What Is Topical Authority in SEO & How to Build It

Want to know why sites like WebMD dominate health-related searches while other medical websites struggle to rank? Or why does Investopedia appear for almost every finance-related query?

Well, search engines prioritize sites that showcase expertise in specific topics. The pages that rank well and those that don’t usually differ because of one significant factor: topical authority. 

Today, it’s not just important to create content and build backlinks. Search engines have evolved to recognize true subject matter expertise, and they’re increasingly favoring websites that demonstrate deep knowledge in specific topics.

This comprehensive guide will guide you through everything you need to know about topical authority – from understanding its fundamental concepts to implementing proven strategies to rank higher and attract more organic traffic. Let’s get started!

What is Topical Authority

Topical authority refers to a website’s perceived expertise and credibility in a specific subject area. 

Topical authority is the most important part of SEO, where your website aims to establish authority in one or more topics, which gives search engines an idea that the website has the potential to rank for related keywords.

Your site gains topical authority through high-quality, connected content that shows deep expertise. The essential elements of topical authority are:

• Complete topic coverage with detailed content
• Semantic relationships between related subtopics
• Strong internal linking structure
• Reliable content quality and expertise
• Fresh content updates and maintenance

Here’s a simple analogy: If you needed heart surgery, would you go to a general physician or a cardiac specialist? The specialist, right? 

That’s exactly how search engines think when ranking content. They want to show users content from true subject matter experts.

Topical Authority Example

Let’s break this down with a practical example from the AI writing tools industry.

Let’s say you’re building a website about AI content creation. To establish topical authority, you’d need comprehensive coverage of topics like:

“what is AI writing” 

“how do AI writers work” 

“best prompts for AI writing” 

“AI content detection” 

“how to write with AI” 

“AI writing vs human writing” 

“AI writing tools pricing comparison” 

“AI content optimization tips” 

“how to avoid AI detection” 

“AI writing for different industries”

When you cover all these related subtopics thoroughly, search engines starts to recognize your site as an authoritative source for AI writing-related information. 

This isn’t just about creating random content – it’s about building a complete knowledge hub that answers every possible user question about the topic.

Here’s an example, let’s say you search for ‘ai content detectors.’ 

You might see that Copyleaks with 74 DR is ranking on 2nd position, whereas Grammarly with 90 DR is ranking on 9th position. That’s why topical authority is important.

Topical Authority vs. Domain Authority: What’s the Difference?

While these terms might sound similar, they serve different purposes in SEO:

Domain Authority (DA) measures your website’s overall strength and credibility. It’s influenced by factors like:

• Age of your domain
• Number of quality backlinks
• Overall site metrics

Topical authority assesses content depth and subject expertise. You might have:

• Lower DA but high topical authority in a niche
• High DA but weak topical authority in specific topics

In short, your website’s domain authority works like its general reputation, while topical authority reflects its specialized knowledge.

Think of it this way: A new medical blog might have low domain authority but could build strong topical authority in “diabetes management” through comprehensive, expert content. Meanwhile, a high-DA news website might lack topical authority in medical topics despite its overall strong domain metrics.

Why is Topical Authority Important for SEO?

Topical authority plays a significant role in modern SEO. A sustainable, long-term content strategy that delivers consistent results makes topical authority significant. Here’s why it is important:

1. Enhanced Search Visibility: Search engines are getting smarter at understanding context and relationships between topics. When you demonstrate strong topical authority, your content is more likely to rank for not just your target keywords but also related terms and variations.
2. Better User Experience: By covering topics comprehensively, you create a one-stop resource for users. This reduces bounce rates and increases time on site – both positive signals to search engines.
3. Competitive Edge: While many websites focus on individual keywords, building topical authority helps you dominate entire subject areas. This creates a moat around your content that’s harder for competitors to replicate.
4. Rank Higher: As search algorithms become more sophisticated, they’re better at recognizing genuine expertise. Sites with strong topical authority are better positioned to maintain rankings through algorithm updates.
5. Higher Conversion Rates: When visitors see you as an authority in your field, they’re more likely to trust your recommendations and convert on your offers.

How does Topical Authority Work?

Search engines have developed new ways to understand and review topical authority. Google now processes about 99,000 search queries every second, showing remarkable information processing changes.

