Topical Authority: What It Is + How to Build It

Topical authority is a website’s perceived credibility as a resource on a particular topic or niche. You can earn topical authority by creating robust, helpful content about a certain subject.

Not sure how to change your oil? A quick Google search suggests Home Depot’s complete guide as the solution at the top of the search results.

In fact, the home improvement brand offers a large collection of DIY auto repair and maintenance guides to explore while you’re at it, which is what makes this such a perfect example of topical authority.

With a robust library of relevant, in-depth content, Home Depot has earned a reputation as an authority in the space.

So, how do you build topical authority for your own site?

We spoke with HawkSEM team lead and SEO expert Austin Lewis to find out what it takes.

What is topical authority?

Topical authority refers to a website’s credibility as a resource on a specific topic.

This is accomplished by regularly publishing valuable, high-quality, original content that answers people’s questions pertaining to that unique topic or niche.

Why does topical authority matter for SEO?

Topical authority boosts your website’s credibility, which improves your chances of ranking higher on the search engine results pages (SERPs).

More specifically, “topical authority is important because it is a component of Google’s E-E-A-T (experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness) measurements,” says Lewis.

“Google’s E-E-A-T algorithm was basically designed to measure which industry professionals/organizations deserve web traffic. When we build topical authority, we are showcasing authoritativeness on a subject.”

Basically, the more authoritative your content, the better your rankings.

How does topical authority work?

Topical authority works by building a website’s reputation as a trusted source on a specific topic, which comes down to publishing a library of comprehensive, relevant content.

“Google measures authority by examining how many questions your content answers in regards to said topic,” says Lewis.

“The more comprehensive your content, the more comprehensive Google presumes your understanding of the subject matter to be.”

He adds that, because Google has crawled so many websites and writing samples, they have an idea of what the big questions for any given topic may be, and when they see your website answering them, it’s presumed to be authoritative by Google.

Topical authority works by building a website’s reputation as a trusted source on a specific topic, which comes down to publishing a library of comprehensive, relevant content. (Image: Adobe)

How do you build topical authority?

“Topical authority is built by publishing extensive high-quality content on any particular subject, and then ‘gluing it all together’ with internal links,” says Lewis.

This tactic is referred to as content clustering. In a nutshell, the goal is to publish a vast library that essentially covers every aspect or subcategory of a broader topic.

Each page or article of the topic cluster is then linked using strategic internal linking, giving each link context, which adds value to user journeys when people visit your website.

Here’s how to build authority in your space.

1. Identify your main topic(s)

Here at HawkSEM, our “big” topics all pertain to core digital marketing strategies like SEO, pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, and social media marketing.

Within each of those big topics are subtopics, where we dive into high-level niche content.

Your first step is to identify a clear but broad topic in your space that you want to be recognized for.

2. Create a content strategy

Once you identify a core topic, dive into some keyword research. First, consider common questions you’re asked on the subject.

Then, head to Google and enter those search queries to see what kind of results appear. What shows up in the People Also Ask sections?

Use a keyword research tool to find high search volume queries related to your topic and identify long-tail keywords.

Finally, leverage other resources like AnswerThePublic to fill in any gaps you might be missing to better understand your target audience.

With a list of target keywords, consider a timeline for content creation.

Further reading: How to Do Keyword Research: Tools to Use + Proven Tips

3. Create high-quality content

You may be a topic expert, but if content marketing isn’t your expertise as well, use the help of professional content creators for this step.

Start with a “pillar page” or “hub” that covers the broad topic in detail. These pieces should be around 2,000 words and speak to the search intent of your audience — don’t focus on keywords alone.

Further reading: What is Content Writing? 16 Tips to Create Content Readers Will Love

4. Build content clusters

After creating your pillar page, build supporting content cluster articles that focus on related subtopics of your specific subject and interlink them inside the pillar article.

This will help search engines understand your site’s expertise on the subject and boost internal SEO.

Further reading: What Are Topic Clusters for SEO?

