: The launch of the Knowledge Graph aimed at improving Google’s understanding of real-world entities.
2013 — The Hummingbird Algorithm: Google introduces the Hummingbird algorithm, shifting the focus from just keywords to content relevance in ranking sites.
2018 — Medic Update and E-A-T: Google’s Medic update emphasizes the importance of Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness (E-A-T) for ranking Your Money or Your Life (YMYL) content.
2019 — BERT: Google introduces BERT, a model designed to better understand relationships between words, concepts, and entities in human language.
Discussing topical authority inevitably involves touching upon E-A-T (Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness).
E-A-T (Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness)
Expertise: It means you know your stuff. If you’re talking about cooking, people should trust that you really understand cooking.
Authority: This is like being the go-to person. If people often turn to you for advice on a topic, you’ve got authority.
Trustworthiness: People need to feel safe following your advice. If you’re reliable and honest, that builds trust.
So, when you see E-A-T, think about being knowledgeable, the go-to person, and someone people can trust. It’s like the gold standard for good information online.
Measuring Topical Authority
The confusion about topical authority makes it challenging to have a clear measurement method.
While increased rankings and traffic could indicate good topical authority, they might also come from activities like link building or other SEO efforts.
A way to measure topical authority is by using the Traffic Share by Domains report in Ahrefs’ Keywords Explorer.
Here’s How To Calculate The Proxy To Topical Authority In Ahrefs:
Here’s a step-by-step process to measure topical authority using Ahrefs’ Keywords Explorer:
- Start with a broad term like “payment” and input it into Keywords Explorer.
- Navigate to the Matching Terms report and set a minimum volume filter of 10.
- Export all the identified keywords and upload them back into Keywords Explorer.
- Head to the Traffic Share by Domains section.
- The Traffic Share value here represents the topic share, also known as “topical authority.”
How To Build Topical Authority In Four Easy Steps
To establish topical authority for your site, start by ensuring you’ve covered the basic SEO essentials. Assuming that’s in place, building topical authority involves a straightforward process. In simple terms:
- Keyword Research: Identify all the key points within a topic by doing thorough keyword research.
- Organize Data: Arrange the gathered data into topic clusters, making it easier to manage and understand.
- Content Creation: Produce content that aligns with the search intent of those identified topic keywords.
- Link Building: Develop relevant internal and external links to your content, enhancing its credibility.
So, to avoid going deep into the uncertain realms of topics only Google truly understands, let’s focus on learning how to effectively build topical authority.
1. Do Topic-Based Keyword Research
It’s quite expected that the first step in building topical authority begins with keyword research.
Figuring out what users are searching for and what topics are engaging is where many SEO projects kick off, and establishing topical authority follows a similar path.
To be recognized as a “topical authority” by Google, you have to cover all the significant aspects within a specific topic.
Selecting a solid seed keyword is fundamental to your topical research. Finding a relevant term that aligns with your topic is crucial. Here’s how you can choose a good seed keyword to start your topical keyword research:
If you’re having trouble coming up with useful seed terms, try selecting keywords that represent an entity in Google’s Knowledge Graph. Explaining entities in SEO is quite complex and beyond the scope of this article.
To simplify the process of choosing seed keywords, you can use entities directly from Google:
- Go to Google Images.
- Enter your broad topic.
- Explore the image filters (these represent the entities that Google associates with the topic).
This method can help speed up the selection of relevant seed keywords.
After picking a seed keyword, it’s time to make the list bigger.
For instance, if you’re focusing on the topic “payment gateway,” you’ll need to make content about words like:
- Online payment gateway
- Secure payment processing
- E-commerce payment solutions
- Mobile payment gateways
- Payment gateway integration
Getting to this step is quite straightforward but might take some time. Put a general word into Ahrefs Keywords Explorer. The overview there helps to begin understanding the topic.
For our example of “payment gateway,” here’s what you should look at:
Top-Ranking Results
Just like the name says, this is the page that ranks the highest for the main keyword:
This is an excellent place to begin your research. With a quick look, you can see the number of keywords this one page is ranking for:
SERPs
To gather more SEO information, one of the best spots is the Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs), and when it comes to topical keyword research, it’s no exception.