How search engines assess topic expertise

Search engines no longer rely on simple keyword matching. They understand context and expertise better. Modern algorithms review content by looking at:

• Content depth and breadth
• Semantic relationships between topics
• User interaction signals
• Content freshness and updates
• Expert authorship signals

Key algorithm updates affecting topical authority

The experience of sophisticated topical authority assessment started with Google’s Hummingbird update in 2013. This update changed how search engines understand the content context. Google modified its E-E-A-T guidelines to include “Experience” in 2022. The helpful content system became part of the core algorithm in March 2024.

E-E-A-T and topical authority connection

Topical authority links directly to Google’s E-E-A-T principles. Google has adopted an all-encompassing approach to reviewing website value through recent updates, especially the March 2024 Core Update. This update aims to reduce low-quality, unoriginal content in search results by 45%. This shows how significant authentic expertise has become in building topical authority.

Google’s recent algorithm changes have strengthened the connection between E-E-A-T and topical authority. The system now rewards content that shows genuine expertise and penalizes artificial or superficial topic coverage.

How to Build Topical Authority: A Step-by-Step Guide

Now, let’s come to the most important part: how to build topical authority. Here’s a step-by-step guide that will help you:

Step 1: Pick your niche

Selecting the right niche to showcase your expertise is the first significant step in building topical authority.

Your perfect niche should meet these criteria:

• Enough breadth to create substantial content
• Specific focus to show clear expertise
• A match with your knowledge and experience
• Rich with potential subtopics
• The right fit for your target audience

Many websites rush into overly narrow niches. To name just one example, rather than limiting yourself to “eco-friendly startups,” start with “startup investing” and develop the eco-friendly angle as a subtopic.

Success in niche selection depends on balancing breadth and depth perfectly. You need enough specificity to showcase genuine expertise while keeping the scope wide enough for detailed content coverage. 

A food industry business might focus on “organic and plant-based cooking.” This creates space to become an authority while keeping a clear topical focus.

Note that picking a niche is just the beginning. The real goal is to become the go-to source in your field. This requires consistent creation of high-quality, in-depth content that shows your expertise and builds trust with audiences and search engines alike.

Here’s a quick rundown of my approach and how I choose and define niche:

a) Audit Your Current Position

• What topics do you already rank for?
• Where do you have existing expertise?
• What unique insights can you offer?

b) Analyze Market Opportunities

• Is there enough search volume?
• What’s the competition level?
• Are there content gaps you can fill?

c) Assess Scalability

• How many subtopics can you cover?
• Is there room for future growth?
• Can you maintain consistent quality?

Pro Tip: Choose a niche that’s specific enough to dominate but broad enough to scale. For instance, instead of targeting “AI tools” (too broad) or “AI email subject line generators” (too narrow), focus on something like “AI writing tools.”

Common Mistake to Avoid: Don’t pick a niche just because it’s trending. I’ve seen countless websites jump on the “crypto content” bandwagon without any real expertise. That’s like getting ready for a disaster.

Step 2: Do topic-based keyword research

After choosing the niche, the next step is doing detailed keyword research. Traditional keyword research often falls short of establishing genuine topic expertise.

There are multiple powerful tools that can help build topical authority through strategic keyword research. These effective options include

• Writesonic Keyword Research – A comprehensive keyword research tool that gives you data regarding keyword difficulty, volume, and traffic.
• Google Keyword Planner – Perfect for simple research and completely free.
• Moz Keyword Explorer – Offers 10 queries per tool per month with 1,000 keyword suggestions.
• SE Ranking – Great for tracking keyword performance over time.

Topic-based keyword research should focus on finding relevant queries that people actually search for. This strategy helps us build complete coverage instead of targeting individual keywords.

Screaming Frog and similar specialized tools are a great way to get technical SEO insights. These tools ensure your content’s proper structure and indexing, which builds topical authority effectively.

The goal extends beyond finding keywords – it uncovers topics that establish your expertise in your chosen niche. Strategic use of these tools helps map out a complete content plan covering all aspects of your topic.