5. Publish content on a predictable schedule

Publish your content on a regular schedule. This helps keep your site fresh and consistent.

What’s more, the more content you produce on your topic, the more topical authority you earn.

6. Earn backlinks

Earning links from reputable sites relating to your industry signals to search engines that other experts trust your content.

The best way to earn backlinks is by creating high-quality content and climbing the search rankings organically. However, you can increase your chances of earning links by:

• Using pitching tools like Qwoted
• Find guest posting opportunities
• Uses trending topics to create content people want to link to
• Use white hat link-building techniques

7. Update content regularly

Revisit your content on a regular basis to ensure the information is up to date and as robust as possible. While you’re at it, include any valuable additions like downloadable freebies or case studies to further support your articles.

Regularly updating content is a major ranking factor. Doing this will help your pages receive higher rankings, and it’s best practice to keep your content fresh.

And as always, make sure to optimize your content using on-page and off-page SEO best practices to enhance user experience.

Further reading: 20 On-Page SEO Factors to Help You Rank on Page One

8. Engage with your audience

Whether posting content on social media or participating in forums, responding to comments and engaging with your audience builds a community around your content.

As a result, this can increase your perceived authority online and in the field.

How to measure topical authority

Topical authority isn’t a concrete metric, so there’s no definitive way to measure or rank it.

However, there are several key factors you can use to assess your progress or success in the pursuit of high topical authority:

• The number of comprehensive pages on your site dedicated to your topic: Review how many pages on your site are dedicated to a specific topic and how in-depth the content is.
• Relevant keyword rankings: Use a tool like Google Search Console or Semrush to track relevant keyword rankings. The more you have, the higher your topical authority.
• Internal linking structure: A seamlessly structured internal linking strategy shows search engines the depth of resources you provide on a given topic.

Further reading: How Does Internal Linking Help SEO? (How-To + 12 Best Practices)

4. High-quality backlinks: If relevant (and authoritative) websites link to your content, you’ll have a stronger topical authority. Like the content on your site, the quality of your backlinks matters more than the quantity.
5. Volume of organic traffic: Use a tool like Google Analytics to measure your website traffic. A boost in organic visits from relevant search terms suggests recognition as an authority in the space.

A common challenge (and solution)

Even when perfectly executed, there are common challenges on the journey toward topical authority. Perhaps the greatest challenge? Tracking internal links, especially for large sites.

To combat this, Lewis created a tool he calls an internal link compass, using spreadsheets to track all cluster components and keep them in order of importance based on traffic volume.

“This tool is valuable not just to categorize all URLs by cluster,” says Lewis, “but also to identify internal links with the most link equity.”

“With the internal link compass, we can filter by any given cluster to see all of the URLs related to that cluster,” he adds.

“This gives us a list of internal links to build when writing new copy related to that cluster. This also puts the list in order of importance, as the links are also filtered by traffic volume.”

How topical authority impacts LLM and AI Overview visibility

With the rise of large language models (LLMs) and Google’s AI Overview, topical authority is more important than ever.

“It would appear, at least for now, LLMs are using search engines as a means to measure authority,” says Lewis.

“This is likely due to the fact that [search engines] are already a highly sophisticated means of measurement, and LLM companies don’t want to have to create their own E-E-A-T algorithm for determining who should be included in citations.”

So, for now, if you earn a reputation as a go-to resource in the SERP from SEO, it is much more likely that you will be featured in LLM results.

The takeaway

Whether you own an ecommerce store or a SaaS business, topical authority is about more than ranking higher in the SERP — it’s about becoming the go-to source for valuable, trustworthy content in your industry.

By creating in-depth content, publishing on a regular schedule, interlinking content on relevant topics, and staying ahead of trends, websites can achieve topical authority that stands out to search engines and people alike.

As Google’s algorithms continue to prioritize reliable expertise, learning into a content strategy that focuses on topical authority will result in higher rankings, conversions, and a strong reputation for user searches.

Need some help along the way? We’ve got you covered.