What I prefer to do in this situation is broaden the list to display the top 100 ranking pages (click on “Show more”). After that, I selectively choose lower Domain Rating (DR) sites that still manage to rank for a considerable number of keywords.
This particular site caught my attention because it has a DR of 22, yet it ranks for more than 65 keywords amid a competitive field of sites with DRs over 80.
This indicates that this site has considerable topical authority, making it a valuable resource for me to use in my own research.
Traffic Share By Domains
It’s also worthwhile to check the Traffic Share by Domains report. This report reveals the domains that receive the most organic traffic related to your initial seed keyword:
This is handy for identifying your main competitors, providing additional sources for more keywords. Select certain domains and use them in the Content Gap tool to discover more keywords.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to finding more terms from competing domains:
- Analyze your site using Site Explorer.
- Navigate to the Content Gap tool.
- Choose relevant domains from the Traffic Share by Domains report.
- Apply filters as needed.
- My recommendation: use keyword filters — like “ahref” in this case — and set minimum volume and KD scores if desired.
Now that you have a list of keywords for topics that people are searching for, it’s time to organize and understand the keyword data.
2. Create Topic Clusters
Topic clusters are a collection of connected pages covering the same subject. They’re designed to group related content, making it simpler for both users and Google to find.
Using your keyword research, arrange your list of terms into clusters by considering search intent and traffic potential. Your topics should have significant traffic potential and generally revolve around providing information, like this:
Choose a central topic for your cluster, often referred to as a pillar page, which is relevant for your site and provides enough depth for exploring subtopics.
Next, select the most suitable content format for your cluster:
- Guides: Evergreen content that thoroughly covers a specific topic.
- What is X: A comprehensive definition or answer to a question.
- How to X: A step-by-step tutorial explaining how to perform a specific task.
These pages should be well-structured with enough content to stand alone but also link to more detailed articles within the same topic.
Once you’ve established your pillar topic, go for a “more niche” approach. Examining the example of “pizza” you can identify potential subtopics to target.
These pages should be quite detailed and include links to other topic pages and cluster content.
Creating connections between your pages is crucial for building topical authority. This practice establishes a semantic relationship between those URLs, signaling to Google that these pages are closely related in terms of content.
3. Write Authority Content
Now it’s time to turn your keyword research and topic clusters into actual content.
The common method to establish topical authority is by creating detailed content.
Begin with your main pillar content. Typically, you’ll want a pillar page for each product or service you offer or for the main area of the subject you aim to be an authority on.
These focus topics should be broad enough to have subcategories to target but specific enough that visitors landing on your page find them relevant.
For example, My “What is SEO Guide” serves as a comprehensive overview of the topic, directing users to more specific parts of the subject in stand-alone chapters.
Now, it’s time to develop supporting content.
Instead of writing broadly about a topic, get more specific. Supporting pages should align with user intent and offer more in-depth content. These are the pages where you can target long-tail keywords.
For each piece of content aimed at building your topical authority, consider:
- Writing high-quality content that resonates with your topic and your audience’s interests.
- Keeping E-A-T (Expertise, Authority, Trustworthiness) in mind.
- Covering various topics and subtopics.
- Aligning with search intent (e.g., creating a how-to guide for “how to X” keywords, listing benefits for “benefits of X,” etc.).
- Internally linking to different relevant topics.
- Regularly updating your content as it ages.
4. Build Relevant BackLinks
Even really good content can do even better with links.
When you’re building links for more authority, make sure the websites linking to you are related to your topic.
If your blog is all about pizza, getting a link from a bigger pizza website is perfect. But if it’s from a money blog, it’s less relevant and won’t be as impactful. Relevance is the key.
Here are some tricks for getting relevant backlinks:
- Guest Blogging: Write useful content for websites related to your topic.
- Skyscraper Technique: Create the go-to resource on your chosen subject.
- Ego Bait: Mention key players in your niche and reach out to them.
- HARO (Help a Reporter Out): Provide “expert quotes” for articles.
And it’s not just about links from other sites; building links within your own site is crucial for building topical authority.
Google uses internal links to find and discover new content on your website.