Here’s my proven process for doing topic-based keyword research:

a) Start with Seed Topics: Create a list of main topics within your niche. For an AI writing tool website, these might include topics like “AI Content Creation,” “AI Writing Assistants,” “AI Content Generation,” and more.

b) Expand Using Topic Clusters: For each seed topic, identify related subtopics. For “AI Content Creation”: Types of AI content, AI content workflows, AI content optimization, and so on.

c) Pay Attention to Search Intent: Break down the keywords by user goals, such as informational (how AI writing tools work), navigational (best AI writing tools), and so on.

d) Use Advanced Research Tools: I generally prefer to Answer the People to discover the most searched topics, Content Generator for topic ideas, and Writesonic Keyword Research tool for keyword analysis.

Pro Tip: High-volume keywords aren’t everything. A mix of related topics builds stronger topical authority. If you write about “content marketing,” explore related topics like content strategy, content planning, and content distribution.

Common Mistake to Avoid: Don’t fall into the keyword-stuffing trap. I once saw a website cram every AI-related keyword into its content. Guess what? They tanked in rankings. Quality over quantity, always!

Step 3: Select a wide breadth of topics to cover 

Building topical authority requires more than just focusing on individual keywords. SEOs know this well – and this is why a majority of them make topical authority a vital part of their content strategy.

A broader approach to topic coverage works better. Take social media marketing as an example. Rather than just writing about posting tips, you should include:

• Brand development strategies
• Community management techniques
• Influencer collaboration approaches
• Social listening methodologies
• Analytics and measurement
• Platform-specific strategies

Your content should cover not just the main topic but all semantically related subjects that interest your audience. This way, the search engines can find and understand the content easily, which helps establish their site’s authority.

Here’s my approach:

• Map the core topic: Find out the primary keyword and the subtopics. For example, the primary keyword is “AI writing.”

• Use AI to scale the research process: Next, I use Chatsonic to find subtopics related to “AI writing.” This includes beginner-level topics, technical topics, and more.

• Create content buckets: Organize the topics in content buckets like educational topics, problem-solving content, and more.

• Prioritize the topics: Next, see which topics are more important based on search volume, competition, business relevance, and user intent.

Pro Tip: Your topic selection should focus on broad subjects rather than keywords tied to one specific area. This lines up with Google’s semantic search capabilities that aim to understand user intent instead of matching keywords.

Common Mistake to Avoid: Don’t create shallow content just to cover more topics. I’ve seen websites publish 100+ thin articles that got zero traction. Better to have 20 comprehensive pieces than 100 superficial ones.

Bonus Tip: Use Writesonic’s AI Topic Cluster to identify the top-ranking keyword clusters for pillar and supporting content pages.

Step 4: Use relevant subtopics to build content depth

The next step is to explore each subtopic further to create meaningful content depth. The majority of the websites focus on content length, yet the complete coverage of chosen topics makes the real difference.

Creating successful content depth needs more than meeting a specific word count. A complete resource should address everything about a topic. These components help to build proper content depth:

• Semantic Relationships: Identify and cover related concepts that help search engines understand topic connections
• User Intent Coverage: Address various search intents within each subtopic
• Expert Insights: Include authoritative views and ground applications
• Supporting Evidence: Back claims with data and research
• Internal Structure: Create logical content organization

Keywords alone don’t cut it anymore when developing content depth. The broader context of interconnected topics matters more.

Here’s my approach:

• Create depth with the pyramid method: The content structure I mainly prefer – Overview, Details, Expert Insights.
• Come up with subtopics: Ensure your content maintains quality while covering all crucial elements of the topic.
• Add layers of value: For each subtopic, add practical elements, technical details, and expert insights to make it high-quality and relevant.
• Implement E-E-A-T framework: Create in-depth and high-quality content by focusing on experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness.
• Add relevant visuals: Don’t just tell – show! Add infographics, screen recordings, video clips, and more to make the content more engaging.

Balancing breadth and depth has become a vital part of strategy. While the previous step covers many topics, this covers each one deeply. This means you explain not just the what but also the why, how, and when of each subtopic.

Pro tip: We found that tools like Writesonic’s Topic Clustering tool help identify semantically linked topics we might miss otherwise. This approach lets us create more complete content that builds topical authority naturally.

Common Mistake to Avoid: Don’t confuse length with depth. I’ve seen 5000-word articles that say nothing valuable. Focus on meaningful insights rather than word count.

Step 5: Write high-quality, valuable content

Search engines have evolved a lot over the last several years. Creating valuable content isn’t just about what you write – it’s about understanding and meeting user intent. 

Google’s Quality Rater Guidelines now emphasize E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) content. Content creation requires focus on these fundamentals:

• Authenticity: Share real experiences and insights
• Practical Value: Provide practical information
• User Experience: Ensure content is easily digestible
• Technical Accuracy: Back claims with reliable data
• Search Intent Match: Line up content with user needs

Different search queries need different types of content. These are the main types of search intent to think about:

• Informational – Users seeking knowledge or answers
• Commercial – Users comparing options
• Transactional – Users ready to take action
• Navigational – Users looking for specific websites

Matching search intent affects rankings directly. Websites that develop strong topical authority see notable improvements in search engine rankings and organic traffic.

Here’s my approach:

• Understand the search intent.
• Create content aligning with the search intent.
• Try to cover as many subtopics as possible.
• Share personal experience, expertise, and insights.
• Ensure the content is factually correct, up-to-date, and provides value.
• Make it easy to read, scan, and digest.
• Add relevant visuals and internal links.

Pro Tip: Use Writesonic’s AI Article Writer to nail the right tone and style for different intent types. I’ve seen engagement rates jump 40% just by matching content style to user intent!

Common Mistake to Avoid: Don’t create content just to rank. I’ve seen websites stuff keywords into mediocre articles and wonder why they don’t convert. Quality always wins.

Step 6: Build relevant internal points

Internal linking forms the backbone of our topical authority strategy. Proper internal linking can substantially boost our site’s authority signals to search engines.

Effective internal linking goes beyond connecting pages. It creates a logical content structure that helps both users and search engines understand our expertise. Search engines use these internal links to find new pages and understand relationships between different content pieces.

These internal linking practices have proven most effective:

• Use descriptive anchor text that provides context
• Link strategically from high-authority pages
• Place important links higher on the page
• Maintain a clean linking structure
• Regularly audit internal links
• Avoid automated linking

The best approach is to link the pillar pages to all relevant supporting content while each supporting page links back to its pillar page. Search engines understand the hierarchical relationship between content pieces through this two-way linking.

Anchor text optimization needs special attention in our internal linking strategy. Using varied, descriptive anchor text enables search engines to better understand our linked pages’ content. But we avoid overusing exact-match anchor text since it appears unnatural.

Pro tip: Placing internal links near the top of the pages has substantially reduced bounce rates and improved dwell time. 

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

• Over-linking pages 
• Using generic anchor text 
• Creating forced connections 
• Neglecting regular updates 
• Ignoring user journey

Step 7: Build relevant internal points

Fresh, accurate content forms the life-blood of our topical authority strategy. Content updates go beyond fixing broken links or updating statistics – they showcase our expertise and help us stay relevant in our niche.

Regular content updates affect our topical authority a lot. Google tends to rank content higher when it sees the website as an expert resource. This became even more important after Google started emphasizing “expertise” and “reputable websites” in their Quality Rater Guidelines.

Here’s my content update checklist to build strong topical authority:

• Review and verify all facts and statistics
• Update outdated information and examples
• Check and refresh internal links
• Add new insights and industry developments
• Make sure E-E-A-T principles stay intact
• Verify all external links are still relevant

Pro Tip: Updating content isn’t about making it longer – it’s about making it better. Adding new information that others haven’t covered yet (what many call “information gain”) matters more now.

Common Mistakes to Avoid: 

• Only updating dates 
• Ignoring user feedback 
• Forgetting to republish 
• Not tracking changes 
• Neglecting old content

How to measure topical authority

Topic Share measurement helps us track our topical authority success. This proven metric shows the percentage of traffic a website receives from keywords within a specific topic. Traditional SEO metrics typically focus on individual keyword rankings.

The topical authority measurement relies on these key metrics:

• Domain and Page Authority scores
• Quality of relevant backlinks
• Content depth assessment
• Organic traffic patterns
• User engagement metrics
• Expert citations and mentions

This method helps us learn about our topical authority position and growth opportunities. Our data shows websites with strong topical authority maintain better rankings. They achieve this even with fewer backlinks than their competitors.