Some pages are known because Google has already crawled them before. Other pages are discovered when Google follows a link from a known page to a new page.
Think of each pillar page as a hub for its topic. Utilize internal linking to connect it to every piece of supporting content.
For example, going back to the “mountain bike” scenario, ensure that all your pages about tires, helmets, tools, etc., link back to your main pillar page on mountain bike accessories.
If you still have questions about building topical authority, you’ll find answers in the final section.
FAQs
What is the difference between topical authority and Domain Authority?
Topical authority relates to being an expert on a specific subject, showing in-depth knowledge in a particular niche. Domain Authority, on the other hand, is a metric that reflects the overall strength and trustworthiness of an entire domain.
What is the difference between backlinks and topical authority?
Backlinks are links from external websites pointing to yours, while topical authority is about being an expert in a specific subject. Backlinks contribute to topical authority, but having many links doesn’t guarantee expertise on a particular topic.
Is topical authority a ranking factor?
Yes, topical authority is a significant ranking factor. Google values websites that demonstrate expertise, authority, and trustworthiness in specific topics, improving their chances of ranking higher in search results.
What is topical relevance in SEO?
Topical relevance in SEO refers to how closely a piece of content aligns with a specific topic or theme. It’s crucial for search engines to understand and recognize the subject matter of your content for accurate indexing and ranking.
What are the benefits of topical authority?
Benefits of topical authority include higher search engine rankings, increased visibility in search results, enhanced credibility, and the ability to attract a targeted audience interested in your niche.
What are the top 3 ranking factors?
The top three ranking factors typically include content relevance and quality, backlinks, and user experience, including factors like page speed and mobile-friendliness.
What is topical search?
Topical search refers to the process of searching for information based on specific topics or subjects rather than just using general keywords. It aligns with search engines’ efforts to understand user intent and deliver more relevant results.
What is a topical website?
A topical website focuses on a specific subject or niche, consistently producing content related to that theme. It aims to become an authority in its chosen topic, attracting a dedicated audience interested in that particular subject.
How do I create a topical map for SEO?
To create a topical map for SEO, start by identifying your main pillar content and supporting pages. Establish clear connections between them through internal linking, ensuring that each piece of content contributes to your overall topical authority.
What is a backlink in SEO?
A backlink in SEO is a hyperlink from one website to another. Backlinks are crucial for SEO as they signal to search engines that a website is reputable and trustworthy, positively impacting its search rankings.
What is a backlink profile?
A backlink profile is a comprehensive collection of all the backlinks pointing to a particular website. Analyzing a backlink profile helps assess the site’s authority, credibility, and the diversity of sources linking to it.
What is semantic SEO?
Semantic SEO involves optimizing content for search engines to understand the context and meaning behind words. It focuses on delivering more accurate and relevant search results by considering the relationships between words, concepts, and user intent.
Does Google like backlinks?
Yes, Google values high-quality backlinks. Quality backlinks from authoritative and relevant sources are seen as a positive signal, indicating the credibility and trustworthiness of a website.
How does Google rank SEO?
Google ranks SEO based on various factors, including content relevance, backlinks, user experience, and technical aspects like website speed and mobile-friendliness. The goal is to provide users with the most valuable and relevant search results.
What is the Google algorithm for SEO?
Google’s algorithm for SEO is a complex set of rules and calculations that determine how websites are ranked in search results. The exact details of the algorithm are proprietary, but it considers factors like relevance, authority, and user experience.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, topical authority is the key to showing up for various keywords related to a chosen topic without solely relying on building numerous links. While not a magic solution, it holds significant value in SEO. Topical authority means positioning your website as the primary source for specific topics, requiring search engines to recognize your expertise in a particular area.
Building topical authority involves creating comprehensive content that explores every aspect of a topic, organizing it into topic clusters, and establishing semantic relationships through internal linking. The process improves rankings, increases visibility, and enhances credibility. Despite uncertainties about its measurement, focusing on topical authority remains crucial in the ever-evolving landscape of SEO.
SEO & PPC Expert, Content Writer. Helping companies attract potential customers through organic search results. Contact me: https://direct.me/atifsharif
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