Common Topical Authority Mistakes to Avoid

There are some critical mistakes that can hurt your topical authority efforts. Let’s look at these pitfalls and how you can avoid them.

Many websites pump out massive amounts of content without thinking about quality or relevance. This strategy doesn’t work well. Now the websites with higher topical authority can outrank competitors who have higher domain authority and more backlinks.

These are the most common mistakes we see:

• Focusing on quantity over quality content
• Ignoring user search intent
• Creating disconnected content pieces
• Neglecting content updates
• Missing internal linking opportunities
• Duplicating content across topics

Many websites try to rank for broad topics without building authority in smaller, related subtopics first. For example, I analyzed a site that wanted to compete for “digital marketing” before establishing expertise in areas like social media or content marketing.

Content Quality vs. Quantity 

Our analysis shows that sites with genuine expertise through quality content perform better than those focused on content volume. This lines up with Google’s E-E-A-T principles, which we covered earlier in this piece.

Poor topic research is another big mistake. Sites rush into content creation without understanding their topic’s scope. The result is shallow coverage that fails to show real expertise to users and search engines.

Successful websites treat topical authority like building a skyscraper. They start with solid foundation content and add supporting content systematically. Everything connects through proper internal linking. This well-laid-out approach works better than random content creation.

Note that building topical authority isn’t about gaming the system. It’s about showing real expertise in your field. Sites that create authentic value and avoid these common mistakes get better search rankings and user engagement.

Build Topical Authority with Writesonic

Topical authority is a vital component of SEO success in today’s digital world. From picking the right niche to keeping your content fresh that shows real expertise – topical authority needs careful planning, solid research, and steady execution.

The right topic selection combined with effective keyword research and content clustering builds a strong foundation. This approach helps establish your website as an authority.

Content creation at scale challenges many websites. Tools like Writesonic help simplify this process while you retain control over quality that builds topical authority.

Real topical authority comes from showing genuine expertise through detailed, well-laid-out content that meets user needs. These strategies work best when you track progress with our suggested metrics and sidestep common mistakes that could slow you down.

Building topical authority takes time. A systematic approach will turn your website into a trusted resource in your chosen niche. Focus on creating valuable content around your core topics and watch your organic visibility grow steadily.

Ready to establish yourself as a leader in your niche?

FAQs

What does topical authority mean in SEO, and how can it be established?

Topical authority in SEO refers to the extent to which a website comprehensively and accurately covers a specific subject or topic through detailed, credible, and high-quality content. Search engines like Google tend to favor websites that exhibit deep expertise in a particular niche, as this allows them to provide the most authoritative and relevant content to users.

What are the steps to build authority in SEO?

To establish authority in SEO, you should focus on several key actions:

• Create an informative ‘About’ page.
• Include detailed bios for all article contributors.
• Infuse your unique expertise, personality, and experiences into every piece of content.
• Aim to produce definitive content that stands as the best source of information on the topic.

How can I enhance my page’s authority in SEO?

Increasing your page authority involves:

• Producing outstanding content that authoritative websites would want to link to.
• Actively promoting your content to increase visibility.
• Developing and implementing a robust link-building strategy to encourage more high-quality backlinks.

How many articles are needed to establish topical authority?

Achieving topical authority requires more than just writing a single article on a subject. It involves creating multiple related articles that cover various aspects of a topic comprehensively. No single article can address all facets of a topic in depth, so a broad and interconnected collection of content is necessary to build your topical credibility.

How can you achieve topical authority if you need to focus on a niche for Google to recognize your blog’s theme?

To gain topical authority while maintaining a niche focus, it’s crucial to select a niche that you can cover extensively and authoritatively. By creating a wide array of content within this niche, you can demonstrate in-depth knowledge and expertise, which in turn helps Google and other search engines recognize and prioritize your site in search results.

Pragati Gupta

Content Marketer

Pragati Gupta is a Content Marketer @Writesonic, specializing in AI, SEO, and strategic B2B writing. Leveraging the power of Generative AI, she produces high-impact content that drives superior ROI.